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Equipping and Developing, Part 2
By Dr. Dan Reiland
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Peter Drucker said in his excellent book, "Managing the
Non-Profit Organization", "Any organization develops people; it
has no choice. It either helps them grow or stunts them. It
either forms them or it deforms them." Whew! ...that is a lot to
think about and it's a huge responsibility.

In the last edition of "The Pastor's Coach" I introduced the idea
of two top leadership skills, equipping and developing, and the
difference between the two. In part one, we focused on
equipping. If you have not read it, it will be most helpful to
read it before you read this article. This edition will cover
developing - or at least take a running stab at it - it's quite a
comprehensive topic. In review, I said that:

+ Equipping is preparing someone for a specific ministry task.
+ Developing is investing in someone for their personal growth.

+ Equipping is transactional - it's an exchange.
+ Developing is transformational - it's a gift.

+ Equipping is based largely on the church's agenda.
+ Developing is based largely on the person's agenda.

Developing is truly an art, but you need not feel like you are
the artist because God, the Master Artist, is in on the process.
If you'll pick up the paint brushes, and ask Him to guide your
hands, you'll be amazed at the masterpieces you'll be a part of
creating. Of course, these masterpieces are not to be hung on
the walls of your church. They are people who are set free
(empowered) to do significant ministry.

Developing is investing in someone for their personal growth. It
is often best done in a small group setting, but many approaches
can work. It's not just another super-charged twist on
discipleship. It's a bigger idea than the discipleship we are
commonly accustomed to in North American churches. You can
complete a discipleship course, but you are never finished
developing as a person. In general, Christendom has done a good
job in the entry-level stuff - basics in the faith and even some
deeper spiritual life material. But the majority of material
seems to stop short of life skills - real life skills necessary
to successfully negotiate life and integrate our biblical
principles into that daily life. We on the INJOY team focus on
one large area of development - leadership - which, of course, is
a major bias in my work and writing. My passion and focus on
leadership as a focal point of development is because it is the
largest and most encompassing of the disciplines. Without
leadership we don't have the influence needed to draw others into
spiritual life and community.

Developing is a gift - it's transformational in nature. The
artist paints a picture without demanding performance. There is
a huge metamorphosis that takes place between the paints on the
pallet and the finished painting that communicates its own
expression of beauty. The church leader who develops others does
not do so with the sole and ultimate goal of a certain response
in exchange. It carries with it more of an empowering process
that sets the person free to live and lead as God directs. It's
about life change. This is not a mystical, weird, "what the heck
is he talking about?" process. For those of you who know me, you
know I'm not a mystical guy - I'm practical and down to earth.
What I want to communicate is that if you will make investments
in someone's personal growth in the form of a gift, with no
strings attached, then God has an opportunity to use them in a
unique and powerful way. There is something about a gift that is
powerful - the greater the gift, the greater the unleashing of
power. Christ Himself is the ultimate gift and the ultimate
power. Bottom line...if you have developed someone - they are a
changed person. And they are not indebted to you, but to God.

Developing is based largely on the person's agenda. (What's best
for them - in relationship to the Kingdom of God.) Expediency,
and sometimes panic, causes us to want to show people how to
teach Sunday School and work in the parking lot. That is all
well and good - gotta have both. That's equipping. It's good
stuff! But developing delivers what people need - life skills
such as managing healthy relationships, embracing wisdom,
cultivating creativity, living out true priorities, and deepening
personal integrity (all components of leadership!). We tend to
want to jump ahead to classes like "how to survive your
teenagers," or "how to get a raise in salary." These are great;
but if detached from a larger developmental vantage point, they
are just another class.

There are a number of "don'ts" when it comes to developing
people, such as:

Don't attempt to build on people's weaknesses.

Schools do it far too often. They tend (sometimes of necessity)
to focus on what kids can't do. Instead of saying "Sally seems
to have a gift in writing, she should pursue it more," many
educators say, "Sally is not doing well in math, she must do more
math." Poor choice. The school doesn't know what Sally will be
doing in twenty years, but we have an eternal perspective that
serves as a guiding compass in our developmental endeavors. As I
work with church leaders, it is interesting to me that they can
all quickly recite what they are not good at, but struggle naming
their dominant, developed and flourishing gifts. Hmmmm.

Don't crown the princes and princesses.

In the past I have been guilty of touting my trophies, and have
been convicted by the Lord. Have you ever done that? You know,
lifting up the handsome and powerful people as the perfect model?
Inferring that their personality type and leadership style is the
preferred one. Inferring also that anything short of that is
inadequate. This not only robs God of His due glory by implying
that He isn't in on the process, but also potentially sets us up
for sins such as envy, idolatry and covetousness. Be thankful
for your princes; be grateful for your princesses - but don't
hold regular coronation services.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

This is a mirror idea to the prince/princess concept. When I
think about Jesus' choices of people to develop, He surely didn't
judge a book by its cover. Take, for example, Peter, Levi, and
Thomas. You've got to be kidding; the church boss, the church
treasurer and the church wet blanket all in the "core" group!?
Think of what you'd hear them saying: "Do it my way," "We can't
afford it," and "We've never done it that way before." What was
Jesus thinking? He was thinking what the Father willed! He
looked at the heart and saw the potential. (I wanted to include
Judas as the church organist, but thought that might be pushing
my luck.)

Don't try to develop everyone.

Ok, time to add some balance to the last two points. You can't
invest leadership development into everyone in your church. Some
don't want it; some aren't ready; not everyone will connect and
respond to you; and others cannot pass on what you invest. Jesus
didn't invest in everyone. Jesus chose twelve, and of the
twelve, three. (And didn't that cause a stink? Been there?)
Choose wisely.

So what are a few of the "do's" of developing? The following are
several key guidelines to follow within the specific context of
spiritual leadership.

The church leaders who desire to develop others must continue
to develop as leaders themselves.

You can't develop others in ways you haven't developed yourself.
And even if you are "older and wiser" than those you are
developing, you will lose the cutting edge of relevance and
influence if you stop peddling and try to coast. We typically
begin to coast at the top of our game, (at the top of a hill) but
eventually you come to the bottom of the hill and it's time to go
up again. Keep peddling.

It's essential to know what a leader looks like before you
attempt to develop one.

The great artists of the Renaissance saw the image before they
began painting. The great developers do the same. However, when
Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel he wasn't
concerned about reproducing another. In contrast, when you and I
develop someone, even though no two are exactly the same, we must
have a reproducible blueprint to follow that includes both
character traits and skill sets. In the context of leadership, I
Timothy 3 is a good place to start.

Developers must be able to see people as they can become, not
just as they are.

I'm so glad my first church had eyes of faith. I served as an
associate/youth pastor at Lakeside Wesleyan Church, a small and
in many ways modest church, but the pastor, Richard Lauby, dared
to develop me in my raw stages. Those poor people, they got it
all. My first sermon in 1979, my first stupid idea (I'm not even
telling ya what it was), my first conflict with a board member,
my first attempt at a youth fund raiser selling light bulbs.
Yes, light bulbs. The problem was the people we sold them to
preferred the light bulbs not be broken upon delivery. Rich,
thank you for launching the beginnings of my development as a
leader! Thanks for taking a risk on me.

Developing people is a long-term process not a short-term
project.

Developing people is not an add water and stir process. It takes
time. It's not a "I can name that tune in __ seconds" game. We
don't sing just the first and third stanzas. We sing the whole
song!

Include both formal structures and informal connections in your
developmental processes.

Without the formal structures, the time and priority pressures of
life will soon crowd out the existence of your developmental
process. Without the informal connections the process is
potentially void of relational warmth and can become too
mechanical and ridged. It is necessary to center your meetings
around set times, objectives, and curriculum. But it is equally
important to "do life" together. (See Jesus' model.) Share
yourself, but be sure to enjoy the process and have some fun
along the way. It's often in the informal times that the most
learning takes place.

Personalize the process of development as much as possible.

Structures, processes, curriculum, and measurable outcomes are
all needed and important. But as much as possible, personalize
each person's experience. Find out what's on their mind and
heart. What makes them tick? What are their strengths and
passions? What do they dream about? How do they envision their
ministry partnership? What's their preferred style of learning
and communication? Ask questions, follow-up, challenge and pray.

If you don't equip people, your church won't get off the ground.
If you equip your people, your church will fly. If you develop
them as well, your church will soar!!