Multiply

During 2021 I shared three leadership values of VCP Supervisor Peter Baraka, and today I would like to highlight them once again.  

1. A good leader listens well and understands others’ perspectives.

2. Godly leaders are not afraid of criticism

3. We must love those we lead.

Good and godly leaders seek input from all involved and seek the Lord as they make decisions.  We cannot please everyone with every decision, but good leaders can ensure that everyone involved feels like they had the opportunity to be heard. 

God has entrusted me with many blessings, and I feel the weight of responsibility to steward His many blessings in order to meet his expectation (the scripture says “will be demanded”) of fruitfulness. 

Character matters – This theme is foundational; if one fails to have good and godly character, then he or she cannot be trusted with God’s resources or blessings. 

Stewards have an obligation to account for their stewardship – our earthly leaders have a responsibility to hold us accountable for our use of organizational and Kingdom resources.

Stewardship necessitates cultivating relationships 

The principle here is that faithful stewards will be entrusted with more.  This principle certainly applies to our work in Village Church Planting. 

If we are to steward well the resources and provision of God for VCP, we must aspire to see growth. (And, praise the Lord, VCP is experiencing amazing growth as we are now working in 36 African nations with more than 800 training centers.)

Firstly, if we as steward leaders are to “achieve the owner’s (or the master’s) objectives, we must have relationship with the owner. In our context, our Master is Jesus Christ.

Secondly, as steward leaders we must develop relationships with those who are our followers. 

Third, and lastly, steward leaders must cultivate relationships with the resources. I will be quick to admit that I needed some help on this point, so I did an internet search, and here is the result

Sometimes “accountability” is exercised in an exclusively negative context, but I do not believe that should be the case. As leaders, a better practice of accountability is to affirm appropriate behavior, actions, or outcomes.

Firstly, a rebuke is correction to someone who is wrong in their teaching and/or their behavior. The purpose of a godly rebuke is to lead them back to the Truth; it is not to shame them.  Good and godly leaders must be willing to rebuke others in order to restore them and/or to protect others who may be negatively impacted in the situation.  

As leaders, when we encourage those who follow us, our words lift their spirits and motivate them to continue their Kingdom work. To press on for the work of Christ.