If you haven’t visited our website lately, you may not be aware of all the different kinds of Leadership Community groups that Leadership Network conducts these days. Currently there are nine active Leadership Communities (LCs) and several in planning stages. You can view the entire list and read more about each one on our website.
Leadership Network formerly offered senior pastors opportunities to participate annually in three day forum experiences. We hosted these forums for a number of years and then discontinued them. We began to hear from some of the pastors that they missed the forums and wanted us to bring them back. We held a couple of forums recently but wanted to take the experience to the next level for pastors. Since most of our program offerings these days are focused on LC groups for ministry teams, we decided to try something similar for senior pastors. The long range plan involves launching an entire series of senior pastor LCs differentiated primarily by age and stage of ministry. Our initial foray into this new area began with the Next Generation Pastors LC groups. We currently have two of these LC groups up and running.
What is it and who’s in it?
The Next Gen LC (as we call it) is designed for younger senior pastors who have either started the church they currently lead or have succeeded another pastor at the church they currently serve. Generally these pastors have served as the lead pastor at their church for ten years or less. The average age of the pastors is close to 40 years old, although there are some pastors in the groups as young as 32 and some approaching 45 (44 years of age is the cut off for this LC). Out of 25 churches represented, about two-thirds of the pastors lead churches in suburban contexts with the rest leading churches in urban contexts. All of the churches represented in these two groups have at least 1000 people attending weekend worship; the average attendance of all 25 churches represented is around 2500; ranging from 1000 to 8000 attending weekend worship. Geographically, these churches rim the country from Brooklyn, New York to the Napa Valley wine country region in California.
How is the Next Generation Pastors LC different than the senior pastor forums?
The forums were a one time experience for pastors. The forums were a great time of peer networking and learning together for those who attended. Pastors had to be invited to attend. Invitations usually came by way of a peer’s recommendation. Group size was kept small to preserve the intimacy of the relationships and the integrity of the experience. Someone in attendance usually took notes during the forum and shared them with the group afterwards. Phone numbers were exchanged with promises to see each other again next year. And that was it.
Pastors LCs are similar to forums in some ways. LCs are a rich time of peer networking and learning together. Pastors are still invited to participate. Peer recommendations are still a primary means of getting on the list of prospective LC candidates. Group size is still kept small to ensure a quality experience.
This is what is new and different about Pastors LCs – prospects are interviewed prior to receiving an invitation to participate in an LC group. This is done to ensure that the pastors in an LC group are generally on the same page concerning age and stage of ministry. Every participant agrees to a two year LC time commitment. Gatherings are held twice a year. The length of the gatherings was originally planned for 1.5 days. Each LC group can vote to increase the length of time of the bi-annual gatherings if they desire (both Next Gen groups have done so). We invite mentoring pastors to join each gathering to be available as resources for the groups. The mentors share their ministry experience and answer questions from the younger pastors as they arise. We also have professional writers join us and capture key learnings, conduct one on one interviews and podcasts with participants, and develop concept papers and other practical ministry tools that are shared with the groups and posted on our website (as free downloads). Each pastor works toward his own personal and professional leadership goals during the two year time period.
What do these guys get out of it?
The number one response I hear when this question comes up is – the relationships. Think about it. One Next Gen Pastors LC group has 16 pastors participating. If you are a senior pastor and you would like to develop relationships with 15 other peers scattered around the country, are you going to jump on a plane or drive around the country to do it on your own? The number two response I most often hear has to do with the learning these guys pick up during every gathering. Sometimes it’s a great idea or practice that one of their peers shares with the group. Other times it’s the time spent in small group and dinner table discussions with the mentoring pastors that yields just the right words of wisdom and encouragement. It’s the prayer and encouragement they get from each other as they share meals or watch the game on the big screen together after dinner or share a ride to the airport on the way back home. Some of them would never have crossed paths except for showing up in the same place at the same time for this LC group experience. And there are the free books and the concept papers and access to our staff here at Leadership Network should they call on us.
What do we get out of it?
As corny as it sounds, we have the honor and the privilege of serving some great pastors who truly desire to build the Kingdom – not just their home churches. I’ve been overwhelmed by the passion and the desire these pastors have for making a difference, in a positive way. Most of them are wrestling with all of the challenges inherent in rapidly growing churches regardless of the context. Yet they are dedicated to continuing the good fight and charge ahead day after day – sometimes like wild men with their hair on fire. Best of all, those of us on staff here at Leadership Network have a small window into what God is doing inside and outside of these churches. Trust me – it’s one of the best seats in the house and we love it.
To find out more about some of the pastors and churches currently participating in the Next Generation Pastors LC groups, read over the two concept papers available as free downloads on our website. Here is the link – http://www.leadnet.org/Resources_Downloads.asp
We are currently accepting applications for interviews for upcoming Pastors LCs now. Request an application by contacting Cindi Haworth, LC Coordinator at cindi.haworth@leadnet.org or contact our office by phone at 800.765.5323 or 214.969.5950 to request an application.
Leadership Network has always been about serving ministry leaders. We have a variety of ways to do that. We think the best way to connect with ministry peers, accelerate your learning, help build the Kingdom and have a great time doing it to boot is to get involved in one of our LC groups. Take advantage of the wealth of free resources we offer on our website too – www.leadnet.org.
Linda Stanley serves as Director of Life Stage Leadership Communities and provides leadership for the Next Generation Pastors Leadership Community groups. The Next Generation Pastors Leadership Community exists to create relational peer networks of senior pastors who share similar ministry challenges and desire connections to other leaders serving in similar ministry situations. Additional information is on our website - www.leadnet.org, linda.stanley@leadnet.org
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