4 Ways to Create a Culture of Raising New Leaders

Most “movements” die with the original leaders. In the church, however, we must create a culture of raising leaders to carry on the work.

By Mike Leake

I’m a bit of a church history nerd. I’m more likely to be reading an old letter from John Newton or a sermon from a Puritan, than to be reading the latest and greatest book on ministry. Engaging with these periods of church history exposes a sobering truth—most “movements” die with the original leaders.

I had a professor in college who liked to challenge us to “reach a generation we’ll never see.” His point is that the success or failure of our ministries (especially student ministries) will be best judged by what happens to those under our charge when we are no longer there. Are we making disciples who are making disciples?

These lessons have stuck with me. As such it has been my passion to always be raising up new leaders. I pastor a smaller or medium-sized church (150 on a good Sunday), so don’t picture a pipeline of hundreds or even dozens of leaders coming out of our church. We typically have about three to five people at a time who have expressed some measure of interest in ministry leadership and are going through further training.

“The success or failure of our ministries will be best judged by what happens to those under our charge when we are no longer there.” — @mikeleake Share on X

We haven’t arrived. There are certainly other churches doing it better. But along this journey I’ve picked up a few pointers. Here are three things that will be helpful in creating a culture of raising leaders.

1. Make them think: “I could do that”

Picture two scenarios with me.

In the first, picture you have a guy juggling a chainsaw, three knives, a terrified cat, and a couple of bowling balls. It is entertaining. You’re on the edge of your seat. After a few minutes of his performance, you are wowed. “This guy is amazing,” you think.

In the second, picture you have a guy juggling four or five balls in the air. It is far less gripping but still captivating. And this guy has a joy in juggling that rolls off of him. After a few minutes of his performance, you’re engaged. “I think I might be able to juggle. That looks fun. I should give that a try,” you say to yourself as you search “How to Juggle” on YouTube.

Most of us want to be that first guy. But that first guy’s juggling skills will likely die with him. We should want to be like the second guy. He’s going to inspire tons of people to take up juggling. Yes, they will soon discover that it isn’t easy. He is just skilled and makes it look easy. But this is the type of leader who will create a pipeline of would-be jugglers.

We do this by using relatable language instead of unnecessary jargon. We don’t need to project expertise. If you’re actually an expert, don’t worry. People will figure it out. We try to think through the simplest way of doing things. The best thoughts are the ones that give articulation to what most people are already thinking—they just don’t know it yet. Make it your goal to have people think your job is doable.

“Make it your goal to have people think your job is doable.” — @mikeleake Share on X

2. Have ongoing training

For the past ten years or so I can only think of maybe a few months when I didn’t have some type of training opportunity happening. It’s often meeting at 6:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning with a handful of those who have expressed interest in ministry. For me, it’s not a formal class but rather frequent meetings and relationship-building.

Yes, I have a specific “curriculum” we walk through. There are specific goals and specific things I want these potential leaders to learn. And there is even a “weeding-out” process. Some of those “jugglers” soon realize there is a ton of sweat to ministry and decide on a different path. That’s OK. Helping them know what they aren’t called to can open up the door to helping them discover what they are called to.

It is important to have designated times or opportunities already set up. For one, it’s easier for a curious person to try out a group than to commit to individually meeting for a few months. It also means if you’ve followed the first point, you’ll have a place to invite people when they start beating down your door to learn how to “juggle.”

3. Take every expression seriously

I take every expression of interest seriously. We don’t know what God is doing in another person’s life. I may have a foolish notion that I’ve got this person sized up and can quickly declare them “not fit for ministry.” My first impressions may even be correct—but God is doing something when a person expresses interest in ministry. I always try to meet with them (or have someone I trust meet with them). I try to never put someone off.

I knew a guy who expressed interest to a youth pastor about feeling called to ministry. The pastor didn’t take him all that seriously and dismissed him quickly. I’m sure he thought that if the guy was serious, he’d come back. But he never came back. He took this rejection as if the youth pastor didn’t believe him to be qualified. He pursued other things. It wasn’t until almost a decade later that he finally broached the topic with another pastor.

Always take them seriously.

This will also help to create a culture of reproducing leaders. This is especially true in smaller or medium-sized churches. If your “leadership training” seems like an elite group, you’ll only get a small percentage of people to engage. You might get away with that in a larger church. One percent of 1,000 is still 10 people. But 1% of 100 is just one person—and now you’re back to cat-juggling percentages.

A culture of reproducing leaders will inevitably mean more than a few will decide this particular path isn’t for them. Again, that’s a success. But you’ll also find some you may have written off will excel. You don’t know until you take each expression seriously and have them enter your pipeline through whatever ongoing training you offer.

4. Give them big moments

Sunday, December 31, 2023: also known as “the-youth-pastor-is-probably-preaching” Sunday. The attendance is going to be lower, making it less of a big moment. And we tend to give that Sunday to the next guy up. It gives him an opportunity and your pastor a break, and it’s the safest Sunday because you’ll have fewer visitors.

But last year, I preached on December 31 and gave the pulpit to someone else the following week. That was intentional to create a culture of reproducing leaders. The church is healthiest when multiple people can lead. A “better have the lead pastor lead the big moments” mentality puts far too much emphasis on what the pastor can do rather than on what God is going to do. Leaders can grow when churches are willing to love “rookies” and grow with them.

“A ‘better have the lead pastor lead the big moments’ mentality puts far too much emphasis on what the pastor can do rather than on what God is going to do.” — @mikeleake Share on X

Sharing leadership responsibilities also serves as a reminder that the power is in the One doing the work, not in our best efforts. We’re trusting those big moments to the Spirit and making room for others to exercise their gifts which the Spirit gave them.

Now, don’t hear me wrong. I’m not saying that if someone comes up to you and says, “I’d like to preach next Sunday,” you hand over the pulpit. We want to set people up for success and not failure. If someone isn’t ready for a “big moment,” don’t put them there—mostly for their sake. But don’t withhold those moments for the sake of your own ego.

Motivated by love

Ultimately the church is in the hands of the Lord Jesus. There are scary statistics about what happens if we forsake raising up new leaders. They can certainly be motivating. But we do far better when we are motivated by love for God and love for people.

We want to create a culture of leadership not only so our church can survive into generations to come—but because we want to reach the next generations with the gospel. Someone else will take our place. And someone will take the place of the person who took our place.

Will people know our names because we juggled chainsaws? Or will they have forgotten our names but know the names of the disciples of our disciples, because that person is actively proclaiming Jesus into their life?

For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.