Principles of Leadership - Facilitate Equipping Part 1

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters.

During 2022, I will be sharing my Ten Principles of Leadership. 

We began with Share the Vision.  Leaders both instruct and inspire those who follow them.  “Instruct” deals with imparting knowledge about the vision.  “Inspire” motivates others emotionally to join the cause and to commit themselves to it. 

Principle #2 is “Facilitate Equipping”.  The word “facilitate” implies that the leader does not have to do all the equipping himself or herself.  He/she simply needs to ensure that equipping one’s followers takes place.  We will discuss this aspect in more detail next time.

Today, we look at the models and methods for equipping used by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul.

We read in Mark 3:13-15, “Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”

Firstly, he “called to him those he wanted”.  Leaders equip others by invitation; they invite others to follow.  It is a selective process. 

Secondly, he appointed twelve that they “might be with him”.  Later, we read in Luke 10 that he sent out 72, but it was only the 12 who were “with him”. 

Thirdly, he “sent them out”.  Notice that for Jesus, discipleship was not learning information and passing a written exam.  Jesus’ model was that of apprenticeship.  This is how we also do things in Village Church Planting.  He taught (and demonstrated), and then he sent them out to do ministry.  As they did so, he also provided feedback (my leadership principle #8). See Matthew chapter 17 for an example of this. 

The apostle Paul took a similar approach though with a smaller circle than Jesus’ 12 apostles. He did not travel alone on any of his missionary journeys.  Companions included Barnabas, Silas, Luke, Timothy, John Mark, and several others.  His equipping method was one of “observe and then do”. 

Timothy, and the others, observed and participated in Paul’s ministry. As they did so, their skills and abilities increased to the point that they were entrusted to lead.  

Paul appointed Timothy to oversee the church in Ephesus, providing these instructions in 1 Timothy 4:13. “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.”

Similar to Jesus’ apprenticeship model, Paul’s method was one of mentoring as he equipped Timothy and others for leadership. 

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.