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Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! (Psalm 32:11).
As leaders, it can be easy to get bogged down in the work of running an organization. Meetings, projects, schedules, and to-do lists fill our calendars. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with it all.
When those feelings start to creep in, we need to take a step back and remember why we are serving in the LWML. We have the privilege to joyfully proclaim Christ, support missions, and equip women to honor God by serving others. What a blessing and an honor to serve our Lord in this way!
It may be easier to grumble about our to-do list, but let’s be sure to take time to rejoice and give thanks for this amazing mission we are on. The apostle Paul tells us to Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice (Philippians 4:4). When we choose to find the joy in our work, we can Serve the LORD with gladness! (Psalm 100:2).
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word.
Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand (Proverbs 19:20–21).
Listening to advice is not always the easiest thing to do. As women and leaders, it is often our task to make plans and solve problems. We’ll think about it, pray about it, think about it some more, and come up with a plan. It often seems easier to just take care of it and not ask anyone for help. It may be easier, but it doesn’t always work out well.
Seeking advice and wisdom from other leaders helps us to keep things in balance and provides us with a different perspective. Other women will have different experiences that have provided them with knowledge of things that you might not have thought of. We are blessed in the LWML with many generations of women who have served the Lord. Seek them out when you are working on a plan. Use them as a sounding board for your ideas. Ask them to pray for you when you need wisdom. Rejoice with them when a plan comes together and works well. Give thanks to God for the blessing of these women in your life and His kingdom!
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26).
Being any group’s head cheerleader isn’t easy. Keeping everyone else organized and on track, working together, and sharing the team spirit can drain a leader’s cheerful reserves. As leaders, we sometimes have thoughts like this:
“I don’t want to go to another meeting or help with another project. I am so tired of doing the same old thing over and over.”
“I just don’t know what to say to help her anymore.”
“The meeting was a total disaster! Nothing was accomplished and it seemed that more than a few feelings were hurt.”
When we have those types of thoughts, that is when we have to go back to our Source of cheer — the Giver of grace and forgiveness — and let the Holy Spirit intercede for us. As we turn all our frustrations, disappointments, inabilities, and inadequacies over to our loving Father, that negative space can begin to fill with hope, renewed strength, and a willing spirit. We can look beyond our plans to God’s bigger plan of redemption and ask for guidance, praying for new ideas, helpful solutions, and renewed focus to reach His ultimate goal — salvation for all.
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word.
“Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15).
It is hard to understand the concept of childlike faith until you have held out your arms to a child you barely know, and he comes to you. The child instinctively believes you will do what is best for him. As a toddler learns to walk, he may be more hesitant to take your hand, but he still trusts you not to let him fall. A school-age child will ask many questions and expect you, as the adult in his life, to know the answers. Sometimes you do but don’t think the child is ready to fully understand the answer, so you say, “We will talk about it when you are older.”
All of those steps are examples of the kind of childlike faith God wants us to have in Him. They are also the kinds of examples He would have us set as Christian leaders. As infants in the faith, whatever our chronological age may be, we instinctively know that God — our Father — wants what is best for us. As we continue our faith journey, we hold our Father’s hand by hearing His Word and receiving His gifts of grace and forgiveness through the Sacraments. The more we study, the more questions we have, and the more we pray for answers. Sometimes those answers come in the form of a timely sermon or counsel from a Christian friend, but sometimes our Father says, “We will talk about it when you are older — when you are more mature in your faith.”
during the times we don’t have answers that we must rely on our childlike faith. That is when we hold tight to our Father’s hand or fall into His arms and trust Him to lead us through the present darkness, knowing that, in His eternal light, we will have all the answers we need
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
Posted on September 08, 2022 12:21 PM
by
Patti Miller
Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word.
Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18–19a).
One of the hardest things you will ever do as a leader is make changes. Change is hard. It’s unfamiliar and it can be scary. But sometimes change is necessary. Changing something does not mean it was a failure — it just means new ways may be more effective. You may look at your situation and say, “This was fine for a while, but now it is time for something new.” Thankfully, we serve a God who loves to make things new. He sent His Son for that very thing — to change our hearts and make us new! Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Before you make the change, explain to your group the reason for the change and how it will benefit your group, and as always, present this change as a petition before God in prayer.
As you lead your group, remember, change can be hard, but the rewards of doing something new are beyond measure!
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
Posted on August 11, 2022 12:15 PM
by
Patti Miller
Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good (1 Corinthians 12:4–7).
These Bible verses encourage us to remember that each of us have different gifts and God has knit them together for a specific purpose in this place at this time. As a leader, use every opportunity to encourage your team members to excel. Pray for each member of your team and the individual talents you have seen in them. Ask God for guidance to help each team member reach his or her full potential. Allow Him to lead the delegation of duties to the team member with gifts most compatible to the activity. Be supportive and help when asked. Above all, trust Him for the completion of each task for His purpose and to His glory. It may be that the finished product is not as important as the leadership skills taught by example while working on the job together.
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
Confidence in Christian leadership is being grounded in the Word.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins (Romans 3:23–25).
Let’s face it. Mistakes happen. A deadline was missed. A message got lost. An email got spammed. A text had an unfortunate autocorrect. Sometimes mistakes are your fault and sometimes they are not — but they happen to everyone. It’s how we respond to those mistakes that makes the difference. If you were in error, admit it, and try to make it right. Fix it if you can. Apologize. Start over.
As Christians, we know we make mistakes that fall short of God’s glory all the time. But we also know that we have been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ death on the cross took all our sins away. We have been washed clean by His blood and get to make a fresh start.
Leaders make mistakes. Followers make mistakes. We all make mistakes. But we are all forgiven through the saving blood of Jesus. That gives us the joy and strength to carry on and live each day to serve Him.
God's Blessings,
2021–2023 Group and Leader Development Committee Members
Christina Bean Elaine Engelman Jennifer Gierke Brianne Stahlecker, Chairman Marie Chow, Vice President of Organizational Resources, advisory
