Leadership

At our wednesday night Table Talk we continued discussion on Philippians one. And in my study it was interesting to find so much information in this greeting to the church in Philippi.

This church genuinely loved, cared and honored Paul. And Paul wasn’t just a leader to them, but he was family. And in this opening two verses we catch a glimpse of what the church was always meant to be. The leader and the church anchored in Jesus, with love and mutual respect.

Tonight I wanted to share one point that really stood out to me from last night’s lesson. I know ministry is rewarding and life giving, but I also know there are seasons where it can be difficult.

Jesus says it in Matthew 9 the harvest is plenty and the workers are few. In our ministry’s we can feel like we don’t have enough help, volunteers are few, we need more.

By the way shout out to Kathi for helping build out the structure of Planning Center it is such a great tool to get us organized here at the church. The worship team for years has used it to schedule musicians week to week.

There’s just something satisfying when you pull it up on your computer and you see all the green check marks of people who have confirmed and you have a full team.

And then you have those weeks where you look and there are a bunch of red x’s where people are out of town and unavailable and as a leader you begin to panic. What I am going to do. I don’t have a person for here, here, and here.

If you’ve ever been in this position like I have, my mind automatically defaults to we need more people, we need more volunteers, we need to make a push. We need to make an announcement to let people know hey come volunteer for my ministry.

Maybe you’ve had people come and join, but quickly fizzle out. Maybe they show up for a couple weeks and than they stop answering the planning center invites. It can be frustrating as a leader right. So we want a quick fix let’s try to find more people. And the cycle begins all over again.

I believe before we start thinking of growing our teams, we need to start thinking of the health of the team.

Is my team serving with the right heart?

Are they living out the life that Jesus has called us to. A saint, which we learned it’s not being a religious elite, it’s about living a life set a part. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progression.

As a leader am I exemplifying that life?

If we want to see our church grow—not just in numbers but in impact—it starts with health. And not the kind of health measured by how many butts fill the seats on Sunday.

Real church health is about unity—believers connected in mission and love. It’s about sound biblical teaching that anchors every heart and mind. And it’s about every member stepping up to serve, not just the pastor or staff.

The church isn’t a spectator sport. It’s the body of Christ, and every member is vital. When all the parts move together, when each person uses their unique gifts to build up one another, something magical happens. We call this “body ministry”—ministry is everyone’s call. It’s not just “the clergy” out front; it’s you, me, all of us growing, serving, and loving as a team.

The healthiest churches are those that focus on biblical principles first—discipleship, unity, grace, and service. When a church commits to that, growth isn’t just possible—it’s inevitable.

Think of a church like a living organism. It’s “fitted and held together,” connected closely, strengthening each other in love and faith. It’s in this active participation, this shared life, that the church fulfills God’s mission and changes the world.

If you want to build a lasting church, focus not on what looks big—focus on what is biblically healthy. Unity. Growth. Serving. Together. Because a church full of healthy, activated members can do more in one Sunday than a church of thousands sitting on the sidelines.

The Mark of a Healthy Church we find in the first verse of Philippians is, Intentional discipleship. We see in the opening line of Philippians Paul writes,that the one delivering this message isn’t Paul alone, but it is Paul and Timothy.

You see Paul Partners with Timothy. He’s not ministering alone, he is discipling the next generation. I said this last night True leaders don’t just build organizations, they build people. Every Paul needs a Timothy. Who are you bringing alongside you pouring into, challenging, and loving?

Ministry isn’t a solo act. we need one another. In Pauls life this is what he models for every Jesus Follower

Initiate the Relationship

We see Paul first meeting Timothy in Acts 16:1-3

Timothy had a good repuation and in the city people spoke highly of him. Paul didn’t wait for Timothy to come to him. He initiated the relationship.

Matthew 28:19 (NIV)

19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

If you really believe that Jesus’ command to “make disciples” is bigger and more beautiful than just counting decisions or chalking up converts, then you begin to see the real heartbeat of the church. It’s not about creating a crowd; it’s about cultivating maturing followers of Christ—people who learn, grow, and develop over a lifetime.

Discipleship isn’t an event. It’s a journey. It’s a process. And the goal? Believers so transformed that they serve and influence every area of life—family, work, community—not just show up once a week for worship.

The Great Commission is Plan A—Jesus doesn’t have a Plan B. His method is discipleship, and true discipleship always results in disciples who lead and make more disciples. It’s a multiplying movement, not just an addition.

When the church embraces this calling, it stops settling for repeat decisions and starts designing leaders—leaders equipped to carry the mission forward, who aren’t just consumers of ministry but contributors to God’s Kingdom.

“The church isn’t merely a place to attend; it’s a movement designed to lead, develop, and deploy followers of Jesus into all spheres of life.”