It is so easy to ignore Bible study time, times of consistent, regular prayer, and adequate sermon study and preparation. When the disciplines of regular Bible reading, studying, and prayer start to drop, the leader’s dropping the ball.  Often, this tendency seems to be joined with bad eating habits and no exercise which can lead to guilt and stress and it’s a problem that feeds on itself. 

When leadership fails, the congregation is in trouble. What are 6 signs that your leadership is failing?  What ones would you include?

Declining Involvement

I believe that the church will never go where the pastor is not willing to lead.  For example, when I first came to the church where I am now pastoring at, there was absolutely no outreach, no evangelism, and no activities where the church reached out into the community so I began a series of training sessions designed to equip them to do evangelism.  I began to plan some activities that would get us into our community where the people are.  What I soon discovered was that they would never go on their own unless I was willing to take the first step and go with them.  As I took some of the church members with me going door to door in witnessing, they began to show more interest in sharing the gospel with their family, their friends and their neighbors.  Its one thing to equip them but its altogether another to sit back and expect them to do it all while I don’t go with them.  When I asked them about the last time that they had done evangelism, there was a blank look on their face.  One guy finally said “Well, never.”  The last three pastors apparently had no interest in evangelism or other outreach activities and so since they were not leading, the member’s involvement was zero.  The leadership at the church had been failing miserably and that explains why there was no involvement.

Working Harder, Less Accomplished

I believe that every pastor and his family needs some time away from the ministry so that they can refresh both spirit and mind.  When it seems that a pastor or church leader’s workload is growing more and more and yet less and less is getting done, there is something seriously wrong.  It’s time to step back and take a look at what the goal is.  What is the purpose behind the work?  Is the leader working harder instead of working smarter?  What is the priority?  Isn’t the purpose of the church to glorify God?  Is there just too much “busy work” to actually be accomplishing anything?  Step away for a moment because you might not be able to see the trees for the forest.  Maybe it’s time to delegate.  Moses’ father-in-law Jethro saw that Moses was simply too busy and he needed help.  The more the work is piling up, the more you may not be delegating it out to others.  If you are working way too hard and getting less accomplished, your leadership is apparently failing. Ask for help.

Programs over People

This is something that I had to learn the hard way.  I started a nursing home ministry by beginning a Wednesday night Bible study.  As attendance grew, I tried to draw other church members into becoming involved.  Sadly, only a few wanted to help…the first Wednesday night about 7 people showed up.  I was pumped but the next Wednesday, no one showed.  I let the church know how disappointed I was the next week but apparently I was more interested in getting this off the ground than asking the input of the church members.

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