Dear Friend,

    I’ve been reflecting lately on what it really means to lead in the way God intended. Too often, we send leaders out in public without first forming them deeply in Christ. Titles and positions may look impressive, but if our hearts aren’t rooted in Him, leadership becomes shaky. Paul said in Philippians 3:17, “Join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” That reminds me: people are watching not just what we say, but how we live.

Leadership Is a Journey

    Many leaders have the idea when they attain a certain position they have arrived as a leader and leadership is about “arriving.” But the truth is, we never arrive. Leadership is a lifelong journey of growth and learning. In fact, the moment we think we’ve made it is often the moment we’re most at risk (1 Corinthians 10:12).

It Starts With the Heart

    Leadership is not really about position — it’s about character. God looks past the title and into our hearts (Psalm 139:23–24). Our integrity, humility, and daily walk with Christ matter more than anything else.

We Can’t Lead Alone/We Need Each Other

    If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you can’t lead from a distance. Trust is built up close, with real presence and consistency. We need brothers and sisters who walk beside us, who ask hard questions, who remind us of the Gospel when we forget. Biblical leaders lived in community, accountable and vulnerable with others. The local church allows us to live in that community.

Facing the Same Temptations

    Jesus faced temptations of power, possessions, and control in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). We face those same battles, don’t we? Sometimes it shows up as wanting recognition, or holding too tightly to our position. But restored leadership is about letting go of idols and letting Christ lead through us.

The Real Purpose of Leadership

   At the end of the day, leadership is about serving and sharpening others (Proverbs 27:17). It’s about pointing people to Jesus, not to ourselves. Jesus said, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5). The fruit comes from Him, not us.

My Prayer

   My prayer is that we’d stop chasing positions and start living as restored leaders — rooted in Christ, walking in community, marked by humility, obedience, and love. As Oswald Chambers once wrote, “The idea is not that we do work for God, but that we are so loyal to Him that He can do His work through us.”

    That’s the kind of leader I want to be. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey over the next year as we walk together.

   Bert Ross

  Leadership Development Coordinator