I am privileged to be a part of an underground society if you will. Think of it as the dead poets society without poetry. It’s called “the forge” and it is a group of men from different churches in the area who meet monthly. The men in this group are all leaders and also should start another group called “overachievers anonymous”. We are all guys who believe so strongly about the great commission that we do everything we can to fulfill God’s call and sometimes in unhealthy ways.
We meet and talk and get real honest. More honest and transparent than we can be in our own congregation because most of us are in small churches. We hold each other accountable and speak into each others lives sometimes no holds barred (not the hulk hogan movie). We also just have a blast laughing, shooting pool at the bar next to my church, worshiping, and enjoying each other and God.
There have been three things we have all noticed.
- It’s ALL about relationship
- 100% Honesty is 100% the most important thing
- You have to have fun!
Those key factors led one of my Forge brothers to the inspiration for the leadership development process in his church. He is going to be implementing it this year and I can’t wait to see how this works.
It’s called “roots” and below is what he says about it:
Vision:
To develop people in our church to become agents of change that impact our surrounding community by boldly and innovatively sharing God’s love.
Mission:
The focus of this ministry is to cultivate the character and leadership abilities of individuals to reflect the heart of Christ.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
Through the teaching of God’s word and communion with one another, the relationships forged will cultivate a catalyst for spiritual growth that will spur on the body of believers.
How:
Commitment to meeting regularly (weekly or bi-weekly) will be required and must be a priority for each individual.
Each meeting will be characterized by a time of teaching from God’s word in various formats (such as video, devotional, reading, etc.) along with time for building relationship (through sharing, testimonials, praying, etc.)
Individuals will be expected to engage the body of believers through a form of ministry or outreach (small groups, welcome center, soup kitchen, etc.) empowered by the outpouring of Christ love administered through us.
Mentor relationships must be sought by each individual. Corporate meetings are intended to foster mentorship, not to be the suffice for it.
Personal growth is emphasized through daily reading of the Word, and times of prayer.
Unity is an essential factor to the Kingdom of God. Attendance of 1PRAYER meetings is required in order to be apart of and network with other believers to fulfill God’s complete vision for our local community
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