Pastors are leaders. There is no getting around this. We make decisions and propose plans for the future. But a massive part of leadership is getting buy-in from those we lead. If people don’t follow us where we take the church, we’re not leading. The best leaders are able to get people on board and excited about initiatives and proposed plans.

This doesn’t happen magically. It requires intentionality.

That’s the subject of today’s newsletter.

Tanking Your Idea

One of the greatest ways to tank an idea or proposed initiative is to spring it on people the moment you are asking for a “yes.” Pastors often think about things for weeks or months before bringing it up to others in a meeting. I was guilty of this as a younger pastor. I would dream up an idea that I was sure would help the church reach people and better disciple those we had. But it lived inside my head alone. Then when I rolled it out to a group in a meeting, expecting their embracement, I didn’t always get the result I expected.

Why?

I didn’t give them time to come to the same conclusion I did. I let the idea marinate in my mind alone rather than inviting others to consider it with me. This is massive for developing buy-in from a group.

1 Actionable Tip

Socialize your ideas with others, particularly decision-makers,
to gauge their responses and get them considering the idea long before calling for a decision.

If you want people to adopt your proposed initiatives, let people in on them while they are in the conception phase. Tell one of your elders or staff what you’re thinking about and get their opinions. Let them react. Follow up with them again a few weeks later to see if they’ve thought more about it. If your idea is a good one, and can withstand questions and critiques against it, then they’ll come to the same conclusion you did about the idea.

Don’t be afraid to let others know what you’re thinking about long before you need a decision. If you believe the church needs to add a service in the next year, begin socializing that concept with key leaders. If you believe a building expansion is needed, or a new staff member is needed, don’t wait until you’re asking for a vote to bring it up. Begin socializing ideas with leaders, answering their questions, and getting their buy-in. If you do this, you’ll get embracement for your proposed initiatives.

Opportunities for Students & College Age Young Adults

Are you helping the students and college-age kids in your church stand firm against the opposition coming at them in the culture? If you’re not actively equipping them on issues of gender and sexuality, you can be sure the culture is. We’re here to help.

Join us October 13-15 at Black Mountain, NC (at Ridgecrest Conference Center). An incredible line of speakers will be teaching students about who they are as image-bearers of God. These foundations will supply students with important understanding of their identity. Plan to bring your students. It’s going to be a fantastic conference.

And we have our Arise Camps for students summer 2024. These resources exist to help keep your students in the fight. Partner with us in helping them fight the good fight of faith in a world that wants to snuff it out.