LEAD THE WAY
1. Lead

Lead The Way works with our six-week group immersion into MicroChurch called Be The Way. Lead The Way takes a deeper dive and covers critical leadership values and skills. Start with this introductory session on “Lead”.

CONNECT

  • Connect through care, prayer and loving accountability for previous “I will …” statements

DISCOVER

Leadership is based on calling, character, competencies, connections and commitments.

Calling

Acts 20:28 (NLT)

So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.

  • Who does the church belong to? Why does it belong to Him?

  • Who calls us to be leaders?

  • What does leadership in the church look like?

  • How do you sense God calling you into this MicroChurch ministry?

Character

Galatians 5:22-23 (CSB)

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

We’re all works in progress. So how is that work coming along?

  • Why is a maturing character so important to leadership?

  • Which specific fruit of the Spirit do you need to grow in? How will you grow in this?

  • How does Paul approach his own need for growth? Why is this attitude so important?

F.A.S.T. LEADERS

The Vineyard encourages 4 important characteristics in all potential leaders.

  1. Faithful. Do they follow through with their commitments? Is this someone you can count on? Is this person passionate about the same vision you care about?

  2. Available. Time is a huge limiter to actually doing ministry. Do they have time to commit to leadership? There are many who have all the gifts, character, and calling to be leaders, but they don’t have the time.

  3. Servant. Are they leaders who serve? This is a high value for us because even Jesus came to serve. Do they anticipate the needs of others? Do they meet those needs with letting obstacles or excuses get in the way?

  4. Teachable. One of the most important qualities of a biblical leader is their ability to receive instruction, correction, and reproof. How do they receive constructive criticism? Do they welcome it or do they become defensive?

From Launching Leaders.

  • How are you doing at a being a F.A.S.T. leader?

  • Which is your strong point?

  • Where do you need to grow?

  • How can you grow in this area?

Competencies

For the sake of maturity and skills we ask all leaders to …

  • Be growing in these four priorities and relationships:

1. WORSHIP - Our Relationship to Jesus

A disciple is devoted to pursuing and prioritizing Jesus in everything

2. DISCOVERY - Our Relationship to the Bible

A disciple is devoted to taking in and living out God’s Word

3. COMMUNITY - Our Relationship to Each Other

A disciple is devoted to loving a family of brothers and sisters in Christ

4. MISSION - Our Relationship to Others

A disciple is devoted to making disciples by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle

  • Have been discipled and have discipled others through Follow The Way.

Faithful Disciples First
Faithful Disciplers Second
Faithful Leaders Third

  • Have worked through Be The Way and Lead The Way with their MicroChurch leader.

  • Regularly lead a MicroChurch using the Gathering Guide.

Connections

With Jesus

  • You don’t need to lead alone. Jesus is there for you.

Acts 18:9-10

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

  • Remember that God’s grace isn’t just pardon for sin, it’s also power for living and leading.

  • As you fully depend on God’s mercy and love, you can expect great things to happen through your leadership and ministry.

John 15:5

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who empowers me.

1 Corinthians 15:9-10

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

God’s grace isn’t just pardon for sin, it’s also power for living and leading.

 Daily Connect

  • Model and equip others in Daily Connect and Practicing the Presence Prompts - PDF Bookmark File.

  • Obviously, there are many ways to stay connected with Jesus. Daily Connect and Practicing the Presence Prompts have been developed and time tested to focus on core practices that help us be with Jesus to become like Jesus.

  • Keep in mind that these are core practices. There are other ways to connect to Jesus. For some that may be through worship music or artistic expression, like poetry or painting. Others may want to spend time in creation. And don’t forget Sabbath. We all need a day of rest. So each person can certainly add practices and customize their own pathway to connect with Jesus. But once again, these 6 connections are important practices for all disciples to embrace.

  • Also, keep in mind that you can chunk the 6 connections throughout the day. For example, you could start your day with praise and repentance. Read Scripture and cover your prayer requests at lunchtime. And on the way home from work, listen for the Spirit’s leading, all the while practicing the Presence.

  • Finally, don’t become legalistic about Daily Connect. As Frank Laubach said:

If you are weary of some sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are (Man of Prayer: Selected Writings of a World Missionary).

Or as the Old Testament Prophet Isaiah said about the people of his day:

Isaiah 29:13

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”

The last thing we want Daily Connect to be are merely human rules that don’t actually help us connect with Jesus. If they help you connect, good. If they only help for a while, no problem. Try something else or switch things up now and then. Just don’t become legalistic about them. The goal isn’t to check off some religious box that you completed the Daily Connect. The purpose is to learn how to communion with Jesus as a daily lifestyle.

In addition to the Daily Connect, FOLLOW THE WAY encourages the use of the Lord’s Prayer and the Armor of God as templates for prayer.

Connection Quotes

A biblical Christian is not just someone who holds certain beliefs about the Bible. He or she is also someone who leads the kind of life demonstrated in the Bible: a life of personal, intelligent interaction with God.

— Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with God by Dallas Willard

Even Jesus, when He walked as a man, lived as a Branch that bore the righteous fruit of Another. He often explained, “The Father abiding in me does His works,” or “I do nothing of My own initiative,” or “The word which your hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” Jesus did not come to manifest His own life or His own name. As the Son of Man, His purpose in all things was to manifest the life, words, and works of His Father. Now, in the new covenant, it is we who are the branches and Christ is the Vine. And to the measure that Christ is formed in us, we too can say, “The Son abiding in me does His works. The words I speak are not mine but His.”

— Not I, But Christ by Jason Henderson

Connections (Continued)

With The Way

  • You don’t need to lead alone. Jesus is there for you and so is The Way.

  • The Way is not a church. Our MicroChurches are the churches. Think of The Way as a missionary equipping and sending ministry. We’re called to activate ordinary Christians (YOU) to join Jesus in mission to their circles of influence.

  • The Way Network Support Team

Commitments

For the sake of unity and clarity, we ask all leaders to …

  • Welcome their MicroChurch leader’s and The Way’s leadership, training, support, supervision and accountability.

  • Affirm The Vineyard Statement of Faith and The Way’s Theological Distinctives.

  • Embrace The Way’s Pathways and Mission.

  • Sign the Statement of Affirmation, affirming your support of the Vineyard Statement of Faith, The Way’s Theological Distinctives and The Way’s Pathways and Mission. You will be asked to sign this Statement of Affirmation at the end of Lead The Way. Over the next few sessions, please share your reflections and questions on these statements.

  • Receive a recommendation from their MicroChurch leader.

  • Be commissioned, supervised and supported by their MicroChurch and The Way.

  • Faithfully attend The Way’s ongoing Leadership Community meetings.

  • In time, apprentice a new leader.

  • Called, gifted and qualified men and women may serve in leadership at The Way. See Women in Leadership.

  • For a deeper look into The Way see our Bylaws.

How Do I Begin?

1. Starting from Scratch

  • Maybe you are starting a mission to a People, Place or Pain or you are looking to reach your circle of influence.

  • You will need to live a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle.

  • You will need to start Discovery Discipleship Groups using Follow The Way.

  • You will need to transition these Discovery Discipleship Groups into a MicroChurch using Be The Way.

  • This is how Paul effectively started churches all around the ancient world. His motto could have been …

    • You don’t form a church to make disciples. You make disciples to form a church.

2. Transitioning Your Group

  • Maybe you have small group already.

  • Transition you small group into a MicroChurch using Be The Way.

3. Taking Over Your MicroChurch

  • Maybe your MicroChurch leader is launching out from your MicroChurch to start a new one.

  • What a gift to start with a healthy group and with people you already know.

4. Launching Out from Your MicroChurch

  • Finally, maybe you have gained experienced in your current MicroChurch.

  • You are now ready to launch out on your own with a few people from your current MicroChurch.

  • As you invite new people to your MicroChurch use Be The Way to introduce them to MicroChurch and Follow The Way to introduce them to discipleship.

LIVE / LEAD

  • What did you discover in this training session?

  • What is your “I will …” statement flowing from this training?

  • If you’re working through Be The Way as a group, who will facilitate the next session on Community?

Extra Sessions on Lead

Next Session

In your next session, you’ll first work through Be The Way - MicroChurch and then the supplemental material in Lead The Way - MicroChurch. Here you have several options:

  1. Work through Be The Way - MicroChurch in a MicroChurch gathering and then separately work through Lead The Way - MicroChurch with your potential leader.

  2. Work through Be The Way - MicroChurch in a gathering of potential leaders and then work through Lead The Way - MicroChurch with the same gathering of potential leaders.

  3. Work through Be The Way - MicroChurch with your potential leader and then work through Lead The Way - MicroChurch with this potential leader.

  • Some sessions may take more than one meeting. There’s no need to rush leadership development.

PRINTABLE PDF

  • LEAD printable PDF