Joseph Lalonde
Believe me, I know there are church leaders doing things right.
Here are five:
1. Encouraging healthy giving
A lot of churches have encouraged their congregations to give because the church needs their money. Whether it’s for building projects, budgets or some other need of the church, the focus has been inward.
There are churches out there who encourage another type of giving. This giving focuses on outward needs.
These church leaders are encouraging healthy giving by sharing what good their tithes and offerings do. This includes donating to local rescue missions, non-profits and giving to the poor.
2. Helping their congregation to see the value of volunteering outside the church
We see a lot of the focus on being in the church. Church leaders will tell their people to hop on board and volunteer within the church.
Yet, I believe, Jesus had a different take on this. The Bible tells us that we are in the world, not of it. I take this to mean that we should be living our lives in the world and do what we can to make it a better place.
Healthy churches know this and encourage their congregations to get involved in organizations outside of the church.
3. Inviting lively discussions
One big criticism of the church has been that it shuts out all forms of debate. They don’t want to be challenged or hear an opposing viewpoint.
The truth is we all know that not everyone will agree. And not everyone will have a biblical viewpoint. That’s okay …
To get people to a proper view of the Bible, we need to encourage lively discussions. Hit the hard topics, but also bring the truth.
Getting people to talk is just the start. Once they feel comfortable, they’re much more open to the truth.
4. Leading by example
There are those who lead churches by telling people the truth yet they fail to live out the truth. They’re a sham.
Church leaders, who are leading right, know they can’t be two-faced. They know they have to live a consistent, Christ-centered life. Anything else wouldn’t suffice.
5. Standing for the truth
Lastly, church leaders stand for Biblical truth. They know what the Bible says and they won’t be shaken.
The world has told us a lot of what the Bible says. A lot of what the world has said the Bible says isn’t true so people have a very skewed version of the Bible in their minds.
Church leaders, who do things right, are willing to challenge these false beliefs and challenge them when it is time.
Don’t be scared to stand for the truth. It’s what church leaders must do.
This article originally appeared on Biblicalleadership.com.