Leadership Development

Make Every Effort

What is expected from those whom God calls to leadership positions? When we talk about leadership positions, we are referring to the positions one might normally think about in the church; positions like elders and deacons, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, and those who lead in other areas within the local church.

But not everyone is given the gift of spiritual leadership, and that’s okay. God calls us all to minister and lead in different ways, and if church leadership is not your gift, you’ll still want to pay attention. Leaders serve in many capacities, but in this “Apostolic Focus” section, we have a core value in that we believe churches should be led by those with spiritual leadership gifts, structured according to the nature and mission of the church.

Here are six essential “vows” for spiritual leadership. These are non-negotiable for true spiritual leaders in church leadership, in life, and in the ministry. If one hopes to be effective and fruitful in being a spiritual leader, let’s consider the phrase “make every effort.” Let’s make every effort to hold fast to these six personal vows and spiritual qualities that must increase in each leader.

1. As a spiritual leader, I will Maintain my Integrity.

Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. (2 Peter 3:14): NIV.

2. As a spiritual leader, I will Forgive those who hurt me.

Make every effort to live in peace with all men. See to it that no one misses the grace of God, that no bitter root springs up to cause trouble. (Hebrews 12:14-15): NIV.

3. As a spiritual leader, I will Relax and Trust God.

Those who enter God’s rest also rest from their own work, just as God did from His. Let us therefore make every effort to enter God’s rest. (Hebrews 4:10-11): NIV

4. As a spiritual leader, I will be an Encourager.

Leaders should therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. How does a good leader do these things?

  • By being sensitive to others’ needs
  • By giving responsibilities to others
  • By listening to others
  • By being optimistic about others’ potential (Romans 14:19)

5. As a Spiritual Leader I will be a Peacemaker.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3): NIV

“Accept on another then just as Christ accepted you.” (Romans 15:7): NIV

“Make my joy complete be being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:2): NIV

Ten times in the first five chapters of Book of Acts it states, “they were in one accord…they were in one place…they were all together…they were of one heart.”

6. As A Leader, I will Never Stop Growing.

“Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive.” (2 Peter 1:5-8): NIV

Where are you today with your leadership gifts and the gifts of the Spirit in your life?

Global Missions

Taking the Gospel to the nations — serving, teaching, and building His Kingdom worldwide
Dominican Republic

Dominican Advance — feeding and educating children through Christian schools

Philippines

Faith Island Mission — church planting and Bible college on Negros Island

Nigeria

Victory Church International — discipleship and equipping leaders in Aba

Spain

Church planting — 35+ years advancing the Kingdom through Pastor John Cutler

Ecuador

Newest mission field — training young pastors and promoting God’s Word

Partner With Us

In the development and expansion of any ministry, being partnered with others is essential. Very few people are “self-made” — they have had help along the way. Proceeding Word Ministries is a collective effort of many people like you, who give, who pray, and who share words of encouragement and hope.