3 Ways Church Leaders Can Learn from Business Leaders

by: Church Community Builder

If you read that headline and instantly checked out because ‘business’ has no place in the local church, you’re missing out. Business leaders often have key insights and perspectives that could help you reach more people with the life-changing news of the Gospel.

The work of the local church is too important for us to isolate ourselves from new ideas that could improve our ministry efforts. Business leaders — at least effective ones — are very good at getting their messages in front of different audiences, and church leaders want to do the same. Since both have the same goal in mind, church leaders can connect with business leaders and learn tricks to help accelerate their ministry impact. Here are just three ways how:

  • Read business-related leadership books. This seems pretty basic, right? But there are still thousands of church leaders who only read Christian-themed leadership books. Don’t get us wrong — those books most definitely have value! But taking in business-related leadership thoughts will provide you with a whole different set of ideas and action steps to implement in your leadership role in the church. And you’ll likely find that many of the leadership principles in these books ring true with Christian philosophy, because God’s way is the most effective way. You’ll simply get another perspective on applying God’s teachings to your leadership that perhaps you hadn’t considered before. Leaders are most definitely readers. If you’re looking to get a start on some business-related leadership books that could make a tremendous impact on your ministry effectiveness, grab anything by Jim Collins, Patrick Lencioni, Tim Sanders, Malcolm Gladwell, or Seth Godin.
  • Create a network of business leaders in your church that you connect with regularly. There are business leaders in your church right now who may have solutions to the issues you’re facing. They’re likely already heading up several of your ministries or volunteer efforts, as these leaders understand the importance of stepping up to lead change in any organization. These people know what it takes to effectively manage an organization and could be a source of tremendous wisdom and ideas as you work together to accomplish your church’s goals. Not only will you benefit as a leader, you’ll also help build stronger community and relationships between these leaders and create another way for your church to invest in their lives and families.
  • Join a leadership development program in your community. Nearly every community across the country has some sort of local leadership development program, typically organized by your local chamber of commerce or another professional organization. This is a great chance for you to connect with business leaders across your community who might not attend church, and a way to show these leaders (and others) that you’re a church leader who understands the importance of getting outside your church’s walls to engage with your community.

What are some other ways church leaders can learn new ways to achieve ministry goals from business leaders? How are you doing this today?

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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for this information. I'm going to use this article to improve my work with the Lord.
 
— Abel Singbeh
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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you Ed for sharing your insights into the Church Growth Movement. I have my reservations with Church Growth models because it has done more damage than good in the Body of Christ. Over the years, western churches are more focused on results, formulas and processes with little or no emphasis on membership and church discipline. Pastors and vocational leaders are burnt out because they're overworked. I do believe that the Church Growth model is a catalyst to two destructive groups: The New Apostolic Reformation and the Emerging Church. Both groups overlap and have a very loose definition. They're both focus on contemporary worship, expansion of church brand (franchising), and mobilizing volunteering members as 'leaders' to grow their ministry. Little focus on biblical study, apologetics and genuine missional work with no agenda besides preaching of the gospel.
 
— Dave
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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for sharing such a good article. It is a great lesson I learned from this article. I am one of the leaders in Emmanuel united church of Ethiopia (A denomination with more-than 780 local churches through out the country). I am preparing a presentation on succession planning for local church leaders. It will help me for preparation If you send me more resources and recommend me books to read on the topic. I hope we may collaborate in advancing leadership capacity of our church. God Bless You and Your Ministry.
 
— Argaw Alemu
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