One of my top interests for most of my ministry career has been the topic of leadership. Very early in my ministry, I was introduced to John Maxwell’s leadership materials, and I was instantly hooked. I devoured everything I could find that he had written, and I still purchase his books as they come out. (I’m sure I’ll be posting a review soon about his most recent release, The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication.)
Since then, I have found several other authors whose leadership material has encouraged my life and ministry, and has helped me grow. One such resource is Lead, by Paul David Tripp. This is a book that was required for one of my classes in Ozark Christian College’s graduate studies program. But as I read it for class, I realized that it would be an incredible tool and resource for ministry in a variety of ways.
Tripp’s book covers twelve principles that he has pulled out of Scripture and found to be necessary for leadership in the church. This is a direct response to the growing crisis of leaders leaving ministry in increasing numbers over the past few years. While there may be a variety of reasons for this, one of the problems Tripp sees is that leaders in the church have lost sight of what it means to lead from a biblical perspective. So many of the resources out there — as excellent as they are — approach leadership from a corporate perspective. But a corporate leadership style doesn’t always fit into a church setting. In fact, a case could be made for the fact that such a leadership approach rarely fits a church scenario.
And as a result, church leaders are leaving the church. What Tripp does is take a look at some deeper insights and values, some biblical principles of leadership, and shows how they were meant to be implemented into leading the body of Christ in a way that impacts the Kingdom of God in lasting ways.
Tripp explores twelve principles in Lead, including such important aspects as character, balance, service, and presence. These are just a sample of the twelve principles, and all of them are critically important. I found myself reflecting as I read a chapter, “Yes! This is what is needed!” And then I started the next chapter, only to find myself repeating that sentiment again and again.
I found this resource to be a significant reminder of the need for the gospel in leadership. As leaders, we are responsible for those God has entrusted to our care. The first and foremost aspect of this kind of leadership is to care for their souls. Because of this, leadership in the church carries eternal significance and lasting impact. It cannot be undertaken lightly. And, as Tripp discusses in this book, the only proper foundation for such leadership must come from God’s Word. The leadership principles that the Bible contains are what provide the spiritual nourishment for the church, and the enduring support for leaders to be able to carry out the task of leading.
I found Lead to be a very encouraging and helpful tool as a leader. It will likely be a resource I pass on to the other leaders in our ministry so that we can all benefit from its encouraging and helpful principles, as we seek to lead in our localized context.
If you are in church leadership of any variety, I highly recommend this book as a resource to help you lead as effectively as possible. I was encouraged by it, and I know you will be as well. You can purchase it on Amazon.
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