I was thinking about Jesus and leadership today. I was thinking about what we typically think of when we think of growth in the typical church paradigm. For some, but not all, numerical growth is the obvious standard. And I get this because butts in the seats is measurable.
We celebrate the 101 fasting growing church in America and make lists. And I think about how this would feel if I were number 102. That would suck. The first question I would ask would be, “How do I make that list?” (As a side note, how about the churches that made the list this year and then found out they were not really on the list and had to be removed because of an error. Bummer.)
But if this is the measure we use, then Jesus was a terrible leader, in the short run. He wouldn’t get a job in today’s church marketplace. Think about it. He spent three years with 12 people. He talked to a lot of people but his primary focus was on twelve people who didn’t always get a long and didn’t always get it.
“Where’s the growth” people would ask? “How are we gonna pay the bills” others would say, albeit quietly in from the other side of the room. “This guy just doesn’t seem to get it.”
And yet Jesus changed the world. Nice.
I wonder if those in leadership will someday follow the model Jesus developed. He followed His Father’s voice to transform the lives of twelve ordinary people.
Missio Dei 