Recently I listened to the Joshua Gagnon Leadership Podcast. In this episode he talked about how leadership development is necessary at every level of every organization. In this episode he shares why there is a need for leadership development plans in ministry as well as business organizations.

3 Takeaways For Leaders:

1. A vision outside of leadership planned is only a dream. Many leaders fall into the trap of dreaming big things for their church, but they fail to take the next step in creating a plan that will make that dream into a reality. Too often, churches never bridge the gap between dreaming and doing. Dreaming is the fun part–making a plan isn’t necessarily fun. We can’t just simply see the vision and rally the crowds, we have to make a plan to accomplish that vision by raising up leaders who will help us in our pursuits.

2. Develop the people under you to be able to think for themselves. Pastor Josh recognized in the early stages of Next Level Church that the leaders who were a couple tiers under him were not being empowered to make decisions for themselves. Instead, they would wait for direction of those above them without question. He then began asking, “Are the people on our team and in our volunteer positions able to say yes to questions that people present to them, or do they always have to go higher up in the organization to find a yes?” Once this problem was acknowledged, the leadership team had to develop those underneath them to the point where they could trust them with in their leadership positions.
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3. When it comes to filling needed positions, don’t put a band-aid over the problem. In other words, don’t put someone in a role just because they are available but may not be the right person for the job. Don’t settle for filling a need; don’t settle for “band-aids.” Instead, look for people who can fuel your mission and who have the potential to become great. Great people produce great fruit. Take this point a step further by continually asking yourself if those people are in the “right seat” of the bus, even when they have been in their position for a long period of time.

One thing that I thought was particularly helpful was to see Next Level Church's Leadership Development Plan. There are detailed plans to develop location pastors, kids lead, guest services lead, and worship lead. 

Perry Noble has a podcast episode for leaders who are under the age of 30. You can listen to it here.

Episode Summary: For most leaders, the years before turning 30 are the most frustrating. We see some success in what we’re doing but that success doesn’t guarantee more immediate exposure and responsibility. Yet, it’s in these critical years that God is often shaping us and preparing us for the opportunities that He wants to expose us to later on in life.

In the podcast he mentions a free eBook. Check it out below. 

Recently I finished reading Jenni Catron's book "The Four Dimensions of Leadership." I found it to be empowering and helpful and will be adding content from it to future Deep groups. I thought you might want to check it out for yourselves. The link inside this site is here. I took the assessment myself and my results are below. 

Matt Keller wrote a book recently that focuses on the belief that teachability is the key to everything. Teachability is the desire to learn multiplied by a willingness to change. If you have a desire to learn, but no willingness to change, you’re going to struggle. If you have no desire, but high willingness, you’re still going to struggle. In his latest book, Matt discusses the five roadblocks that hinder teachability and what leaders can do improve their influence.

Pride: Pride always leads to presumption. You have to be aware of prideful moments where we think rules don’t apply. It will cause you to settle for good instead of waiting for God’s best. Put away your sense of entitlement. You want to make it easy to receive feedback from your team, because when you reach out for their help, it keeps you humble and grounded.

Fear: As a leader grows, you’re going to have to give up control. It can really grip a leader’s heart as you start to empower others to take on responsibility you once had. Leaders who are increasing their capacity face a series of skillsets, disciplines, priorities and temptations as they reach new levels. But to get through the hurdles, you have to build in layers. When you start to hand off those former responsibilities to a team, there’s a sober-mindedness you can grow from.

Insecurity: It presents an inferiority that makes you feel as though you don’t belong or that you’re faking it. Insecurity becomes crippling when you don’t think you’re good enough, and you let it hinder your personal progress because it keeps you from learning and reaching your full potential. Find strength within your vulnerabilities because you’ll miss God-given opportunities when you try to play it safe.

Pain: When painful things happen to us from our past, it’s like laying bricks in front of us. If we don’t knock down the bricks while the cement is wet, eventually the wall gets so high that we can’t step over it, so we start to paint a new reality on the inside of it, and we become disconnected from reality. Allow yourself to take time for self-care through healthy avenues.

Pace: There is an unhealthy pace in leadership today that promotes the mentality that when your pace increases, your teachability decreases. It’s impossible to learn and grow when you’re behind the wheel driving forward. So many leaders become so focus on the next goal, they don’t process what’s in front of them, and they’re no deep learning. We have to create a space where we can process what’s happening in our life and our spirit in our own time, or the pace of our own culture devours us.

For those of you who want to further explore how to develop a healthy rhythm to life I recommend these two book summaries that have helped to shape some of my approaches to living a life that has a healthy rhythm. 

For further reflection on the prayer app and the presence of God ... By

Whitney Capps

Exodus 3:14 (NIV) “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I am has sent me to you.”’”

Here in Exodus 3 we will see a man wrestle with God about two of life’s great questions.

“Who am I?”

“Who is God?”

In a burning bush encounter, God calls Moses away from the busyness of life to encounter the presence of the living God in a profound and personal way. Moses has been living in Midian for about 40 years. God explains that in this wilderness He has been silently preparing Moses to shepherd the Hebrew slaves to freedom.

Moses was to go and demand that Pharaoh let God’s people go.

Moses response is, “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11a)

Moses has been in exile hiding from Pharaoh for 40 years. Now God wants him to return. No doubt this former man-of-action had his confidence shaken. He probably felt like a forgotten failure. This is an important reminder for us. We are never forgotten in the wilderness of our lives. God is often preparing our character to match our calling.

Moses left Egypt a prince. He had been educated, reared and trained to know Egypt, lead people and defend a nation. Perhaps Moses asked this question hoping God would recite this resume back to Moses. Like Moses, when God has given me a spiritual assignment, I hope He’ll also give me confidence in my skill and preparation to make saying “yes” a bit easier.

That’s not how God responds, to Moses or to me.

More than any person in history Moses was equipped for God’s assignment. But God used 40 years of wilderness wandering to strip Moses of his self-confidence. He didn’t need Moses qualifications, and He doesn’t need ours.

God says simply, “I will be with you.” (v. 12)

God doesn’t build Moses up. Instead, God simply says that He’s going with Moses. When God wants to give us confidence, He doesn’t applaud our gifts. He affirms His presence. This entire dialogue with Moses reminds us that who we are isn’t nearly as important as who He Is.

Moses asks God for a bit more clarity. He wants to know God’s name. Who is this One who promises to be with Moses?

Up to this point in Scripture God has only identified Himself with one name: El Shaddai. In Genesis 17:1, God introduced Himself to Abraham as El Shaddai, “God Almighty.” Generations of Hebrew families had worshipped their God as El Shaddai. It’s possible that this is the name Moses expected God to use.

But God has a special assignment for Moses and it comes with a special revelation about God Himself.

God answers in Exodus 3:14, “I AM who I AM.” This is His name, “Yahweh.” Scholars wrestle with an exact translation and meaning of this introduction. One possible meaning is, “I will be to you ALL that I AM.” I love that. The patriarchs of the faith knew God by a part of His indescribable character. Now God promises His presence by revealing that He will be everything to Moses and Israel that they will ever need. This is huge. It’s not that He will provide everything they need. He will do that certainly. The provision comes from His very presence with them!

His almighty power of deliverance.

His miraculous control over nature and creation.

His divine protection through the desert.

All of God’s majestic glory would be on display and available to Israel because He is their ALL. Moses didn’t get a demonstration of God’s might, he was promised God’s very being.

“I AM.”

Do you respond to God’s invitations in your life waiting to feel self-confident and affirmed? Is your faith based on who you are, how faithful you have been or could be?

Or is it anchored in the presence of God and His profoundly sufficient character? Yes, who we are isn’t nearly as important as who He is.

Prayer: Dear God, I wrestle like Moses with who I am and who You are. I confess that I probably think, pray, obsess more about the first question than the last. Help me to learn like Moses that until I rest my confidence in You, I’ll never find the faith to walk with You, to say “yes” to the assignments You have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.


How have you been at waiting for God to build you up, show you why He chose you or help you feel “ready” or “equipped” before you say yes to Him?

Here are some thoughts that might help you take steps toward being vulnerable:

• Don’t be manipulatively vulnerable. In other words, don’t be vulnerable in order to get something out of the person (or crowd) you are talking to. People will see right through your facade.

• Your vulnerability should increase with those in your closest circle. You shouldn’t give as many details to a crowd of strangers as you would to your closest friends.

• Vulnerability and trust are dependent on each other. It’s tough to be vulnerable outside the context of a trusting relationship. However, it’s also tough to build trust if you aren’t willing to be vulnerable. Thus, there is a little bit of risk involved in choosing to be vulnerable.

• There is one easy way to begin practicing vulnerability: The next time you are asked a question and don’t know the answer, admit it. Just say, “I have no idea.”

In preparation for Monday's session consider these questions ... 

Who is the best "asker of questions" you've spent time with in the last year? What do you notice about how and when they ask great questions? 

What about the questions this person asks stands out in your mind? 

Come prepared to share with the group five of the best questions you can formulate that you plan to ask the mentors this month when you meet with them. 

Thanks to all of you for posting your life verses on the FB page. Looking forward to hearing how these verses have shaped your life and leadership journey! In addition to the life verses we're going to cover "The Making of a Spiritual Leader."