Creature of the Word: Leadership Simulcast
Do you want your church to be a more Jesus-centered church? Two weeks from today on October 23, LifeWay will be hosting a special simulcast event specifically geared for church leaders and leadership teams in which you will have an opportunity to interact with the authors of Creature of the Word—Matt Chandler, Eric Geiger, and Josh Patterson. You'll enjoy three different teaching sessions, as each author addresses one particular topic from the book as well as be able to submit your specific questions for a Q&A session at the end.
For more information, you can visit the simulcast page at LifeWay.com. To give you a sample of the type of content which will be covered, below is an excerpt from the book on gospel-centered leadership.
Most Christian approaches to leadership simply find good and bad examples of leaders in the Bible and say, "Be like this," or "Don't be like that." Although the Bible certainly provides great examples of leadership, these approaches often assume the Bible is a book primarily about you and what you are to do, rather than primarily about God and what He has done in Christ. Gospel-centered leadership does not begin with the command to imitate, but with the good news that God is gracious and has sent His Son to take our sins and give us life.
So, yes, gospel-centered leadership may end up looking like Nehemiah or Moses, but that's because it's grounded in being united to the One toward whom they point: Jesus. When you're united to the One who died on the cross and rose from the grave, then your life (and your leadership) is shaped by dying to self and allowing Christ to live in you.
In light of all of this, how can we best understand defined leadership, specifically gospel-centered leadership? Jesus-centered leadership is God-focused, Christ-exalting, and Spirit-led influence toward a kingdom agenda. Gospel-centered leadership is inextricably linked to the work of a triune God in redemption. The gospel is Trinitarian. The Father sends, the Son accomplishes, and the Spirit applies. Thus, gospel-centered leadership is marked by its redemptive influence and kingdom initiatives.
This definition is in accord with the theological grid distilled from the Scriptures. Gospel-centered leadership focuses on the glory of God and is grounded in God's reign and rule. Gospel-centered leadership aims to exalt Christ Jesus in all things and is sourced in His person and work. He is the Chief Shepherd, the Senior Pastor, and the Head of the body. Gospel-centered leadership recognizes that we cannot afford to be self-directed in our influence; rather we must be Spirit-led. All of our influence and inertia is toward advancing the kingdom of God by pushing back the darkness.
