| Topics: | Administration, Board, Conflict, Management, Master plan, Planning, Unity, Vision |
| Filters: | Church board, Deacon, Discipleship, Elder, Pastor, Pastoral care |
| Purpose: | Discipleship |
| References: | Titus 2:2 |
| Date Added: | August 01, 2007 |
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A leader who develops a good board enables the entire organization to minister effectively. Here are four steps to building a good board.
Select Good Members
In prospective board members, look for people who already believe in your organization. Never use the board as a way of getting people's interest. Look for loyalty, for someone who has already started to serve.
Second, discover how a person uses power. Try to find out how someone behaves when he or she loses. Knowing how to lose gracefully and maintain loyalty when your peers have out-voted you is an essential element of Christian maturity.
Third, look for process people instead of Lone Rangers. Persons who work where they largely have full authority (Lone Rangers) need to be checked out to make sure they know when they should lead and when they should follow.
Define Roles
Board membership means more than being at the meetings. Members need to know that they fill basic roles. First, board members are governors. This means making decisions in a proper, orderly manner. Second, board members are consultants. Each board member will have areas of expertise that may be called upon. Third, board members are ambassadors, which means representing both the leadership before the church and the church's wishes before the leadership. The fourth role is sponsor. Board members must give of themselves and encourage others to give.
Build Caring Relationships
Start by improving the spiritual and intellectual relationship among board members. Make Bible study, personal sharing, and prayer times with the board a high priority. Seek times when they can be weak, honest, and vulnerable with one another, and make sure you model that as well. Each member should say it has been good to be with these people. A spirit of love, honesty, and integrity while handling issues can feed joy even when the news itself is not as bright as we would like.
Disciple the Board
Get to know board members well. Become familiar with their families, businesses, pains, and trials. Let them know what you are struggling with. Pastors have an opportunity for personal influence on board members unlike any other group in the church. Although you pastor the board with an intensity you can't give the rest of the congregation, it builds into the congregation a nurturing pattern that spreads to others. Pastors can encourage board members to do what they didn't think they could, enabling them to take steps toward maturity in Christ. Board members are then equipped so others will follow them in the steps of our Lord.
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