Each of us has been “formed/discipled” by our family of origin in the early years of our lives – whether we were Christians or not. We learned, for example, how to think about relationships, work, success, ethnicity, and anger from our families. When we came to Jesus, however, we were birthed into a new family. And it is Jesus’ new family that we were to learn and be formed into disciples of Him. That laboring till Christ be formed in people is the core of our work of leadership (Gal. 4:19).
But it must begin with us. In this podcast I invite you to do three things:
1. Think theologically. Everything rises and falls on theology. If we are going to multiply deeply changed discipleship and leaders, we must begin with ourselves and our teams.
2. Think of leadership as the inner work to define yourself in Jesus, not growing in expertise. This is much more challenging and difficult but has greater long-term impact and enables us to lead with authority. Jesus’ source of authority did not come from being a great preacher, a wise rabbi, or a miracle worker. It came from knowing “that the Father has put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God” (John 13:3).
3. Think systemically about your church, movement, or denomination. Your local church, and movement, has a history with positive and negative legacies. It is critical that we take the time to ponder what needs to be discarded and what we want to pass on to the next generation.
We are excited to finally make available three video training experiences for you and your team— Explore Your Genogram; Rediscover Sabbath; and Craft a Rule of Life. They come with workbooks, questions for team discussion, and are free to you!
Get access to them at www.emotionallyhealthy.org/team and put flesh on what many of you have read about in books like The Emotionally Healthy Leader and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.
Enjoy!
Pete
P.S. Here a few books to consider on the intersection of family systems and theology:
- Generation to Generation, Edwin Friedman
- Congregational Leadership in Anxious Times, Peter L. Steinke
- The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, Jim Herrington, R. Robert Creech, Trisha Taylor
- Becoming a Healthier Pastor, Ronald Richardson
- Family Ties that Bind, Ronald Richardson
