leadership

Train Yourself to Be Godly #9: Created to Work

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*Training yourself to be godly may include how you view your work.

The average person spends 90,000 hours (that’s around 10 years) over the course of their lifetime working.[i]

A 2023 survey of Canadians suggested 80% of workers were satisfied with their jobs. At the same time, another survey indicated 33% of workers plan to look for a new job next year. .

60% of workers feel burned out.[ii] 77% of workers reported experiencing work-related stress.[iii]

One statistic stated: Only about a quarter of employees worldwide are actively engaged in their work.[iv] Though many seem to find enjoyment in their work, it’s not uncommon to hear people saying they are “Working for the weekend” – or “Thank God it’s Friday”.

Even some of our jokes are funny because we generally live in a society that doesn’t like work.

My boss told me to have a good day, so I left and went to the beach.

My boss told me I’d missed too much work lately. I told him I hadn’t missed it much.

We often think of work as fulfilling duties regularly for wages or a salary. It’s about making money. Yet there is more to it. Work is also exerting strength or energy to do or perform something; it involves being creative, using skill, and producing something.

Work shows up very early in our Bible.

Often, the first thought about work is that it’s a result of the Fall, or a result of humanity’s sin and God’s judgment. Genesis 3:17-19 gives God’s judgment on Adam: “the ground is cursed because of you.” We see life becoming more difficult as a result of sin.

But this does not say that work is a result of the Fall. The judgment is not work. The judgment is difficult and sweaty work!

While we tend to think of work as a result of sin, it is actually part of the world before sin. God tells Adam in Genesis 2:15 that he has a role to play in this garden God made for him. He is to “Work it and take care of it” (NIV).

Even before that, in Genesis 1: 28 God gave the people he created a role to play in creation: “Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.’”

Work is not a result of sin but was the first responsibility and role for humans! Along with being fruitful and multiplying, people were to govern and reign. Work is part of that governing and reigning, doing what is good for the world around us.

Work is about contributing to the good of our world. We all need something meaningful to do with our lives. We all have ways of contributing to the good of our world – to “work” in some way.

God has blessed us all with various gifts and passions and skills. Many of us have learned other skills through formal education or experience. We have gained ways of working and contributing to the “governing and reigning,” the “ruling” over the world that God created humans to do.

Hopefully, you have a job that you are created for, that fits, that feels like you are being who God created you to be! If not, ask Him to guide you to where you fit better.

As we think of Spiritual Disciplines and Practices associated with work, there are a few that we will look at in the next blog, but here’s one: The Discipline of Serving.

Mark 10:45 says: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Discipline of Serving says, “I will choose to use whatever abilities and skills I have to work for the betterment of others, serving them. Not working for my own benefit alone, but also for theirs!”

We are created to work and have the opportunity to serve others in the process.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

[i] https://www.worldofwork.ca/by-the-number

[ii] Calm’s Voice of the Workplace Report

[iii] APA’s Work in America Survey

[iv] https://www.worldofwork.ca/by-the-numbers

Spiritual Training Series #2: The Spiritual Practice of Reading Scripture

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*Training yourself to be godly will include reading scripture.

Anne of Green Gables described the type of friend she longed to meet: “A bosom friend. A kindred spirit. I’ve dreamt of meeting her all my life.” We all desire a good friend, a bosom friend who understands us, wants to spend time with us, and shares our interests.

But did you know that you can become a friend of Jesus? Or that Jesus wants to call you his friend?

In John 15:14,15, Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.”

Jesus calls YOU a friend if you do what he commands.

This is not just for the disciples – Jesus is inviting you and me – as his present-day disciples, to become his friends!

Verse 15 declares there is a change of status for Jesus’ disciples – there are no longer slaves (or servants) but friends!

But there needs to be obedience on the part of the friends.

And for the friends to be obedient to those commands – they need to know what those commands are!

Yes, Jesus is Lord, but he invites us into friendship. Jesus invites us into friendship, not as ones who must do everything Jesus said – or God said – but as ones who know the heart of Jesus and want to do the things that honor and show respect to our Lord – and friend!

You are my friends if… If what? If you do what I command.

How do we know what Jesus (or the Father) has commanded? We need to read the Bible.

If you want to be a friend of Jesus you need to spend time in Scripture getting to know Jesus, reading it like a letter from a friend rather than a textbook.

This is about getting to know the heart of God, the heart of Jesus. It’s about getting to know him and love him and desire to please him so that it is not obedience out of obligation, but because of a desire to please the one you love!

If you want to train yourself to be godly, to become a friend of Jesus and be more like him, you will want to include a regimen of Scripture reading (memorization, meditation, study, etc.), which will help you to get to know Jesus better.

First, get your own Bible, and then make a plan for reading the Bible. There are various Bible Reading Plans available, including some that take you through the entire Bible in a year. Just search the internet and you can download or order from a variety of plans, but make sure you have a plan so you can train yourself to be godly!

Read the Bible regularly so you can learn what Jesus has commanded, can do what he has taught, and be his friend, and become more godly in the process.

We are to train ourselves to be godly. It begins with reading the Bible regularly.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Spiritual Training Series #1: Train Yourself to be Godly

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Imagine you just received a baby picture from friends who just had a baby. What if they sent you a picture every year? What if you are like me and don’t clean your fridge very often? As you put up the picture from year five, you notice the picture from the first announcement. And then you realize there has been very little change. The baby is still hardly any bigger and doesn’t seem to have developed much. Unfortunately, there are some children who do not mature the way we expect, who never crawl or walk or communicate. This makes us sad because a baby needs to grow.

As followers of Jesus, we need to grow, too.

1 Timothy 4:7 says “train yourself to be godly”.

Philippians 2:12 says “work out your salvation”.

We are to become more “godly” or Christ-like. We are to continue to grow and develop spiritually to become a better expression of the image of God as we were created to be, according to Genesis 1:27.

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he crated them.

Genesis 1:27

This is not just about our own hard work though. In Colossians 1:29, the Apostle Paul writes: “I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” Yes we are to train ourselves and work out our salvation and struggle. We have a part to play in our spiritual development, but this is never something we do no our own. Like Paul we can depend on “Christ’s mighty power that works within me”.

We can and should do our part. It may be that we choose to practice some of the Spiritual Disciplines that Christians have practiced throughout history. This includes prayer, scripture reading, fasting, sabbath, generosity, and so on. As we practice these disciplines, we make an effort to do our part as we invite the Holy Spirit to do His work in us to make us a little more like Jesus.

Whatever training we want to instill in our lives, we do need to train ourselves to become godly. For this to be a priority in our lives, we need to intentionally prepare a training schedule or plan. When will you read the Bible, and what will you read? When will you pray, and what will you include in your prayer time? When will you choose to fast, and what kind of fast? How will you practice generosity, and so on?

Think back to the time when you first became a believer in Jesus. We could say you were a baby Christian. What would that picture have looked like if your heavenly Father had taken a picture and hung it on his fridge in heaven? What would a picture he took this year look like? As I look back 51 years, to the time He could have taken my “spiritual baby” picture,  I trust that my picture – the me that God sees – would give evidence of much spiritual growth and maturity. Maybe the picture would not just include me, but other people around me who have come to know Jesus or been impacted for Jesus by me.

I pray that you are intentionally pursuing Jesus and looking for ways to grow toward every fuller spiritual maturity.

Keep on looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Do Something That Scares You

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DO SOMETHING EACH MONTH IN WORSHIP THAT FRIGHTENS YOU
If you want to grow, you should be prepared to risk. As a rule of thumb, do something every month that scares you. If you grow in your faith and tenacity, do something every week that scares you. It might be asking a 7th grader to pray the benediction. It may be singing in the middle of the sermon. It may be asking a visitor about his relationship with Christ after a service is over. If you’re shaking in your boots sometime during your ministry, you might feel uncomfortable, but at least you know you have a pulse.

I came across the above paragraph some time ago and don’t remember where it came from or who wrote it, but I keep it on my sermon preparation checklist as a reminder to be willing to do something new and different from time to time.

It is easy for pastors to do exactly what they have always done in how they preach a sermon or plan and lead a service. Human beings easily fall into a rut, a routine that feels comfortable and familiar. But there is a reason that people love to go to Disneyland. I don’t think it’s the rides and entertainment alone; I think part of it is because it is different and unusual from our daily lives. As much as we might fight change, we still want some variety from time to time.

At the same time, bringing variety to a service takes risk. When we, and our church, are used to doing things a certain way, we know that a change could very well frustrate some people. Some may oppose it just because it is different. Some may even have a biblical reason why you shouldn’t have done what you did.

Yet taking the risk may be worth it. Variety awakens our senses. When we taste something new, our tongue notices whether it is an unpleasant taste we have no intention of repeating or a pleasant taste that we think we would like to try again. New experiences awaken different new feelings that the familiar old ways do not. In some churches, a person could sleep through the service and know exactly what happened, in what order, and maybe even the message that was preached, but introducing something new can wake us up.

Recently, at a church where I serve as a transition pastor, I invited people to come for prayer for healing after a baptism service. I have never done that before, but felt that God wanted me to do so. I appealed to Isaiah 53: 4 – 5 to explain the connection between baptism and healing.

4 Surely he took up our pain

    and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

    stricken by him, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

    and by his wounds we are healed.

I pointed out how Matthew ties Jesus’ healing of the sick and demon possessed to this passage:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“He took up our infirmities

    and bore our diseases.” (Matthew 8:17)

A couple of people came for prayer. After the service, a few people told me that prayer for healing had not been practiced in the church, but they were grateful that I had offered it.

The risk for me was to add prayer for healing to a baptism service – something I had never done before. I didn’t know that it was also going beyond the usual practice of the church. But God honoured my willingness to risk as I felt him lead.

Let’s not be afraid to risk misunderstanding, or even simple awkwardness, by doing something in a new way. May God help us to know when to step out of the usual and risk something new.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Persevering Through Leadership Challenges

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Leadership is not for the faint of heart. Leaders can expect to face challenges from those they lead. Church leaders are not exempt from this reality.

I recently met with a church board who were facing these kinds of challenges. Some of the congregation were complaining that the board wasn’t leading well, others said they would never submit to the board’s leadership, and others said they didn’t even know who the leaders on their board were. Leaders can expect to face condemnation from every angle, facing criticism for being both too controlling and at the same time not leading strongly enough.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:1: “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.” It is a good thing to desire to be a leader, but Paul immediately follows up that statement with a list of qualifications a godly leader should measure up to. Not just anyone can be a leader.

Once you are a leader, you are entrusted with the care of those you are called to lead. It doesn’t matter how you came to your position; you have to believe that you are there because God wanted you there. Whatever system your church uses to select leaders, the assumption is that the church trusts God to guide that process. That means you are not just there because some people in the church wanted you there; you are there because God wanted you there. This is important as you face challenges from those you are called to lead. If you believe God put you in that position, then you can persevere with His strength, no matter the challenges.

How can you face these challenges and continue to lead?

Believe you are called to your leadership position by God.

When you are called by God, you can trust Him to help you persevere through tough leadership challenges because He will empower and equip you to do so.

Pray and read scripture.

As a church leader, you need to be in tune with God and to hear from Him as you navigate the hard seasons. Take time to talk to God about your challenges. Ask God to help you understand those who criticize you. Listen for God’s direction, either directly to you in prayer or through scripture.

Read the Bible with the desire to find answers to your challenges. This could be through examples of good leadership in scripture. It may be that you are encouraged by Paul’s letters to churches and leaders. Read so you can be encouraged by the Word of God.

Learn and grow in leadership.

I have found that reading leadership books, attending seminars or conferences, and listening to podcasts has encouraged me and helped to equip me to tackle various challenges I have faced as a leader in the church. We can learn from the stories of others. We can gain knowledge, skills, and encouragement from others who have faced similar situations.

Leadership can be exciting when everyone is working well together, but it can be difficult when people you are called to lead do not trust you and question every step. I hope you can find encouragement in your calling, find direction in God’s Word, and hear from God in prayer. Continue to persevere as you face challenges.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Is Your Church Declining or Growing?

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You may have heard some of the discouraging statements about church closures recently. A study by the National Trust of Canada “predicted that one-third of Canada’s 27,000 faith buildings, most of which are Christian, would likely close permanently in the next 10 years.”[i] The narrative around church closures includes conversations about the decline of religious affiliation in Canada. A January 8, 2022 Global News Report stated: “Religiosity in Canada is at an all-time low, with recently released data from Statistics Canada showing only 68 per cent of Canadians 15 or older now report having a religious affiliation. It’s the lowest it’s been since they first started tracking this statistic in 1985.[ii] The Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research, in a 2024 article, stated an opposing view, saying “overall the Canadian Christian Church had only 2% fewer net congregations in 2019 (23,675) than they did in 2009 (24,138).”[iii] While pointing out that there are only a few fewer churches, the article acknowledged that religious affiliation is indeed down.

I understand that churches do sometimes close. The church I started in as a youth pastor no longer exists. At the same time, I am very encouraged as I think of the churches I have served as a transitional pastor over the last 5 years.

I have served seven churches, of which three were growing even during their transition, and all the rest were stable. Not one of the churches was in continual decline.

So what might this mean for us as pastors and church leaders?

There may be times when a church should close. Some of our rural communities are declining as people move away for school and jobs, which may mean a church closes for lack of people. Some churches may need to close because they have lost their mission and are no longer serving as a church, but a Christian club for a few dedicated members.

So what does this mean for church leaders?

We need to remind ourselves that we are serving God’s church. It is His church. While we can definitely do our part, we need to ask God to step in and bring revival where necessary and grow the church. We need to remind the church of our mission to make disciples who make other disciples. We need to give people hope and joy in their relationship with Jesus. We need to look for ways to bring spiritual renewal and transformation into our congregations, beginning with us.

We cannot lead people where we aren’t going first. Are you hungry for God? Are you digging into His Word, hungry for more of Him? Are you reading books on spiritual renewal? Are you praying and inviting others to pray with you? Are you loving your neighbours and those in the community around the church building?

Pastors, God wants us to use our gifting and calling to draw people ever closer to Jesus. I am convinced that when people fall in love with Jesus again, they will come alive. They will experience Him at work in their lives. As we ask for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, He will fill us and empower us for holy living and bold sharing of the gospel.

Quit preaching “self-help” sermons. Preach Jesus from the Gospels. Preach about the filling of the Holy Spirit. Introduce spiritual disciplines and invite your church to practice them. Show your members the full life that can be theirs.

God is still at work. He is still drawing new people to Himself. New believers are asking to be baptized. Some of your members are hungry and searching for more of Jesus. Encourage those who are already searching and ask God to open the hearts of others.

Are churches closing? Yes, some are, but yours does not need to be one of them. Be proactive. Do not assume the decline of your church is inevitable. God is still at work, renewing believers and reviving churches. May yours be one of those.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

[i] New report suggests opening churches to the masses as attendance dwindles

By The Canadian Press

Published: June 22, 2025 at 7:43AM EDT https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/new-report-suggests-opening-churches-to-the-masses-as-attendance-dwindles/

[ii] [1] ‘Gone by 2040’: Why some religions are declining in Canada faster than ever

By Ashleigh Stewart  Global News

Posted January 8, 2022 5:00 am

 Updated January 17, 2022 3:21 pm https://globalnews.ca/news/8471086/religion-decline-canada/

[iii] Hope For the Future: The 2021 Canadian Census

Rev. Dr. Lee Beachhttps://flourishingcongregations.org/hope-for-the-future-the-2021-canadian-census/

Discerning Truth

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New ideas challenge our understanding. What do we do with new ideas? As a young man, I wanted things to be black and white. I wanted to know right and wrong. I accepted the teachings I received in my church and at home, as well as those I learned at Bible College. I held strong views about beliefs and practices of other churches based on what I had grown up with.

As I ventured into the world, I discovered speakers, authors, and churches who presented ideas I was not comfortable with because they were different than what I thought was right. There were times when the teachings I came across made sense. There were times I had to adjust my thinking because I was wrong, or at least not fully informed, about a certain belief.

How should we respond to new ideas? Let’s look at a couple of ways we often respond to new teachings.

It is new, so it is wrong.

There are some people who are convinced, as I was in my early years, that anything new and different must be wrong.  And if it is wrong, it must be avoided. These people will not accept anything new as true because it is not what they are used to or comfortable with. They will ban those books from their libraries and caution others not to listen to those speakers. In their desire to hold to the truth, they assume that they already have the truth and don’t need to be confused with new ideas. While well-meaning, this is a naïve attitude that prevents many good followers of Jesus from growing.

It is new and I don’t know if it is right or wrong.

Some Christians, when exposed to new ideas, aren’t sure if these are right or wrong, and either don’t want or don’t know how to determine if it is right, so they just choose to ignore the new idea. Maybe it’s too much work to figure out if it is true. Maybe they aren’t sure how to assess it’s validity. Maybe they are comfortable and don’t want anyone to rock the boat. Life is good, I know where I stand, I know what my church teaches, and my friends believe. I don’t need to check out anything else.

Again, this attitude keeps followers of Jesus from growing in their relationship with Jesus as they never struggle with new understandings of God or scripture. Spiritual growth assumes a deeper or further understanding of and obedience to God. This may include accepting something new.

It is new, but is it true?

Other followers of Jesus are aware that they do not have all the answers. They may have already experienced times where a new teaching has given them further clarity about who Jesus is or how He works in their lives. They are willing to do the work to find out if this new teaching is truth or not, and willing to accept and apply the new teaching if it is true.

Their attitude is “I don’t know if it is true, but I will check it out.”

And so they study scripture to see if what they have been hearing is consistent with scripture. They read other authors or listen to other teachers they trust to get advice from other believers. They take time to talk to God about what they have discovered, asking God to give them clarity about what they are hearing. They might consider how this teaching has been accepted by other churches or by some of the older writers.

These followers of Jesus do not just jump on the bandwagon because friends are or because a certain speaker endorses this teaching, but they take time to consider it carefully before accepting it.

I have benefited greatly from discovering teachings that were not part of my childhood or that of my church. I have learned to appreciate teachings on the gifts of the Spirit and learning to listen and hear from God. I have appreciated being challenged on my beliefs about the kingdom of God. I have come a long way from my theological roots, continuing to carefully learn and grow in understanding God and how He works in us. In my pursuit of a deeper intimacy with Jesus, I have had to grow in my understanding and learned to accept new truths along the way.

Discerning truth is not a quick and easy process, but it may be of great benefit to you and your relationship with God as you get to know more. Be willing to do the work of assessing the validity of new teachings you come across without discarding them too quickly.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Remembering the Priorities of a Church Board

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For something to be a priority, it must be most important. When I see a company proudly displaying a slogan on their work trucks declaring, “Safety is our number one priority,” I know they don’t really mean it. It’s not true. If safety was their top priority, they would leave their work trucks at the shop and ask their work force not to leave the building. Their top priority is their business, but they do want to be safe in doing it.

Number one priority marked with red circle on math notebook

When I think of church boards, I wonder if we too have lost an understanding of what is truly priority? Board meetings begin with a welcome, maybe a devotional and a quick prayer, and then it’s on with the business of running a church. Much time is spent on financial discussions, reports, and budget. There is talk about the facilities and what maintenance is needed. There may be reports from different ministries highlighting their recent accomplishments. The board discusses, debates, and makes decisions. And then, after three hours of discussion, the meeting ends and everyone goes home.

The question is: did the board members focus on the priorities?

Too many church boards model themselves after a corporate board of a business. Yes, there are certain “business” aspects church boards need to handle such as managing insurance, paying bills, and ensuring the church functions in an organized way. But could it be that there are priorities that get shoved to the end of the meeting so they get less time than required?

There are a few items that I have noticed are not receiving the attention I believe should be given to them as priorities.

  1. Connect with God

Central to engaging with God is time spent in prayer. A church board is not first responsible to it’s “shareholders” (congregation) but is first responsible to God. It is God’s church, so the board needs to check in with Him to ensure that they are hearing His voice and being led by Him. Board decisions cannot be dependent on consensus alone but need to be guided by God. Along with asking God for direction, the board should talk to God about the people they are called to shepherd. A church board needs to pray for people’s health and life situations, but more importantly, pray for them to grow spiritually. A board has the privilege of interceding for their congregation.

2. Emphasize Discipleship

A church board is called, with the pastor, to lead a church in “making disciples.” (Matthew 28:20) This requires church leadership to regularly review their discipleship process to ensure people are coming to know Jesus and growing in their relationship with Him. Discipleship is about ensuring appropriate ministries are available to those who want to grow in their faith. When discipleship is a priority, it will influence other discussions during the board meeting. For example, if a board recognizes that their budget is falling short, they may want to encourage the pastor to preach about how God wants us to handle finances. The Board may want to plan a study on financial stewardship, not just to meet the budget, but to help their members to honour Jesus in their finances. Boards are easily caught up in many other decisions that it is easy to forget their role in making sure people are growing in their relationship with Jesus.

3. Pursue their God-given Vision

God has called every church to a unique role in the setting they find themselves in. Their vision needs to come from time with God. This may seem like a daunting task, but once the vision is clarified they can move ahead with purpose and clarity. Once they have determined their vision, church boards need to do everything they can to align all aspects of their church services and ministries to the vision God has called them to. This is about being responsible to what God has called them to

While there may be other priorities, these are three that every board needs to remember. A board that remembers these will do well.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Earning Trust As A Pastor

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As pastors, we can not expect that people will trust us simply because we are “the pastor.” People have been let down by too many leaders, by too many pastors, to automatically trust a pastor. Trust must be earned. Pastors, we can intentionally lead in a trustworthy manner so people will trust us.

As pastors, we invite our members to listen to and respond to our sermons. We challenge people to step up and volunteer in church ministries. We ask people to accept changes we are making to how we run services and ministries. If church members trust us, they will be much more willing to follow our leadership. If they do not trust us, it will feel like dragging a car through mud. Here are a few ways to earn people’s trust.

Be real.

Being real begins with leaders being self-aware and confident in who they are. They are open with people. They share their stories and let others know who they are. This involves letting people know what they care about and sharing their life ups and downs.

Pastors, you don’t need to hide who you are. People can tell when you are not being authentic. Don’t feel that you have to be perfect or have all the answers. If people feel you are hiding something they will be slow to trust you.

Be consistent.

Trustworthy leaders are clear about their expectations and consistent with their goals. When circumstances are difficult, trustworthy leaders don’t abandon their goals too quickly in light of other priorities. A trustworthy leader is the same person up front leading as they are when you interact with them over a coffee.

Make sure your words and actions match. Trust is threatened when a leader is unpredictable. Do what you promise. I just led our church through a vision and values clarifying meeting that I promised would take no longer than ninety minutes. I was glad when, as we were wrapping up, I looked at the time to see we finished in about eighty minutes. Keeping your word helps earn people’s trust. We need to be consistent in what we say and do as we lead.

Be curious.

Curiosity is important particularly for leaders in a new setting or role. People appreciate a leader who is interested in who they are, who their family is, and what they are interested in.

As a Transitional Pastor I begin with a new church every twelve to fourteen months. I make an effort to meet people and get to know them. I ask lots of questions. Some questions are about the church, but many are about the people and their lives and what they care about. People generally like sharing about their life, especially if someone actually shows an interest. Get to know what they are good at and what they enjoy doing in life. You may be surprised at the hidden talents and passions you discover, and in the process, you will be earning people’s trust.

Be available.

Leaders who hide behind their desk and closed doors portray that they are hiding something. An open-door policy and a willingness to share contact information makes followers feel like they can be trusted. Being available demonstrates that a leader cares enough about others to connect with them on their terms, and it communicates a desire to hear from them. Leaders who are available can answer questions, clarify instructions, and welcome feedback.

Be hopeful.

Trustworthy leaders inspire others to hope in the future. We have the best hope to share, Jesus! We have a confident hope of a present and future in His hands! Leaders, don’t get caught dwelling on past mistakes. Deal with them quickly so you can refocus on a positive future that inspires hope in those you lead.

Pastors, we are asked to lead congregations of people. Let’s work at earning their trust, so we can lead well and enjoy the journey together.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Kenotic Leadership: Leading with the Humility of Christ

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The following is an excerpt from work I had to complete for a course on Kenotic Leadership as part of my work towards a Doctor of Ministry I am taking at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Kenotic Leadership includes both an emptying and a filling in order for it to be truly kenotic leadership. There must be an emptying (https://biblehub.com/greek/2758.htm) of oneself of privilege and power and authority; anything that will reflect leadership by force or coercion, and then a filling of the Holy Spirit, Christ in us.

In Philippians 2:7 the Apostle Paul describes the experience of Jesus Christ when he left heaven and became a human. In this description of humility, which Paul says we should all emulate, he describes the process Jesus went through as “emptying” (ἐκένωσεν), a letting go of his divine privileges and power in order to become one with the people he came to serve. This is about  “emptying of privilege not of essence.” (Gyertson) Jesus was still divine, but did not hold to that divine power and position in order to serve humanity.

In a Christian leader, the emptying must be accompanied with a filling. A person can have a brilliant mind and possess expansive leadership gifts and skills, but without commitment and Christian spirituality he or she will not be the leader Christ is calling for and the Christian movement needs.” (Dunnam, p. 15) The Christian leader must be filled with Christ, by His Spirit, otherwise you just have servant leadership (Bolman/Deal, p. 4) which focuses on the needs of those being served. Kenotic leadership is not first concerned about the needs of those being led, but about the priorities of Christ.

Nouwen describes Christian leadership in the future like this: “It is not a leadership of power and control, but a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest.” (Nouwen, p.82) He continues, “the Christian leader thinks, speaks, and acts in the name of Jesus.” (Nouwen, p..186) Dunham points out that Paul liked the phrase “in Christ,” using it or something similar “at least 172 times” (Dunnam, p. 19) in his letters. He emphasizes that this is about more than following Christ but about “being in Christ.” (Dunnam, p. 36) The emptying of ourselves of all our own power and privilege and personal goals but being replaced with a filling of Christ that draws us to a place of abiding in Christ.

Bolman, Lee G., and Terrence E. Deal. Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and

Leadership. Jossey-Bass, 2021.

Dunnam, Maxie. Christian Leadership: Speaking to God for the People, Speaking to the People

for God. Abingdon Press, 2019.

Gyertson, David. Foundations of Kenotic Leadership for Times Like These, 2019.

Nouwen, Henri J. M. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. Crossroad,

1989.