XVIII — LEADERSHIP
XVIII — WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST-CENTERED LEADERSHIP IN THE EMBRACING OF AND PARTICIPATION IN THE MISSIO DEI?
To equip, restore, perfect, or repair (καταρτισμός or katartismŏs) God’s people for participating in His mission, strong leadership in Christ is required. This leadership flows from a saving faith in Christ and is driven by Christ’s love for the world. Missio Dei leaders are in relationship with Christ, lead by Christ’s example, communicate Christ’s power and willingly go in the direction Christ points. Factors essential to Christ leadership include but are not limited to:
Self-awareness (knowing who and whose you are, your strengths and weaknesses, possessing a defined reality (a sense for what is real)
Generative (creating, creative, originating, producing, procreating, incarnational)
Transitional (adapting, adjusting, movement or passage; developing with καταρτισμός [katartismŏs] – mending, repairing, restoring, equipping, perfecting, completing)
Transformative (changing, changed in form, character, or condition; with katartismŏs)
Collaborative (relational and connecting, working together)
Missional (always in everything focusing on the Christ- mission, on the mission vision, and not on the system, structure, traditions, institution, or mere performance)
Such Christ-leadership is dynamic! Like a flowing stream, it is always living, moving, carrying, refreshing, changing, generating. It is always in transition and always transforming, moving God’s people from “here” to “there.” The there is the being immersed in the Missio Dei, receiving and participating in Christ’s apostolic authority.
86. John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
87. John 10:1-16 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
88. Psalm 23:1-6 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
89. Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
90. Ephesians 4:12-16 …to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
91. Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
