11.0.0 Spiritual Leadership
Christian people everywhere are crying out for spiritual leaders - men and women grounded in the Word of God, made wise by the experiences of life, and filled with the love and compassion of Christ. As culture continues to spin faster and faster, people often times get lost in the shuffle... like sheep without a shepherd. If you are a leader or an aspiring leader of any kind, you can help fill the void.
This course is your invitation to delve into God's timeless design for leadership, centered on three interrelated models: shepherding, mentoring, and equipping. You’ll learn to become a shepherd who truly "smells like sheep", someone deeply ingrained in the lives of those you lead, offering love, service, and authentic relationships. This isn't about authoritarian power, but about earning trust through availability, commitment, and genuine care, just as Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, laid down his life for his flock. We’ll explore what sets a true shepherd apart from "hired hands," "cowboys," "sheriffs," or distant "CEOs" who often inadvertently scatter or neglect their flock.
Beyond shepherding, you'll uncover the vital role of mentoring, learning to live alongside others and model faith, values, and Christ-like behavior through shared life experiences. You’ll discover how to be a "winsome" mentor who attracts followers, a "strong" mentor who shows others how to live, and a "faithful" mentor who inspires hope to persevere through life's inevitable struggles. This means being honest about your own humanity while consistently pointing others to Jesus, our only flawless mentor.
Finally, the course will equip you to be an equipper, just as Jesus intentionally empowered his disciples. You’ll learn to delegate responsibility, balance your time between those with pressing problems and those with ministry potential, and leverage modern tools to foster intimate relationships even in our fast-paced cyber-world. This approach not only expands your ministry capacity but also lightens your load, preventing burnout and allowing you to see more fruit from your labor.
This course champions the need for visionary, flexible, welcoming, and multiplying leadership, addressing the reality of diverse, fast-lane congregations. It calls for leaders of character, demonstrating consistency, self-control, and courage—who are driven by God's will rather than external pressures. By embracing these biblical principles, you can bring fresh hope and fruitfulness to your community, reflecting the very heart of God and making a tangible difference in a world crying out for spiritual leadership.
This course is your invitation to delve into God's timeless design for leadership, centered on three interrelated models: shepherding, mentoring, and equipping. You’ll learn to become a shepherd who truly "smells like sheep", someone deeply ingrained in the lives of those you lead, offering love, service, and authentic relationships. This isn't about authoritarian power, but about earning trust through availability, commitment, and genuine care, just as Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, laid down his life for his flock. We’ll explore what sets a true shepherd apart from "hired hands," "cowboys," "sheriffs," or distant "CEOs" who often inadvertently scatter or neglect their flock.
Beyond shepherding, you'll uncover the vital role of mentoring, learning to live alongside others and model faith, values, and Christ-like behavior through shared life experiences. You’ll discover how to be a "winsome" mentor who attracts followers, a "strong" mentor who shows others how to live, and a "faithful" mentor who inspires hope to persevere through life's inevitable struggles. This means being honest about your own humanity while consistently pointing others to Jesus, our only flawless mentor.
Finally, the course will equip you to be an equipper, just as Jesus intentionally empowered his disciples. You’ll learn to delegate responsibility, balance your time between those with pressing problems and those with ministry potential, and leverage modern tools to foster intimate relationships even in our fast-paced cyber-world. This approach not only expands your ministry capacity but also lightens your load, preventing burnout and allowing you to see more fruit from your labor.
This course champions the need for visionary, flexible, welcoming, and multiplying leadership, addressing the reality of diverse, fast-lane congregations. It calls for leaders of character, demonstrating consistency, self-control, and courage—who are driven by God's will rather than external pressures. By embracing these biblical principles, you can bring fresh hope and fruitfulness to your community, reflecting the very heart of God and making a tangible difference in a world crying out for spiritual leadership.
Section 1 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Section 2 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Section 3 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Section 4 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Section 5 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Section 6 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
- recognize the need for spiritual leaders in the church and in society
- understand the biblical models of shepherd, mentor and equipper
- discuss the validity of the shepherd metaphor to present day applications
- evaluate the role of shepherd as it is referenced in the old and new testaments
- recognize the ultimate role that God plays as the Good Shepherd
- discuss the role that old testament prophets, priests and kings played as shepherds
- illustrate the role that Jesus now serves as the Good Shepherd
- identify the traits and characteristics of a good shepherd
Section 2 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
- evaluate the close relationship between a shepherd and his flock
- discuss the specific duties and roles a shepherd serves to those in the flock
- explain the importance of availability for a shepherd
- explain the importance of commitment for a shepherd
- explain the importance of trust for a shepherd
- recognize biblical models for leadership involving developing close relationships
Section 3 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
- identify and discuss distorted leadership models
- value the view of leading others versus driving others in leadership
- recognize the importance of investing time and energy in others
- explain the significance of building trust and affection with those being led
- apply listening empathy skills to better understand those being led
- illustrate biblical examples of spiritual leadership embodied in Jesus Christ
- summarize the process and purpose of mentorship
- explain the example of mentorship that was provided as Jesus mentored the 12
- recognize the importance that mentorship plays in leadership development
Section 4 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
- define and discuss personality characteristics of winsome leaders
- explain the importance of living as a good example to those we lead
- explain the importance of displaying strong moral character at all times
- understand how good leaders inspire others through hope
- discuss how good leaders lead, despite hardship and imperfections
- summarize the process that Jesus used to equip those around him
- define three different levels of relational intimacy Jesus had with followers
- discuss how highly Jesus regarded the act of leading, mentoring and equipping
Section 5 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
- translate Jesus’ biblical example of leadership to today’s world
- define “shared life” as it applies to equipping and leading others
- recognize the importance of frequent and long term contact with those we lead
- explain how Jesus developed warm, loving relationships with others
- discuss how leaders should deal with their own emotions
- recognize the importance of integrity and consistency in leaders
- explain strategies to balance time and resources when dealing with people
- display God-valued character traits, including: consistency, self control and courage
Section 6 Objectives
By the end of this topic, students should be able to:
- explain the characteristics needed of leaders to lead with vision
- discuss the role that flexibility plays for leaders
- summarize the importance of including others in organizational leadership
- recognize the importance of recruiting and equipping future leaders
- discuss how good leaders can identify and train the next generation of leaders
- describe how leaders should deal with adversity and hostility