Leadership development is hard; both in business and in churches. Small group point people across the country are struggling with the same question, “how do I find more leaders?” As our church grows, the need for more groups and group leaders grow as well. It’s easy to simply fill the gap with anyone we can find, but that’s not what we want. We want to find the best leaders (or H.O.S.T.S.) possible for each of our groups. We want team players who recognize the importance of working together to accomplish something bigger than any one person can accomplish alone. Identifying teammates isn’t always easy, that’s why we should look for leaders with the following four attributes within the acrostic T.E.A.M.
Trustworthy – “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (2 Timothy 2:2, NLT).
Encouraging – “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT).
Authentic – “The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith” (1 Timothy 1:5, NLT).
Multiplier – “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, NLT).
Small group leadership is all about teamwork. We are truly better together, as Paul noted, “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other” (Romans 12:5, NLT). For more direction regarding leadership development, Small Group Network Founder, Steve Gladen outlines a great leadership development pathway in his book, Planning Small Groups with Purpose. I recommend checking it out!
Published by Michael Grayston
Michael lives in Palm Bay, Florida with his wife and two kids. He serves CenterPointe church as the Next Steps and Multisite Pastor and is pursuing his Ed.D. in Ministry Leadership at Liberty University. Before full-time ministry, Michael spent over 10 years in healthcare leadership.
