When you become a pastor or other church leader, you gain a new responsibility that can weigh heavily on your shoulders.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to have confidence in our leaders and to submit to their authority because they will have to give an account for the people under their care (Hebrews 13:17).
Being a great leader doesn’t always come naturally to everyone, and it carries the weight of all those under your authority.
But with these pastoral ABCs, you’ll have everything you need to lead God’s people well and be the example he has called you to be.
A – Attitude
If you’ve ever played a sport or been part of a team effort, you know that attitude can determine the outcome of an event just as easily as skill.
The same principle applies to church leadership. You must have the right attitude and the right heart to be a servant leader and succeed.
B – Behavior
They say that actions speak louder than words.
Your behavior will say more about who you are and what you believe than anything you could say. If you claim to be a Christ-follower and hold a position of leadership within His Church, the way you behave must align with His teachings.
C – Character
Your character as a leader should be unblemished.
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul declares that overseers and deacons (the leaders of the early church) need to live above reproach. Having good character is something that must be built over time, intentionally living out the faith that dwells in your heart.
D – Dedication
A great church leader has to be dedicated to the work of the Church. If you aren’t committed to the mission and vision of your local church and completely sold out for the Great Commission, you’ll struggle to become the leader you want to be.
Dedication to the calling that has been placed on your life is vital to your success as a leader.
E – Empathetic
Empathy is absolutely essential to be a great church leader.
Your congregation needs someone who can understand what they’re going through and help guide them through it, all the while pointing them toward their Savior.
You won’t have personal experience with every single thing your members will go through, but you do need to be able to connect with them as they walk through it.
F – Faith
An unwavering faith is one of the most important things you need to have to be a great church leader.
We live in a fallen world full of broken and hurting people. You’re going to go through hard things and have to hold the hands of those who are dealing with the worst things imaginable.
Having a steady faith and a complete belief that God will work all things out for the good of those who love Him, even if you don’t see a way through in the moment, is a defining characteristic of a great church leader.
G – Generosity
Part of your role as a leader is to model Christian character for your congregation and community.
Giving generously of your time and talents is something believers are repeatedly encouraged to do. They need to see that their leaders are willing to walk the walk.
The Bible instructs us to be cheerful givers, and generosity is a huge part of being a good servant leader.
H – Humility
Jesus gave us the perfect example of humility in leadership. He prioritized the needs of others, helped them grow as disciples, and continually pointed those around Him toward the Father.
He never took credit for His actions and authority but showed others who they should turn to. A great leader must be humble, giving all the glory to the one who gave you every gift and talent to start with.
I – Integrity
Integrity is who you are when no one is looking. Paul’s charge to live above reproach is wrapped up in one’s integrity.
Who you are behind closed doors must match who you present to the outside world. A great leader is the same person, regardless of where they find themselves or who they are with.
J – Joy
True joy is something that only God can give. Happiness comes and goes depending on the season, but someone who has the joy of the Lord isn’t battered by circumstances.
A great leader is full of joy because he knows that his home is in heaven and that nothing on earth can tear him from his savior.
K – Kindness
Kindness is often mistaken for being merely nice or polite. However, showing kindness requires a certain care and empathy that doesn’t usually come with niceness or civility.
Genuine kindness stems from a place of love and a desire to demonstrate that love to others through your interactions with them.
L – Level-headedness
Being in leadership often comes with hurdles and curveballs that keep you on your toes around the clock.
Maintaining a level head when things go wrong and challenges arise is essential to being an effective leader. Your congregants need to know that you can remain calm in the face of chaos and that they can rely on you to lead them through it.
M – Mindfulness
Mindfulness is paying attention to your surroundings and being present in the moment. To be a great leader, you must be present with your members, engaging with them in real-time and without judgment or criticism.
N – Nobility
Noble leaders exhibit high moral character and strong integrity, demonstrating what it looks like to bear fruit through their actions.
Living a noble life has nothing to do with status or appearance, but rather depends solely on the way you emulate the example set by Jesus.
O – Organization
Great leaders have to be organized.
You don’t have to have every file on your computer labeled alphabetically or an intricate system set up to manage pastoral care records. But you should be neat and have things organized in a way that allows you to fulfill your role without causing problems.
If you can’t find things quickly or put someone in a bind if you take a sudden leave of absence because of the lack of organization, you need to take some time to get things straightened up.
Great leaders rarely have time to spare with all of the things on their plates, and wasting time trying to find things and manage the chaos doesn’t work.
P – Perspective
Perspective is essential for maintaining a good attitude toward your calling. Your outlook on things and how you view both challenges and successes will impact your quality as a leader.
If you have a negative perspective on things, you’ll struggle to reach your full potential. How you view circumstances and opportunities determines what kind of leader you will be.
Q – Quietude
Being calm and steadfast are necessary parts of pastoral care. Congregants need someone who can guide them through their hardships.
Great leaders can be pillars in the midst of storms, demonstrating how to navigate rough situations with a calming presence and peace of mind.
R – Reliability
A great leader must be reliable. People are counting on you as a leader and need to be able to trust that you’ll do what you say, be there when you said you’d be, and show up when they need you.
S – Servant-heartedness
The ultimate mark of a great leader is someone who echoes Jesus’ model of servant leadership.
A great leader puts the needs of others first and humbly serves with compassion and gentleness.
T – Trustworthiness
It goes without saying that a great leader has to be someone whom people can trust.
Your congregation relies on you for a wide range of tasks to keep your church running smoothly. They’re trusting you to manage financials, personal records, counseling sessions, and other deeply sensitive matters.
Being a great leader means being someone that others don’t have to question when it comes to trust.
U – Understanding
Patience and understanding are vital when working with people. One of the biggest obstacles to reaching the lost is their belief that they’ve done things that God can’t forgive. If they’re met by a pastor who judges and condemns them, they’ll think the same is true of God.
Being understanding of what others have experienced or are currently walking through is incredibly important as a leader, so you can demonstrate the same patient love the Father has for them.
V – Vision
While a large part of being a great biblical leader is following God’s path, you still need a vision for the future.
Casting a vision for your ministry for the months and years to come doesn’t detract from the plans the Lord has for you. Praying through your goals and thoughts will help align His will with your ideas, enabling you to plan with wisdom.
W – Willingness
When the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send?” in Isaiah 6:8, the prophet famously replied, “Here I am. Send me!”
Isaiah volunteered to go before he really knew what task God had in mind for him. Being a great leader means being willing to do whatever God asks of you, even if you don’t know what the path will hold.
It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it.
X – eXperience
You don’t have to have extensive experience to be a great leader, but as you continue in your leadership journey, you will gain knowledge and insight that doesn’t always come early on.
The more experience you have, the more you’ll understand what works and what doesn’t in church leadership. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of who you are and your personal strengths and weaknesses.
Experience isn’t a requirement to be a great leader, but experience does help guide you to become even better.
Y – Yearning
As believers, we long for a place that we have yet to see. Being a great Christian leader on earth is wonderful because you’re able to point others to Christ. But as a disciple of Jesus, that yearning for Heaven is always there and helps drive your actions and desire to see your congregation yearn for Heaven too.
Z – Zeal
Great leaders are zealous. They’re passionate and enthusiastic about participating in the Great Commission and leading others to saving faith in Jesus.
You can’t be a great leader if you aren’t fully committed to fulfilling your calling and filled with zeal for sharing God’s Word with others.
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