BUILDING SERVANT LEADERSHIP COMMUNITIES
Resources for churches interested in growing as servant leadership communities.
Our Vision
The mission of Co-Serve International is to model and cultivate servant leadership communities around the world. As part of this mission, we have developed the Building Servant Leadership Communities series of discussion guides to help churches to grow in their understanding and practice of community and servant leadership. Our vision for the need and purpose of these guides can be summarized through the the illustration of the pyramid and the tree…
The Pyramid is one of humankind’s greatest achievements. It is a monument to a power crazed Pharaoh, built on the back of fear, intimidation slavery, and death. It is a massive barren tomb amid a lifeless desert. And tragically, it represents the leadership structure of most organizations, including the church – where many people are trying to support the structure created by the few – often an individual. One on top above all the masses down below.
The Tree is entirely different. As one of God’s most beautiful creations, it is a monument and symbol of life – living and life giving. From a lifeless seed planted in the ground, it springs up and branches and multiplies until it yields fruit with its own seed and all the bird’s come to rest and make home in its branches. These are fruit producing seeds that will in turn plant other life-giving trees. This is the picture of what the church should be: A tree of life. A structure that connects and supports its people who are producing the fruits of the spirit and reproducing themselves. God’s intention for the church is “life giving.” Jesus gave his life… Paul gave his life… to build a church that would bear much fruit – to be the structure that supports the people, empowering every man and woman and child to become everything God has called them to be.
Imagine church where there are no mere attendees – where everyone knows the mission of the church and their own specific calling to fulfill that mission. Imagine a church community that empowers and equips each person to fulfill their mission in every sector of society. That is what a servant led church seeks to do. A tree is an inverted pyramid. Jesus, as he bowed his head in death with arms outstretched on that cross, was the very image of an inverted pyramid – everything the Pharaoh was not. May we imitate our living savior and once for all abandon the soulless ways of the long dead Pharaohs. This calls for a complete restructuring of the church – leaders serving from the bottom up, committed to empowering others to do even greater things than themselves. There is much work to be done.
Resources
Co-Serve is pleased to provide the following resources for use by church members, church small groups, and church leaders. Click on any button below to download a PDF file of the resource.
Facilitator’s Guide for Church Leaders – LETTER SIZE Member’s Guide for Church Leaders – LETTER SIZE Discussion Guide for Church Small Groups – LETTER SIZE
Articles
We also encourage you to read these articles by Co-Serve staff member, Jonathan Martin.
