PLAYING FOLLOW THE LEADER PART TWO: COMMITTED TO A LARGER PURPOSE VISION/MISSION

"If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there," I heard someone say.

Last week we began a series of articles on the importance of “followership.”  (Note: a columnist in a national newspaper had an article this week on the importance of informed, wise followers!)

Anthony B. Robinson, a church consultant, talks about how developing positive, wise, engaged followers is every bit as important as a church finding the “right” leader.

Robinson, I said last week, observes that great followers understand leading  -asking tough questions, speaking hard truth-  is necessary and dangerous work.  We often  -whether as a church, a family, or a nation-  need to hear the truth we don’t want to hear.

There is a second element in being a good follower and that is sharing “a commitment to a larger congregational purpose or mission” than our own group’s agenda.  Troubled congregations, says Peter Steinke, experience “mission drift.”  Robinson says, “They lack a clear or shared sense of core purpose.”

In other words, troubled congregations may often be attempting to do everything…and nothing in particular.  There is no central organizing principle, or passion, or truth.

Great followers, healthy followers, are committed to the good of the organization “regardless of whether there is complete agreement.”  The overall mission of the church matters more than what I want or what is easiest for my group.  This is important when we gather to make decisions about a Sunday morning schedule, facilities, staffing, etc.  Is our first concern the agenda of our own group, or are we committed to what will be best for the overall congregation?

Leaders are most effective when there is a clear, shared purpose that is Biblically-based and culturally relevant.

Jesus invites people to follow him and he calls them to a central mission: “I will send you out to fish for people.”  This will be a community with a clear purpose.  This will be a community with a mission.

Great followers know the mission and are committed to that purpose – more so than the agenda of their own particular group.  Our leaders have said we are here to Connect, Grow and Serve so that we might make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.  Do we care more about the health of this missional community than our own preferences?

If we know where we are going, and what we have been called to be, then not every road will get us there!

In Christ and for Christ,

Mark