Finding & Developing Leaders By far the process of finding and developing leaders is one of the most important ministries of a BSM Director and staff! One can have fair attendance at meetings yet never begin to make “Kingdom” advances on the campus without a strong base of student leaders. I am captured by Jesus statement on leadership in Matthew 9: 37, 38: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” So, first we pray: for God to send workers into his harvest. This implies you are involved in the Harvest. Why would God send workers (leaders) if the heartbeat of your ministry is not for the lost? Second, we provide an environment conducive to growth. Three words capture how to create this environment: intentional, personal, steady.
This may be the wrong question. Yes, we know that, for every leader in your BSM there are probably about 10 other students involved in your regular ministries. So, if you have 10 leaders, you probably have about 100 students involved in your regular BSM activities (lunch, small groups, international ministry, etc.) Some will have many more than that. Some will have fewer. However, the general rule is about 10 students for every leader. Though this information informs us, it is not the way we need to be thinking about leadership. Leadership in BSM has a profound affect on the lives of student leaders They discover and exercise skills and abilities that were unknown before. They learn to develop a listening stance toward God – depending on Him for direction of the fellow students and ministry responsibility involved in their particular ministry area. Leadership is a tool of spiritual formation. It engages the heart, flexes the responsibility muscle, provides arms, hands, and feet for the work of God on the campus and community. Thus, “how many?” is the wrong question. Leadership is not about “how many?” It is about giving every student an opportunity to grow and develop their God given potential to serve. It is about mobilizing them to serve and investing in their spiritual growth. So, the question is not “How many do we need?” it is “who are the student leaders God has invested in our ministry on this campus?” (remember, they may not look or act like leaders when your first meet them) What do we need to be doing to mobilize and train them? What do I need to be doing now? Here are a few suggestions:
If there is a particular action that works for you in your context, please share it with other Directors. Others can benefit from your experience. Additional Leadership Team Helps
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