Horizon leadership

A friend of mine sent me an email today. There was one paragraph in that email that I think gives a picture of what I look for in a leader at Horizon Church. Here is an edited version of part of that email:

"I feel Horizon is where God has called me to be. I also feel God has called me to serve Him, to love other people and to try to be a good Christian influence in peoples lives. I know I have a long way to go and I know I need friends to help me through this process. I'll be there early on Sunday and I'll offer my opinion on stuff if people feel that it is helpful. As far as being a leader, all I will say is this; call me what you want and I'll try to help where I can. As for me, I just want to try to do my best to follow God's call for my life. I just want to try to love Him and love people as best as I can."

This to me is the heart of a leader. This articulates the essence of what it is to be a leader at Horizon Church. What is so important about the above paragraph? Let's break it down:

"I feel Horizon is where God has called me to be." = Commitment.
Let's not underestimate the importance of someone who will commit. And obviously this commitment is grounded in Christ. Too often, people in our generation try to be a part of everything. This means they aren't committed to anything. They float from community to community, church to church. What I want in a leader is someone who is willing to say that they are committed to our community and that their commitment is grounded in the call of God. Someone may be a leader in other areas of their life, but if they are not committed to this particular community, then they are not a leader in our community.

"I also feel God has called me to serve Him, to love other people and to try to be a good Christian influence..." = Relational Leadership
Loving other people through relationships is the foundation of our leadership style at Horizon. If someone wants to lead by being the top of the food chain in a hierarchy, then Horizon isn't the place for them. But if they want to be down in the trenches, connecting with real people and helping them through their real life problems, then they are well on their way to leadership at Horizon.

"I know I have a long way to go and I know I need friends to help me through this process." = Teachability
If someone is not willing to learn from others then they cannot lead at Horizon. I want leaders who are willing to be challenged. I want leaders who are willing to admit where they have gone wrong. I want leaders who have the humility to realize that it is not all about them. Leaders who can remain teachable can lead in a team. If someone can't handle a leadership team of people pushing back against their ideas and desires, then they won't make a good leader at Horizon. We all have a long way to go and we all need each other to help us through this process of becoming more like Christ.

"I'll be there early on Sunday" = Servant leadership
I want leaders who are willing to serve. I want leaders who are willing to sacrifice for the community. And boy, do we have leaders who sacrifice for our community. They give their time, their energy, their heart and soul. They give their money, their emotions and their lives to this community. So if someone wants to lead, then they too need to set the same example. They too need to be an example of servanthood to the rest of the community. Coming early on Sunday is just a small part of an overall attitude of servanthood that needs to be there.

"I'll offer my opinion on stuff if people feel that it is helpful" = Humble, Willing Participation
I want leaders who want to be involved. I want leaders who are willing to offer their ideas and thoughts. If someone wants to lead at Horizon, then they must be willing to participate. They must be willing to be a part of the team. But there is also another characteristic that is evident in the above statement. "...if people feel that it is helpful." This is a sign of humility. It is a willingness to participate and also a willingness to submit to the team. It's an attitude that says, "I will offer my opinon, but I understand that we all have different opinions. So I am willing to offer mine without demanding that everyone go with my idea. I am willing to be helpful when I am needed and also willing to submit to the group when my idea is not where God is leading the team." This is HUGE! If someone wants to lead at Horizon, then humble, willing participation needs to be evident in their own life.

"As far as being a leader, all I will say is this; call me what you want and I'll try to help where I can" = Non-positional Leadership
This attitude is not concerned with titles. This person just wants to lead people toward Christ. They just want to help. They don't care what you call them. Title or no title, they will act the same way regardless. This is what I want in our leaders. If someone needs a label or a title before they are willing to invest in people, then they probably won't make it on leadership at Horizon. If someone needs to be recognized and needs people to praise them in order for them to keep serving, then they probably won't make it on leadership. But if they are willing to say "I'll try to help where I can" regardless of whether people notice or whether someone gives them a title, then they will probably make a great leader.

"As for me, I just want to try to do my best to follow God's call for my life. I just want to try to love Him and love people as best as I can." = Overall Theme for Leadership
This last sentence is a great summary to the overall paragraph. It reveals the heart of a true leader. It reveals the heart of a disciple of Christ. Loving God and loving people is the ultimate call of every Christian. Those people who do these two things well, by the grace of God, end up leading others toward Christ. All we can do is our best. We can't do any more and we shouldn't do any less. Our best is what God asks of us. Our best is what He deserves from us. Our best is what the church needs from us. Our best is what our life looks like when we live "The Kingdom" kind of life.

So this is how I decide if I think someone is leading at Horizon. If someone can say the above paragraph and really mean it and if they can live out what that paragraph describes, then chances are they will be an amazing leader at Horizon Church.