I was recently the interim education minister at Northwest Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. While there, I realized that the church had not enlisted or re-enlisted any of its LifeGroup (Sunday School) leadership in some time. As I was trying to brainstorm an appropriate leadership covenant for the church, it occurred to me that the expectations of the LifeGroup leaders should match the mission of the church. As a result, I wrote a new leadership covenant based on the church’s mission statement.
The church has eight distinct statements in its mission statement. Below is each statement and how we expect each LifeGroup to respond.
LifeGroup Leader Expectations
As a LifeGroup leader, I will support and promote the eight core principles of Northwest Baptist Church through our LifeGroup as expressed below:
GOD’S WORD (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
God has given His Word, the Bible, to us as our foundation and guide for living. We are committed to powerful Biblical teaching as the catalyst for transformation in the lives of individuals and in the church.
As a LifeGroup leader, I will be a student of God’s Word and will faithfully teach the Bible each week to the people entrusted to me. I will lead my group to faithfully understand and apply Biblical truth in their lives each. I will teach in a manner consistent with the beliefs of Northwest Baptist Church.
PRAYER (Colossians 4:2)
God desires His people to pray, and He hears and answers prayer. We are committed to leading our people to seek God with all their hearts, both corporately and individually.
As a LifeGroup leader, I commit myself to being a person of prayer. I will lead my group to become people who seek God’s face through prayer. Our group will pray for each other, for our church, and for our friends and neighbors who do not yet know Jesus Christ personally. We will pray for the Kingdom of God and its expansion.
LIVING BY FAITH (Hebrews 11:6)
God is faithful, and He calls His people to trust Him and follow Him as He leads. We are committed to acting on the revealed will and Word of God, regardless of the circumstances and consequences.
As a LifeGroup leader, I will lead the people in my group to become people of faith by helping them apply God’s Word into their everyday lives and by encouraging steps of faith we can make together as a group.
BIBLICAL COMMUNITY (Philippians 2:2-5)
God intends for strong, loving relationships to permeate every aspect of the church. We are committed to going deep in relationships and serving one another with the attitude modeled for us by Jesus Christ.
As a LifeGroup leader, I will organize my group in such a way that each person will receive a frequent personal touch from our group so that, as a group, we can respond with personal care and ministry to every individual. I will lead my group to build a strong biblical fellowship.
SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT (Colossians 1:28-29)
God has placed in every true believer a desire to grow spiritually. We are committed to helping individuals identify and take the next step toward maturity in Christ.
As a LifeGroup leader, I realize that my primary purpose is to make disciples. I will consistently challenge my group to develop spiritual disciplines that will help them grow into the image of Christ.
WORSHIP (John 4:23)
God delights in genuine worship that honors Him and witnesses to a lost world. We are committed to leading our people to worship God with clear minds and thankful hearts.
As a LifeGroup leader, I will worship God and will lead my group to worship Him both privately and corporately.
SPIRIT-DIRECTED LEADERSHIP (Ephesians 4:11-12)
God has chosen to work through leaders to equip His people for the task of ministry. We are committed to developing, mobilizing, and following leaders that are gifted and directed by the Spirit of God.
As a LifeGroup leader, I recognize that our church staff are appointed to be leaders and I will follow their leadership in a godly, Biblical manner. I also recognize that I am an example of leadership and I will lead my LifeGroup to develop future leaders.
PEOPLE (John 3:16)
God loves people and so should the church. We are committed to reaching people in our city, state, country, and world with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As a LifeGroup leader, I will lead my group to pray for the lost and pray for opportunities to be a witness of Christ in our community. I recognize that one of the best ways to reach someone with the gospel of Christ is through a biblical small community, and together our group will become a place where others can examine the truth of Christ and know Him as Savior.
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Bob Mayfield is the Sunday School/adult discipleship specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. Bob also writes on his own blog at www.bobmayfield.com
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