The Church needs transformational leaders!
Last week, I began a series of posts praying for the Church. The church certainly needs awakening. It also needs transformational leaders.
Joleen and I have always endeavored to be transformational leaders. Transformational leaders seek to help the churches they lead experience new life and to become more active in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
A few years ago, I wrote a prayer for transformational leaders, which I posted last year. As I noted then, I wrote this prayer in my journal at the beginning of our second year in Clearfield, and I continue to come back to this prayer again and again.
I also mentioned this prayer earlier in connection with the Matthew 28 Initiative. Matthew 28 was simply a catalyst, a process to help a church accomplish a lot in a short period of time. With or without the Matthew 28 Initiative, and certainly beyond it, we will continue to endeavor to be transformational leaders. It’s what God calls us to be!
Well, this prayer continues to evolve over time. Here’s the latest version …
O God, give us clean hands and pure hearts, hearts like yours, and break them for what breaks yours!
Give us strength. Be our rock, our firm foundation. Provide us with the spiritual grounding we need for the life ahead. As we build our lives on Christ, the solid rock, develop your character in us!
Give us favor with the people you call us to reach and the people you call us to be in ministry with, especially the leaders and influencers in our churches.
Give us wisdom to lead well, and discernment to sift through all of the distractions in order to focus on those things you call us to be about.
As we navigate the journey ahead, give us patience and persistence to stay the course in the midst of the challenges and obstacles that will arise during the slow-going work of transformation and revitalization.
Give us courage. Help us to follow you, even when it’s hard!
And as we serve you faithfully, give us fruit for our labor!
Through your leadership in our lives, expressed and lived out in the places we serve, create communities of faith that will be engaged in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!
Lord, raise, equip, and empower transformational leaders for the work of your Church. Amen.
Randy Willis
Pastor
Follower of Jesus. Husband to Joleen. Dad to Ethan & Sarah. Pastor to Wehnwood UMC.