Leadership Development
Because
church leadership is both a spiritual gift and an acquired
skill the gift must be recognized and affirmed and the skill developed.
Consequently, leadership development is a strategic priority for the
Montgomery Baptist Association and targeted assistance is offered.
Leadership Learning Clusters
are usually composed of 4 leader peers who covenant with each other for one year
to help one another become better leaders.
Each cluster meets once per month
for 1.5 to 2 hours. They share mutual concerns, pray for one another and discuss
one aspect of their leadership task or function. Cluster members usually rotate
responsibility for leading individual sessions, though one person serves as the
convener of the group.
The agenda for each meeting is set
by the group to meet the learning needs of the cluster, however, clusters are
advised to devote at least one session in the course of a year to each of the four
key leadership areas; a) paradigm or cultural issues, b) leadership task issues,
c) personal issues, and d) resources issues.
The MBA Leadership Learning
Clusters are modeled after a plan developed by Dr. Reggie McNeal, discussed in
his book, Revolution in Leadership: Training Apostles for Tomorrow’s Church,
and is currently being used in the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Another McNeal
book that makes a good resource for one or more cluster sessions is A Work of
Heart: Understanding How God Trains Spiritual Leaders.
In the year 2000-01, 28 leaders in
the Montgomery area participated in one of six learning clusters. Clusters
can begin at any time. This process begins when 4 leaders wish to form a learning cluster or
one person is willing to recruit three others. For more information contact bdemspey@mgmbaptist.org
or call 271-6227.
Links:
For another excellent resource in Leadership Development see Dr. Lloyd Elder’s
model developed at the Moench Center at Belmont University in Nashville, http://www.belmont.edu/moench/links.htm
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