What is a Leadership Pipeline?
If your ministry ended today, what would you have to show for it? Podcast, blogs, big church, a ministry platform, and following? Or would you leave an army of deployed disciples advancing the gospel and manifesting His Kingdom? Leaving a gospel legacy requires discovering, developing, and deploying disciples. This is biblical discipleship; this is the model of Jesus. The Bible never calls us to make leaders; the Bible calls us to make disciples.
So why am I writing a blog on a leadership pipeline?
Because being a disciple of Jesus is being a leader! Introvert, extrovert, high capacity, low capacity, it does not matter personality or gifting; at the point of conversion, every Spirt-filled believer becomes a leader at some level.
A LEADERSHIP PIPELINE OR MULTIPLICATION PIPELINE, IS AN INTENTIONAL PATHWAY TO DISCOVER, DEVELOP, AND DEPLOY DISCIPLEMAKING LEADERS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
In this age of an abundance of disciple-making resources, the church is making fewer disciples than ever. Why is this?
Many churches do not have an intentional pathway to discover, develop, and deploy disciple-making leaders. With the demands of growing a church, building ministry platforms, and the multitude of programs and activities we say yes to, there is little to no time left for the intentional relationships needed to create a culture of discovering, developing, and deploying disciples for the glory of God.
Without a developed system or pathway for leadership development, potential leaders will be frustrated and lost.
8 STEPS FOR CREATING A LEADERSHIP (MULTIPLICATION) PIPELINE IN YOUR CHURCH:
1. Decide on a resource. There are so many useful resources, pick one and roll with it. I have found the NAMB Multiplication Pipeline to be cost-effective (free) with great content and an easy to use platform. Register at NAMB Planter Pipeline https://www.namb.net/pipeline
2. Create an entry point. How will you discover potential pipeline candidates? When do you talk about it, and where can they sign up?
3. Develop and communicate expectations. Please don’t make it up as you go, create and share clear expectations, and stick with them.
4. Pre-Assessment for development. A good personality/leadership assessment is invaluable in helping people develop as a leader. Have participants take one and help them grow in self-awareness. (http://www.ministryinsights.com/leaders/leading-from-your-strengths-profile/) $26.95
5. Calendar your meetings. Calendar out at least six months, this brings accountability and communicates prioritization.
6. Commit to preparation and follow-up. Don’t show up unprepared, and Don’t expect what you don’t inspect.
7. Create life on life experiences. Information without relationship is not an effective strategy, be intentional about life on life discipleship.
8. Create a culture of development with deployment. The goal of disciple-making is not dependency; it is deployment!
“When the church becomes an end in itself, it ends. When Sunday school, as great as it is, becomes an end in itself, it ends. When small groups ministry becomes an end in itself, it ends. When the worship service becomes an end in itself, it ends. What we need is for discipleship to become the goal, and then the process never ends. The process is fluid. It is moving. It is active. It is a living thing. It must continue to go on. Every disciple must make disciples.” – Robby Gallaty
If your ministry ended today, what would you have to show for it? The Bible never calls us to make leaders; the Bible calls us to make disciples. Leaving a gospel legacy requires discovering, developing, and deploying disciples. This is biblical discipleship; this is the model of Jesus.
