Christian Leadership Value
DTS values Christlike leadership that equips others and emphasizes humility with sacrificial service.
Personal Goal:
I will further explore my strengths-based leadership results by researching benefits and hindrances of each of my results and writing a reflection paper by April 1, 2024.
Strategies
• using my results, explore additional content through Gallup and Strengths Based Leadership, noting specifics that I struggle with or celebrate about myself
• share observations with mentor and discuss ways these help me excel in ministry or hinder my relationships with other people
Resources
• Strengths-Based Leadership
• The Gallup Access learning website for additional articles and podcast content in regards to my personal strengths
Measurements
• discuss a specific strength with mentor at first meeting of the month (September: Intellection, October: Learner, November: Input, February: Competition, March: Context)
• Present reflection questions to mentor and discuss how best to utilize my strengths for the ministry while avoiding unhealthy behaviors I may lean towards.
Artifacts
• Strengths-Finder results
• Reflection questions
Ministry Goal:
I will identify and train a lay person to assist with facilitating and teaching Spiritual Formation independently by March, 2024.
Strategies
• along with mentor, identify candidate who is capable, willing, and desires to disciple others • create teaching guides using my materials that will be accessible for others to communicate
• observe candidate in focus group environments and remit feedback and corrections
• allow candidate to teach under observation
• turn over class to candidate once performance, spiritual health, and competency are sufficient.
Resources
• already created Spiritual Formation curriculum
• teaching guides (to be created based on current curriculum)
Measurements
• By September 15, restructure my own notes into formal teaching guides that others can use to lead class
• August & September: meet with candidate weekly
• By March 1, 2024, Spiritual Formation is being led by a trained volunteer
Artifacts
• Teaching Guides or manuscripts for Spiritual Formation
• Photos of candidate leading class
Ann Hazelwood teaching her first solo Spiritual Formation class in November 2023. She has since led 4 groups wonderfully through this 6-week curriculum.
This is our entry in the brochure advertising all of our church’s offered courses. Ann and I alternate leading groups and fill in for each other as needed.
Ann and I realized it would be beneficial for me to manuscript the lessons out as close as possible to how I speak them. She sat in the class with me as a facilitator so often that this helped her as she was preparing to teach the class herself. She then wrote her own manuscripts and notes.
I also did some quick recordings of classes she was not present for so she could better familiarize herself with the material and here how I responded to different questions and situations in class.
Overall Reflection Statement:
For my competence in Christian Leadership I am submitting my results and introspection into my Strengths Finder results and evidence of training a teacher to take over a class I developed, which demonstrate greater personal awareness and willingness to train others and let go ministries I may have clung to in the past.
Learning Reflection Statement:
As I developed and demonstrated Christian leadership, I learned my own strengths as a leader and saw how they effect my ministry and my vocational work. I also worked through the reality that some things this assessment called strengths may not look immediately like Christlikeness, like my motivation by competition. I learned to see how I was created as a gift and how to balance competition with humility, as well as loving the Lord with my heart and not just my “learner” brain where I was previously most comfortable. I was also able to speak into new situations and offer my unique perspective on problems or plans within my church, showing my skills in input and context. In training Ann, I learned how to not just communicate my curriculum to a class, but the heart behind why I wrote or developed things a certain way so that my teaching team could understand my vision. I want her to answer questions as I would if I were not in the room, just as I hope I answer with my Pastor’s voice in all church environments. I also learned how to give feedback, even negative when necessary, in order to communicate my expectations and help her develop her own teaching skills.
Lifelong Development Statement:
As a result of the experiences documented by these artifacts, I will continue to develop in Christian leadership by not just leading from my strengths, but also who Christ has created me to be. Simply because I may be naturally inclined to lead or act in one way does not excuse me from interpersonal skills and the Christlike attributes of patience, humility, and service. I also know I will be training other teachers and leaders in the future, and this year spent with Ann has definitely helped me know how to identify people to serve, communicate my vision, and provide feedback and encouragement.