03 Carrying It Lightly

We've talked about what a community is. We've talked about how important community is. Maybe a good question to ask is, what on earth is a community leader? We tend to know what an apostle is. We tend to know what an elder is. Maybe some of us know what a deacon is, but what is a community leader?

What a Community Leader Is Responsible For

What responsibilities does he have? What is his function? And what are the expectations of the elders for community leaders? Well, the name suggests there is a leadership role and that is certainly true, but it's not a governmental role. I think what we're looking for is people who are willing to set an example in terms of just loving the church and loving people.

And somebody who can host and facilitate and administrate that group of people. And be a conduit through to the elders and deacons so that everybody knows what's going on. That everybody can be assured that every individual is known, is cared for, and feels like they belong.

One of the challenges that we have as we grow is, we don't want to just presume that everybody who has joined us is actually added to us and has a feeling of being added. And community is the place where people will feel that the most.

Hosting, Organizing, and Communicating in Community

And community leaders are the ones largely who will determine how welcoming that community is. And just how we reach out and include those who are new. So as a community leader, some of the expectations, practically speaking. One, hosting. It doesn't necessarily mean to host in your home.

In fact, one of the things I like to do is figure out is who has got a gift of hospitality? And allow them to host because people come alive when they use their giftings. So, it may not be in your home, but you as the leader are part of hosting the get togethers.

Organizing the get togethers. Encouraging people to meet outside of that Wednesday on a daily basis. You are a point of contact for people who need to find out what is going on. One of the biggest challenges we've had recently in COVID is we're meeting in communities, then we're not meeting in communities.

Then we're splitting the communities into smaller groups. And unless we have a clear channel of communication and a contact person that people can find information from, things don't happen. So, as a community leader, you are responsible for that. It doesn't necessarily mean you are the administrative guru.

Leadership Still Matters in Community

You may have an administrative genius in your group, then by all means use them. But you take responsibility for that. So it's hosting, it's facilitating, it's organizing. And yes, it's leading. One of the things within the home church movement is often a rejection of leadership.

They say, "No, we don't believe in leadership. We don't believe in hierarchy. We are all just the same. We don't have leaders." That is not true. I can tell you why it's not true. Because if you go into one of those home churches and you have a conversation and ask what's happening next week?

Somebody will answer the question. That's the leader. So you often don't need a position to be a leader, but there's somebody who's actually facilitating and making a call on what is happening and when. I love it when deacons organize. They say, "A bunch of us are going to the beach on Saturday.

Come join us." It is not just meeting, but you're inspiring and you're including people in life. So that's primarily it. We're not looking for community leaders to be the world's greatest teachers. We're not looking for community leaders to be the world's greatest worship leaders.

Facilitating Rather Than Dominating

We are looking for community leaders, primarily who will serve and love people. And then be wise enough to bring those gifts in or use the gifts within that community that you have. We speak about facilitating, not dominating. So you can facilitate all the things that need to happen within that community to make it healthy.

But that doesn't mean you have to be the one that's doing it. Even if you as a community leader are a gifted teacher. You shouldn't be doing all the teaching in that community. Because as great and as gifted as you may be, you can only bring one perspective.

So, facilitate and release and be open handed so that everybody in the community feels that they have a part to play, they can contribute and they can feel valued. One of the things that research into churches and church membership has shown is that people's sense of belonging is very closely linked to how much they contribute.

And how highly they think of their church is linked to how much they contribute. We want people who feel, not that they attend a church, but they are an integral part of the church. They belong. And facilitating that is a key role of community leaders.

Responsibility, Authority, and Partnership With the Elders

As somebody who's been entrusted with this by the elders, it also means that you're somebody who's saved, who's got the Spirit of God within them. At least to some extent you are capable of discipling, teaching, training, correcting and rebuking. That doesn't mean that all of the responsibility falls on you.

I think that's a weight that we need to understand. There is a degree of responsibility, because responsibility and authority always go together. But ultimately, the responsibility lies with the elders. As I said to Andrew that fateful day, when he first asked me to lead a community, "I will do it if you clean up the mess that I make."

And I don't want to make a mess. I want to do my best. But understand this, that ultimately, responsibility lies before the Lord Jesus with the elders. And so we are looking for community leaders to be partners with the elders. To work out the vision and the teaching and the direction that the elders have set.

The elders, along with apostolic gifts, set doctrine, discipline, and direction. We are looking for community leaders, not who will sort of try and find their own direction and their own doctrines and their own pet ideas and their own pet theologies. But take the vision and those teachings that the elders have presented and make it real.

And make it alive. And to apply it and see it thrive within that community of believers. As a community leader, it's like you're the head of a family. You're loving people and taking them forward and facilitating the work of Jesus Christ in the lives of that small group of people.

Also, you're the eyes and ears of the elders. Spotting the potential leaders, other potential problems, and learning how to exercise delegated authority. And how to take that responsibility, carry it lightly and joyfully. And the last thing I would say is this, my expectation personally, of community leaders, and other elders may think differently.

Carry It Lightly and Joyfully

But I have an expectation that community leaders know how to have fun and enjoy being a part of that community. Because if you're not having fun, nobody else will be. And we can't expect people to be committed to something that's like pulling teeth.

So carry it lightly. But with a sense of responsibility and have fun doing it. And let the Holy Spirit come and do a great work amongst the people that you have been asked to look after.