4 Steps to Build Kingdom Builders

In our last blog post, we talked about the difference between activities that helped build the Kingdom of God ("Kingdom Building") and those tasks that keep the church doors open ("Castle Building"). Kingdom building is the important work of living out the Great Commission by spreading the Gospel and helping people engage with Jesus. But, to make that possible, we also need people committed to the service and tasks of supporting ministry. It only becomes "Castle Building" if those support functions begin to drive the decision-making and divert resources and energy away from the vision and outreach mission of the church.Just like in Acts 7, when the Apostles appointed a team of servant leaders to take care of the widows and orphans equally so that they could focus on building the Kingdom, you need to find servant leaders to help propel the vision of your church. In order to be successful Kingdom Builders, we need leaders and volunteers in all aspects of the church committed to the vision of reaching new people and engaging folks to take the next step in their relationship with Jesus. Here are 4 steps to help you build up your Kingdom Building leaders.Cast the Vision for Everyone!In order to have the entire congregation driving toward the same goals, it is critical that the whole congregation hears a consistent vision. It is important that the vision content is not only consistent, but that it is consistently presented using a variety of media and communication channels. This is why having a clear and intentional communication strategy is critical to Kingdom Building. If your people can understand clearly what is expected of them and be motivated by a compelling story of powerful results, then the Holy Spirit will be your master recruiter, calling people to respond as they are gifted.Make it Simple to Onboard or Promote Leaders!It doesn't do your effort any good to present a compelling call-to-action that entices people to serve if you don't have an on-boarding process. It is critical have a process that allows people to plug into a ministry quickly and easily once they have responded to the call. A proper on-boarding process should include an introduction to the ministry and some observation, a period of on-the-job training and mentoring, and finally a plan of action with clear expectations and accountability. This on-boarding process then becomes the same process the leader will use to assimilate the volunteers onto their team.Give Them Support!Once you have swiftly and successfully on-boarded your servant leaders, their ability to excel in ministry will depend on the tools and support you can give them. More than the proper resources and latest technology, your leaders need to know they are adding value to the vision by understanding that their efforts are making a difference. You need to celebrate victories, provide encouragement, and continue to share the vision all the while modeling leadership they can then share with their teams. This builds a culture throughout your church that will not only produce a steady stream of volunteers but an energy around your vision and mission like you have never seen.Make Sure They Keep Growing!This fourth step is the one most often neglected by the pastor, staff, and the servant leaders. The pastors and ministry staff leaders assume their people are feeding their spiritual growth along with their church duties. The lay leaders assume that since they are doing "church work" they are growing. Some are diligent, others are sporadic, but most of your people need encouragement and opportunities to continue taking next steps in their journey with Jesus. Make a spiritual growth plan a part of their expectations as a leader and regularly follow up with their progress. Provide them resources and opportunity to participate in events or studies, and better yet, participate with them. Then, guess what, your leaders replicate this expectation and support with their teams resulting in people taking next steps all over your church!