Normally the primary responsibility of a church board is very focused — to ensure that the mission of the church is being accomplished. To engage this responsibility, however, the board must exercise active leadership and not maintain a passive role in the leadership of the church. In taking hold of this responsibility a church board will act with due care and attention to the role of the Lead Pastor.
But how is a church board to shift from a passive approach to an active approach and provide the missional leadership the church requires? I think one of the key steps to take is to focus on developing the church’s overall capacity to achieve its mission. If the Board knows what the mission is, then the Board also needs to give attention to developing the resources necessary to fulfill that mission. Five capacities are crucial and require a Board’s sustained engagement if it is going to exercise the kind of active leadership that will promote mission fulfillment:
If the Board knows what the mission is, then the Board also needs to give attention to developing the resources necessary to fulfill that mission.
1. Spiritual Capacity: the ability of the church community and especially its leaders, to live passionately and obediently for Christ, empowered daily by His Spirit. The Board will monitor as consistently as possible the spiritual health of the congregation and take whatever action is necessary to sustain its vitality.
2. Leadership Capacity: the ability of staff, board leaders and other volunteer leaders to inspire through spiritual example and clear vision, prioritize, make decisions, provide direction and innovate. Good, competent leadership is essential. The Board has to assume responsibility to insure that the church has such leadership and has specific strategies in place to develop it further.
3. Adaptive Capacity: the ability to monitor, assess, respond to and stimulate internal and external changes. It is the Board that has responsibility to be monitoring the internal and external environment to anticipate change and prepare well for it. It must govern with an eye to the future, not the past or present.
4. Management Capacity: ensure the effective and efficient use of organizational resources. The Board has responsibility to insure that the church’s goals are being met. If this is not happening, then it is the Board that must exercise leadership to remedy things.
5. Technical Capacity: the ability to implement all of the key organizational functions and deliver programs and services as defined by the agency’s mission, vision and values. Does the church have the systems necessary (i.e. facilities, financial information, computer/phone systems, communication systems, insurance, employee policies, risk management processes, etc.) to accomplish its mission well?
Each of these ‘capacities’ represents a critical opportunity for mission growth and an active board leadership will be giving due and constant attention to each of these matters. Where deficiency is discerned, then this becomes an area of Board work.
God’s Provision
God’s done it again – totally exceeded my expectations! I can affirm Paul’s claim in Philippians 4:19 that “my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Our goal for the operational and bursary fund this year totaled $99,000 and as of December 31, 2009, God has blessed us with $102,500. Given the dismal financial situation that we experienced during the first half of 2009 in the world economy, this result is surely God’s special provision. Thank you for your part in this.
God is the master of surprise. It’s probably connected with his delight in mystery – letting us in on his plans just when we need to know. 
His promises and His subsequent supply provide us with ample reason to walk confidently with Him. I have enough experience in my role as President to know that new, unexpected challenges will emerge in the next twelve months that will require me to trust God for the solutions. Since God faithfully has led and provided in each past year, I have no doubt He will supply what is needed in 2010.
So January 1 starts us on another lap of faithful living. What a challenge – to live 365 days for God, prayerfully, passionately trusting and serving Him, and then to model this transparently and authentically before colleagues, students, and supporters. Your prayers will be a significant help, enabling me to provide faithful leadership as President of Northwest.
I have two prayer concerns that I would share with you:
1. that we will see the Holy Spirit work powerfully in the lives of many men and women, leading them to accept God’s call to ministry and the rigorous training that this will require;
2. that God will continue to bless the efforts we are making to work collaboratively with our churches and our denominational leaders to identify, encourage, and equip effective ministry leaders.
Financially, our targets for our operational and bursary funds in 2010 will be $97,000. In April 2010 we anticipate graduating, together with the seminaries in ACTS, about 65 newly-equipped ministry leaders. Your partnership in this task of leadership development remains a critical component.
May God bless you in this New Year. May his grace “fill your sails” every day.
