Do you know who the leaders in your life are? More specifically, do you know why you follow them? Perhaps they’re big thinkers, successful in work or really nice and super wise.
It’s difficult to identify our key leaders today. We’re suspicious of the government, celebrities may have more influence than experts, and the established church’s influence is diminishing, even in Christian circles.
We often don’t know who is setting the agenda or influencing our lives behind the scenes. We may not even know what leadership is. This presents Christians with a challenge to understand leadership and authority, but also an opportunity to stand up and be counted. We live in a noisy world that is desperate to hear voices of wisdom.
At the Evangelical Alliance, we believe that leadership is not an elite pursuit; it is something that is needed at every level, and in every community, workplace, city and village. To put it simply: leading things changes stuff.
So we are supporting Christians to be a voice for God and for good across our nations. We want to raise up the ‘go-to’ people in local communities, the leaders in workplaces, and maybe, just maybe, the people who in generations to come are remembered for changing a nation.
If you want to be one of these leaders, we challenge you to be intentional and take the first step in your journey today.
Five steps to being a public leader
- Take the step in front of you – there are no magic bullets and rarely any short-cuts. Work out what the first step is for you, and take it. It might be a step of preparation, or a step of action.
- See the need – what needs to change in the place you live or work? Can you restore something that has been lost? What good can you champion?
- Have a vision for the future – don’t settle for ‘okay’ but ask ‘what if?’. What can happen if all your dreams became reality? What is God’s plan for your place?
- Take time to learn – leadership and influence do not happen overnight, so work for the long term. Take the time to understand the context you are in and how God is forming and shaping you, and build the experience and expertise you need to make a difference.
- Use your voice – do not underestimate the power of your voice; things change when we speak out. Where are the opportunities for you to speak truth into a world craving meaning?
Here are a few ways we can help
Join us at Spring Harvest in Skegness, Harrogate or Minehead 2, where we’ll be leading a seminar series on Living bravely in public life. You can also join us at events in London, Frinton-on-Sea and Belfast, or take a look at upcoming events from some great organisations we work with. Check out the full details on our website, thepublicleader.com, where you can also sign up for our mailing list.
Get hold of our free Change the World small group course and take four weeks with your church small group to explore what the Bible says about public leadership and what it might mean for you.
Invite us to come and speak at your church on what the Bible has to say about leadership and how we can apply it to our lives. Email [email protected].
And don’t forget to follow us on those pesky socials: @thepublicleader on Facebook and Twitter.
Join a leadership training course
In your local community
We’re developing a four-month training course for you to use in your church to meet with others also leading in public life, to learn together and to support each other.
If you want to be one of the very first groups using it and get exclusive pre-release access, email us at [email protected]
Across the UK
If you are in your 20s-30s, already leading in public life and have a vision to see your nation transformed, join a small group of emerging public leaders in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland on a year-long training course featuring weekend retreats, evening events and mentoring sessions. Read about the Scottish course
Email [email protected] for information about applying.