Are we missing Jesus' point? We all know He said, "Follow me." but as I read it, Jesus did far more than that. If we want to be like Jesus in how he grew the church, we may want to up our game and do these two things.

Articulate our culture and identity

Empower new leaders. 

First things first, let's articulate our culture. Jesus continually explained the nature of the Kingdom through stories and parables. At ManAlive, we've chosen one verse that we speak aloud at the beginning of every meeting to answer the question, "Who are we? How do we act?" James 5:16 "Brothers confess your sins one to another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayers of a righteous man accomplish much." It is our culture to gauge our actions and see a vision of potential results from this verse. It is straightforward to understand. It identifies who we are inside and outside our group and our church. What culture do you desire for your group?

Here is where it gets interesting. Jesus was not about being the boss and telling everyone what to do. He knew to identify and empower new leaders. The men and women given authority by Jesus quickly turned the world upside down. How did it feel when someone believed in you and gave you power and responsibility? It's like a superhero origin story. Pastor and leadership expert Craig Groeschel says, "When you delegate tasks, you create followers. When you delegate authority, you create leaders." 

Jesus' example shows us that the culture of the Kingdom must be articulated to be known and followed. It gives us our identity. He also showed us to find those fresh faces, provide them with authority, train them, and let them shine. Identifying and empowering new leaders increase the capacity of the community to grow in character, new members, and future leaders. With these methods, Jesus and his few new leaders turned the world upside down. 

Let's follow him and lead His way.    

-Phil Ellis, ManAlive! Leader

Photo by Mathias Jensen on Unsplash