There are many challenges facing Christian leaders acting as change agents, these leaders capitalizing on the establishment of the church and other organizations, in order to maintain the church’s mission in a culturally relevant matter.
No matter how committed a Christian leader is to God and spreading his message, the world is still full of distractions and ways that leaders can get off course. Recognizing when one is distracted is the first step in being able to get back on track in fulfilling the church’s mission. According to Lingenfelter (2008), an effective leader can remained centered by focusing on one’s spiritual disciplines. This will help the leader find a port in the storm while figuring out what changes to implement that will foster the church’s ministry. Having a strong sense of spiritual centeredness will also help the Christin leader listen to what God is saying. To listen to God and discover ways to change for the better, the leader needs to pray, this prayer drawing one into a closer relationship with God. However, the leader can find creative ways to sit with God, such as going on personal treats or listening to other leaders, thereby revitalizing one’s spirit.
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A Christian leader also has the responsibility to lead and enact change in a way that all cultures in his church can relate to and understand. This entails knowing your people well and ensuring that people from diverse cultures feel welcome and connected to leaders and other people in the church. In order to do this, a leader may have to put in extra time and effort, when he may already be exhausted. However, in the long run, putting in this extra effort is a benefit to the leader and the church as whole; the leader’s social ties with people of different cultures encourages them to work harder to spread God’s message and serve the church ministry.
Yet, going in blind when contemplating change is not the answer. Effective, successful leaders need a plan, a basic guide that is open to revision when necessary, what Sample (2003) describes as gray thinking. This combines one’s core beliefs and values with flexible thinking. Some other ways that leaders can be both culturally sensitive and effective change agents is to be committed to growth and learning. It is important to stay updated on personal study, Christian literature, to take classes, and get involved in mentoring. Any changes also need to be evaluated for effectiveness. A good leader assesses what is going well, as well as what is not working.
After taking this course, I have realized the importance of growing as a Christian, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually, as well as connecting to all cultures and minorities. As a Christian, I am appalled by the amount of bullying, physical harm, and death that has occurred in our nation’s schools over the past few years, including the Newton School shootings that resulted in children losing their lives. As a child of God, I have been asking myself how I can make things better. What is my calling? What has God been whispering to my heart?
For my dissertation, I want to improve youths’ school environment by examining the effect of bullying as perceived by LGBT students. Bullying is a serious issue, which has resulted in many LGBT youth taking their own lives. According to recent research, LGBT individuals are four times as likely to attempt suicide as heterosexual youth (America, 2008). No youth should feel that their only option is suicide. God created all human life as precious, regardless of ethnicity, sexual orientation, and race. However, in order to respect human life, churches and religious organization need to connect and know minorities, leaders letting them know that they are an integral part of Christ’s mission. Minorities and other cultures need to know that they are needed and loved. Instead of projecting condemnation and disdain, Church leaders need to show empathy and love, supporting youth and people of all races, colors, and sexual orientations.
A good leader needs to balance spiritual principles, God’s message, and implement change while respecting all cultures. I will do my best to help fulfill God’s mission and be a successful agent of change, focusing much of my efforts on LGBT youth.
- America, M. H. (2008). Factsheets: bullying and gay youth. Retrieved from National Mental Health Association: http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/chilren-s-mental-health/bullying-and-gay-youth
- Lingenfelter, S. G. (2008). Leading cross-culturally: Covenant relationships for effective Christian leadership. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
- Sample, S. B. (2003). The contrarian’s guide to leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
