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Pillar 5. Lead Others

(leader/shepherd/servant)

a. FMC is committed to taking our next steps towards Christ together by raising up and empowering leaders

b. FMC places special emphasis on identifying leaders who can inspire others to reach their potential & glorify God

c. FMC has a rigorous and ongoing leader development program targeted across the full spectrum of believers

d. FMC leaders battle complacency at the individual, group, and church level by constantly seeking honest feedback

e. FMC leaders ask if they got better, helped someone else get better, and contributed to Christ’s body each day

f. FMC leaders embrace a spirit of innovation, creativity, hard work, and they see everything through to completion

g. FMC develops a robust portfolio of ministry related enablers to facilitate leader efforts (branding, video, music)

h. FMC shepherds smell like their sheep because they spend time with them and they serve alongside them

i. FMC leaders lead by example, with a servant heart, and for Christ’s glory

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."
Rom 12: 1-2 (The Message)
"And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved."
Acts 2:42-47
"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness."
Rom 12:3-8
"Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts."
1 Cor 12: 27-31
"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 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."
Eph 4: 11-16
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work."
1 Thes 5: 12-13
"But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves."
Luke 22:26
"He must become greater; I must become less."
John 3:30
"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith."
Heb 13:7
"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."
Heb 13:17
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
"This is the one to whom I will look; He who is humble, contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."
Isaiah 66:2
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
James 4:10
"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant..."
Matt 20:26
"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
Philippians 2:3-4
"And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."
1 Cor 2:1-5
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Reformed [ECO] Theological Tenets

A “congregation,” as used in this Polity, refers to a formally organized community which is chartered and recognized by a presbytery as provided in this Polity which is part of the Constitution (as defines in 6.01), and which is governed by the Constitution pursuant to a membership agreement entered into between such community and the presbytery.

In becoming covenant partners of the congregation, Christ-followers put themselves under the spiritual leadership of the session and wider councils.

Those who are invited to take significant leadership roles in the congregation should be spiritually mature, carefully selected, trained and/or mentored ordinarily be covenant partners for at least a year, and shall agree and adhere to the Essential Tenets of ECO.

Before the foundation of the world, God set a plan of mission to reconcile the world to Himself and chose to use the Church as His instrument of reconciliation. It is incumbent upon all members of the body of Christ to participate in the work of building one another up in Christ and be deployed for His work in the world. To that end, excellent leadership is critical in the Church today, and that is not limited to ordained leaders.

God calls some individuals to exercise specific formal leadership, which is modeled after the mind of Christ. The Church should strive to develop strong leaders in every area of life and ministry who lead in the way of Jesus.

While pastors, elders, and deacons have unique roles in the structure of the Church, we recognize the importance of ordained and lay leadership at every level. While the specific offices recognized in ECO are elder, deacon, and pastor, ECO acknowledges that additional lay leadership is needed for effective ministry.

Recommended Books

Venues to Implement this Pillar

1. Serving as elders, deacons, and lay leaders.
2. Leading a Four Mile Pillar or Expression in support of student ministry or local missions.
3. Volunteer to lead an event at Four Mile Church
4. Volunteer to serve as a lead for a buildings and grounds project at Four Mile church
5. Volunteer to lead a program as part of the Center in Midland

Platforms & Exercises to Develop this Pillar

  • Hold a white board session where you facilitate the creation of an innovative idea such as an outdoor ministry.
  • Practice conflict resolution skills
  • Participate in a leadership reaction course
  • Take turns leading and following with a defined group level event
  • Lead a team of two to victory in a cornhole contest as a coach
  • Develop an operations plan to conduct outdoor worship services at Four Mile Church
Click here to download a printable PDF of this pillar