It’s no secret that not many people want to work at a church anymore, which begs the question, “How do you attract and develop strong leaders at your church?“
If it’s left unaddressed, the future of your church and the future of the Church is seriously at risk.
Here’s why.
The average age of senior pastors is pushing 60 years old in 2024.
And, in addition to younger leaders not entering ministry at the rate they used to, the ones who are in ministry aren’t being handed the opportunities that previous generations were.
So, as senior leaders get ready to retire, there aren’t many strong leaders left to replace them. It’s setting up a perfect storm, and a serious pastoral succession crisis in the near future.
Maybe that’s the exact position your church is in right now… or maybe not. Either way, it takes years of careful planning, training, and deep conversations to avoid it.
So, let’s dive into how your church can develop a pipeline of strong leaders. I’ll start by addressing the two challenges (almost) every leader has and then outline a few solutions.
The 2 Biggest Challenges Churches Face in Leadership Development
Challenge #1: “I don’t have the budget.“
One of the most common objections to developing leaders is the lack of budget, and it’s easy to think that without sufficient funds, you can’t afford to invest in leadership development.
However, great churches (and companies) don’t buy leaders; they build them.
Take startup companies, as a quick example. Startups are almost always cash-strapped, yet they continue to attract some of the best talent out there. They have a vision and mission so big that people literally take pay cuts to go work for them.
So, sure, you may not have a big budget.
But even with a limited budget, you can start finding and developing leaders by leveraging the resources you already have.
Challenge #2: “I don’t have the right people.“
Another challenge (or excuse) is the belief that there aren’t enough capable leaders within your network or congregation.
It’s a mindset that ends up being a major barrier to developing a strong leadership pipeline.
As you’ll see below, great leaders are often hidden in plain sight, even when you don’t think you have any.
3 Untapped Strategies to Supercharge Leadership Development at Your Church
Step 1: Start Looking for Leadership In Places You Aren’t Currently Looking
Look beyond your official church leadership structure. In many smaller churches, official leadership positions might not always be filled by the best leaders.
Be willing to look beyond the current structure and recognize that the best leaders for your church’s future might not yet hold an official title.
Building the church of the future requires finding the best leaders available, regardless of their current roles.
Start looking to see if people are leading somewhere else in life. Potential leaders may not be leading within your church… yet.
But chances are, there are already people in your church who are leading somewhere else.
Whether it’s managing their own business, running a shift at the local coffee shop, or organizing neighborhood activities, these people have the raw leadership skills that can be honed and developed for church leadership.
Once you’ve found a few high-capacity leaders to invest in, it’s time to move onto engaging and developing them.
Step 2: Engage Your Leaders by Creating an Irresistible Culture
Invest in your best people. Most leaders fall into a simple trap: Your most problematic people will monopolize your time if you’re not proactive.
They’re the ones coming to you with constant problems and challenges that end up not only taking away from your time, but also the time you should be spending with your best leaders.
So, instead, spend most of your one-on-one time with your best people. These are the individuals who show up on time, are prepared, and do exceptional work. Investing in them makes them better, makes you better, and moves your mission forward faster.
Create an irresistible culture. Simply put, a healthy church culture is a non-negotiable. Whether you have a healthy one or not, I can promise you that your culture is impacting every area of your ministry.
Learn to value leaders in non-financial ways. There are several ways to value leaders beyond financial compensation.
In addition to developing the skills you need to be an effective church leader (the type of leader that others want to follow), there are 5 non-financial ways you can value your leaders:
- Listen: Everyone wants to be heard. By actively listening, asking questions, and maintaining focus, you’re showing your leaders that you value their contributions.
- Trust: Choose to trust people when they’ve shown character, skill, and aptitude. Making trust your default will inspire leaders to rise to the occasion.
- Respect: Show respect by giving leaders your time, attention, and gratitude. Men, in particular, crave respect and will feel more valued when they receive it.
- Challenge: High expectations motivate high-capacity people. Instead of asking for the bare minimum, challenge your leaders with significant tasks and high standards to call out their best.
- Empower: Give leaders significant responsibilities. Empowerment attracts top talent and helps people develop their leadership skills — even if they make a mistake or two along the way.
Step 3: Equip Your Staff and Volunteers with Mentorship and Training
Have weekly 1:1 meetings to coach key leaders. Devoting even just 30 minutes a week to your key leaders helps you track their development and stay on top of the objectives you’re working toward. Check out my free 1:1 meeting guide for simple but effective way to structure these meetings and coach your leaders.
Set a budget for leadership development and training. It’s shocking how many churches don’t have a budget for leadership development. Whether it’s attending conferences, reading books, engaging in online courses and communities, or working with coaches, every senior leader (and I’d argue every staff) at your church should have a budget for this.
Bridge the mentorship gap. Leadership surrounds you with people, but can leave you (and your staff) feeling utterly alone.
I have a dozen or so people I turn to regularly for wise counsel. Many of them aren’t part of our church. This can be helpful because often, if you’re struggling through an issue, they have an outside perspective that can really help you — especially if they’ve been in your shoes before.
So, What’s Next?
I started the article with what’s at stake if we don’t continue to develop strong church leaders.
But think about the potential if we do.
These are 3 strategies I’ve used countless times to equip people to take on leadership positions in ministry.
So, now it’s your turn. If you want to do the same, the ball is in your court.
