The Imperative of Christian Leadership

From Nurturing Faith

Christian Schools International

“What the leader focuses on gets done.” 

As I go about the continent speaking and doing accreditation site visits, I get to see many schools in action and gain a sense of how leadership happens in each place.  Since my job often focuses on helping others with change, I have been thinking about what motivates people to change and the role of leadership, formal or informal, in making change happen and as change relates to what makes Christian education distinctive.

I recently read Dan Pink’s newest book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. He describes management in the last 100 years as a version called Motivation 2.0, that relies heavily on control and extrinsic rewards. Pink contends that this style is out of sync with human nature itself, particularly in jobs of knowledge workers – the kinds of right-brain, creative, complex-thinking jobs that we see today. We are created to be curious and self-directed in our learning, but that somehow this desire gets “controlled” out of us – education being one culprit. Pink cites a Cornell study of 320 small businesses, in which half of the workers were granted autonomy and the other half relied on top-down direction, and states: “Businesses that offered autonomy grew at four times the rate of the control-oriented firms and had one-third the turnover.” Leaders lead out of their assumptions about the nature of human beings. Whether it is kids or teachers, if you assume the worst or the best about them, you will likely have people living up to those expectations. Do you as a leader bring out the best or the worst in your followers?

What Pink says about money and extrinsic motivation resonates with me as a Christian. In his proposed Motivation 3.0 model he sees purpose maximization as a key to long-term job satisfaction. We desire to work for higher purposes in life beyond ourselves.  Christian education is, in the end, not about the money, but the highest purpose of helping student to know and live for Jesus Christ.

In a recent survey (Gates Foundation/Scholastic) of more than 40,000 public school teachers, supportive leadership was once again shown to trump financial incentives, such as merit pay. In order to retain good teachers, 68% said supportive leadership was absolutely essential, while 71% said monetary rewards for teacher performance would have moderate or no impact on student achievement. Teachers also highly desired “relevant” professional development, clean and safe working conditions, and time to collaborate with access to high-quality curriculum.

My friend Mark Eckel recently completed his doctoral work on the implementation of faith-learning integration and discovered that the key variable in terms of effect was leadership. He reports that the variable of administrative encouragement around faith learning integration happening in the classroom caused the largest shift in the total score for how teachers were integrating faith and learning! He states: “Learning how one teaches all things from a biblical point of view is the cornerstone of what it means to teach in a Christian school.” Amen!

As a leader (whether you are an administrator or teacher) I leave you with these questions:

1.    How do you know that faith-learning integration is being practiced in your classroom(s)? What evidence could you show me?

2.    If teachers/students are dependent on you as a leader to emphasize this area, then what are you doing to strengthen faith-learning integration?

Christian Education: Investment, Sacrifice, or Obligation?

From Nurturing Faith
Christian Schools International

This is the time of year for budgets, annual parent meetings, and staff hiring.  A lot of time, energy, and discussion are put into financial matters related to the cost of Christian education. 

What is the language used in our discussions with parents, board, and each other? Let us consider some thoughts around the words investment, sacrifice, and obligation. If our language conveys our values and really matters, then we should choose our words wisely.

It’s wonderful to hear parents talk about investing into the lives of their kids by giving them a Christian education.

When I think of “investment”, I think of these phrases:

·         Seen as a good thing to do with money – ex. The parable of the talents

·         Are a plan for growth and the future

·         Don’t always turn out like we planned, but we still make them anyway

·         Potentially impact future generations

When I hear parents describe their choice for Christian education in a negative tone as a “sacrifice,” I think of these phrases:

·         Something I have to do

·         Sometimes grudging obedience rather than my heart’s desire

·         Something I am giving up, not always cheerfully, to maintain something else

·         Sense of loss rather than choice

·         Sometimes used in “guilting” – “I sacrificed so you can have this”

I realize that the attitude of the heart is what determines how these words are used. I can also be forced to make investments for good (taxes come to mind) and do so with a resentful attitude.  I can also make a joyful sacrifice – the kind that is pleasing to the Lord, such as the Abel offers, or one at the cost of my life, such as Samson. On the other hand if I view sacrifice as obligation it may be like the cheerless Pharisee who tossed into the collection plate in large measure and made sure it was publicly visible. In Jesus’ observation, the widow “sacrificed” but she did so with a grateful and joyful heart as an “investment” in the work of the kingdom.

How we and our staff approach our work is also key. Do we focus on our “sacrifice” to work at a lower salary or do we see our work as an opportunity to “invest” into the lives of the kids and into our community and world?

The language we use and allow others to use really surfaces our values and our level of commitment. The Bible says that “where your treasure is there will your heart be also,” and provides many very clear stories of biblical characters who ran into trouble confusing obedience and gratitude – investment, sacrifice, or obligation.

What attitude does our language convey about how we approach the opportunity for a Christian education that can equip our children to hear the redemptive call of God on their life in personal and corporate ways?

You're Fired! I Quit!

Originally posted on The Christian School Journal
Dr. Barrett Mosbacker, Briarwood Chrisitan Schools (Birmingham, AL)

How to Avoid Horror Stories in Board and Administrator Relationships

I don’t like horror films.  I find nothing redeeming about them and I don’t like leaving a movie theater feeling worse for the experience. Therefore, I don’t watch horror films.


But there is no escape—the horror stories still manage to find me.  I frequently receive calls and emails from frustrated board members, administrators, and pastors concerning alleged bad governance and inappropriate interference by the school board or the alleged ineptness of the school’s administrator.  I’ve heard some pretty horrible stories and I’ve seen some pretty bloody outcomes.

Of all of the challenges facing Christian schools, tense relationships between the school board and administrators rank in the top five. Why is this the case and more importantly, how do we turn these horror stories into love stories?

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  (John 13:34-35)

There is very little I like about growing older and “more experienced”.  The one redeeming blessing is that, by God’s grace, one gains perspective and at least a modicum of wisdom with age.  With the prayer that the Lord might grant a bit of wisdom in the writing of this short article about fostering effective and positive relationships between the school board and chief administrator, I will share a few insights I have gleaned through God’s word, careful observations, and personal experience.

Click here to read the rest of the post.

Service - with a Smile!

A list of "100 Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do" was recently published in the New York Times.   On his blog, The Christian School Journal, Dr. Barrett Mosbacker writes:

I found the following list of “rules” fascinating for several reasons: 

• It gives me a glimpse into the restaurant customer service world
• I found many (not all) of the rules outlined to be consistent with biblical principles of courtesy, and 
• It got me to thinking, “what would my list look like if I wrote one for Christian  teachers and administrators serving students and parents?” 

He "wonders" - If there are 100 (rules) for restaurant service staff, surely there are 100 (rules) for serving our parents.  After all, they are paying customers of the educational services we provide.

• Click HERE to read Dr. Mosbacker's complete post, including the list of "100 Dont's"
• Click HERE to participate in Dr. Mosbacker's discussion "100 Things Christian School Employees Should Never Do."  This is a Facebook discussion.  If you are unable to participate in the Facebook discussion, feel free to leave your comments on Dr. Mosbacker's blog (see link above).

Remarkable Times, Remarkable Blessings

Zach Clark, Westminster Christian Academy (St. Louis) as origially posted on The Christian School Journal.

Remarkable Times, Remarkable Blessings

Read about the struggles encountered and the actions taken by the leadership staff at Westminster Christian Academy - and be encouraged!

Zach writes, "Ultimately, it is God’s mercies and provision, by His grace, that sustains us. But, I also know that God works through people, their decisions, and their strengths and weaknesses. Many schools are facing far more difficult times than we have. We do not pretend to fully understand all of what has happened or what is happening now. But, I do challenge you to join us in the day-to-day discipline of asking questions and digging deeper down and climbing higher up in the understanding of this calling of serving in a Christian school in today’s times. 2009 is indeed a remarkable year, and remarkable times remain ahead. Let us go forward together."

How to Apologize

Dr. Barrett Mosbacker
Superintendent: Briarwood Christian School, Birmingham, AL
Author: The Christian School Journal

One of the mistakes we are prone to make when challenged by parents, staff, or board members is to become defensive. This is an unfortunate tendency of fallen humans dating back to the Garden of Eden. Our sinful pride and our fragile self-images propel us to make excuses, to explain away, or to protect ourselves.

While it is right to defend ourselves against false accusations and misinformation, too often we become defensive rather than listening to what may be valid criticism of ourselves or of our schools. Young teachers and administrators are particularly prone to make the mistake of being defensive, which inevitably damages their credibility.

Click here to read the full post!

An end of the year check-up – looking back, looking forward

As originally posted on Nuturing Faith blog (May 19, 2009)
Click here to view the original post.

For most of us it’s time to put things back in the cupboards and close the book on this school year. As a school leader, it is good to reflect back on the school year, and worthwhile to ask yourself some reflective questions:

1. Did I move my school closer to meeting our mission this year? What evidence do I have? How do I know?
   
2. How did I as a leader improve the school this year? Did my words and actions encourage faith and motivation to learn in my staff and students?
   
3. Did I settle for only visible improvements of bricks and bucks or did I also improve the less visible aspects such as the quality of instruction, the distinctiveness of the curriculum, the quality of instruction, and the bondedness of the staff and parent community?
   
4. Was my focus on how successful my school was or how much students and staff understood how to be bringers of shalom?
   
5. What must I commit to in the next school year?
   

Recently McKinsey & Company put out an interesting report “How the World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top.” In the report they make this summative statement: “The available evidence suggests that the main driver of the variation in student learning at school is the quality of the teachers.” They go on to say that high-performing schools consistently do three things well:

• Hire the right teachers – “The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.”
• Develop teachers into effective instructors.
• Put in place systems and targeted support to make sure that each child benefits from excellent instruction.

According to their synthesis of research, each principal’s time in effective schools is focused on instructional leadership. In our schools spiritual leadership is even more important. What implications does this have as you make plans to foster spiritual and instructional leadership growth in your school next year?

Leading Your School in Uncertain Economic Times - UPDATE

Dr. Mosbacker's PowerPoint presentation - Leading Your School in Uncertain Economic Times - has been added to the MACSA website.

Click here to view the presentation and/or to listen to the audio of the sessions as presented on Thursday, April 30, 2009.

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated!

Leading Your School in Uncertain Economic Times

Leading a school brings with it many challenges but none as crucial as doing so during these challenging economic times. Dr. Mosbacker, Superintendent at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, Alabama provides fresh insight to how we can secure the future of Christian education in our region. He provides much food for thought as he presents possibilities about how to increase the 'value' of Christian education in the minds of our parents. This thought provoking presentation made at the Spring '09 Administrator's Summit is well worth your investment of time to listen.

Click here to visit the MACSA website for the audio downloads of these sessions. The files are in MP3 format and are rather large. Please be patient with the download!

Listen - then come back to this post and share your thoughts!

Redemptive Leadership: Nurturing Faith in Community

Dr. Bruce Hekman, Adjunct Professor of Education at Calvin College
Posted on Nurturing Faith ~ February 16, 2009

At a workshop I attended a couple of years ago a speaker asked, “What was Jesus’ main message?” Lots of answers come to mind: the good news that Jesus has come to provide forgiveness for our sin, enabling a renewed relationship with God. While that’s true, that actually isn’t the most common message in the gospels. Jesus most often spoke of the new kingdom he was bringing into existence. “The kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15) “…strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Matt. 6:33) “Jesus went through Galilee…preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.” (Matt. 4:23) In the first three gospels there are at least 114 references to the “kingdom of God,” including the Lord’s Prayer, in which we corporately pray that “…your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6: 9, 10).

This kingdom prayer is a call to redemptive leadership, to making things down here the way they are up there. Donovan Graham says, “Redemption through Christ restores our relationship with God and empowers us to once again fulfill our calling in creation as he intended. The distortions of the fall still plague us, but we are no longer bound or ruled by them. We are called to live according to the truth, and living redemptively means living by that truth.” (Teaching Redemptively, p. xiv.”)

Redemptive leadership holds up a biblically-based vision of what schools ought to be. That vision is most visible in the relationships among all members of a school community. School leaders play a major role in establishing the culture of a school, that set of often unarticulated “rules” about the way things are done. The culture of a school, its context, is a deeply influential dimension of the content of schooling for all those who participate in it. When asked what we remember most vividly about our own school experience, we most often call to mind a relationship—usually positive, but not always—that has influenced us long after we’ve forgotten what we were studying. School culture is our corporate witness of the new life we have in Jesus as a faith community.

Redemptive leadership is intentional about creating a school culture that is a community of grace.

Meet All Your Needs

Bill Stevens
Headmaster, Wilmington Christian School (Delaware)

So says the apostle Paul to the Philippians, “My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus”. This is a pretty definitive statement, isn’t it? Paul doesn’t say, “Perhaps he will”, or “Maybe if you’re good”, or even “Let’s hope for the best”. No, there is a surety in his words, both in the fact that God will and that he will by a particular promise of a sure thing . . . his Son.

My own problem is in my mental response, “Bill, do you really believe that?” As I sit here in my office, wondering about the future (hey, next week!), listening to the prognosticators & prophets proclaim, “Woe is us”, and then matching this against the words from Scripture, I wonder . . .

Last week I attended a meeting of all the private school heads in Delaware. Obviously, the focus of our meeting was on the economy, education, and how the two would become one in these “strange days”? There was quite a bit of angst in the room over the days ahead and the state of private education in our area. Then one administrator said, “Hey, perhaps this is a time for us to really take a look at what’s truly important in what we are doing?” Bingo!

A dear friend of mine from years passed used to always say, “In all conflict there’s opportunity.” While this is timeless in its wisdom, it is significantly true for this time. What may be more like a 21st century believer’s creed, I would like to state what I believe about these “opportunities” in light of the times in which we live . . .

• I believe that these days are going to be ripe with opportunities for the body of Christ to stand as a light in a world that is searching in the dark, looking to others that are also in the dark, and grasping for answers with no, or at best temporary solutions.

• I believe that the church, the home, and the ministries to young people are going to unite in a way never before experienced in our lifetimes, as we will be forced to work together in order to maintain our relevance in the world.

• I believe that Christian education will blossom afresh in these days. As more and more folks echo, “Hey, perhaps this is a time for us to really look at what is important, particularly as it relates to our kids . . . all the kids!

• I believe that there will be a “uniting of the Spirit, in the bond of peace” that will be unparalleled in recent history, as the body of Christ is challenged to stand together as a testimony to the “oneness” of the hope to which we were called.

• I believe this time will cause our whole society to re-examine and re-order priorities and life-themes. We who “name the Name” will be called to stand in the gap as that living moral, social and economic compass.

• I believe that Christians will be called to extraordinary giving . . . not out of our abundance, but to sacrificial giving. While the world pulls back, hoards, and safeguards, we will give. It will be giving out of the call of our faith, out of the need to give, and out of our responsibility to help those people and ministries who need it.

• I believe that the world around us, as they look for that light at the end of the tunnel will see our light along the way, living and pointing to the One that meets ALL our needs. While the sun and rain rise and fall on both the righteous and unrighteous, our response to them is what sets us apart . . . (read Matt 16:1-4).

• I believe our young people need to believe in these things as well. Who will we allow to teach them these eternal truths? I believe the cord of three strands will not break, even in difficult times.

When Mrs. Stevens and I were working in the Christian schools in Eastern Europe, the Christian folks in Romania, Hungary, Ukraine, Poland, and Slovakia all expressed it so well. When we would ask them why they were so committed to the Christian education of their children, they would answer, “Bill, we do not want what happened to our generation to happen to the next one!” As I listen to the news, read the paper, and talk to folks, I hear a lot of anxiety about the state of our Union. Then, I hear those words, “What opportunities await us who believe that God will meet all our needs according to his glorious riches!” You better believe it.

The State of Christian Education

Mr. Matthew Tuckey
Administrator (Carlisle Christian Academy, PA)


We find ourselves today in very turbulent times. Our president-elect prepares to assume a historic national debt, a reeling economy, and fragile national security. Our faith faces increased skepticism fueled by divisiveness among believers, conformity to pluralism, and litigation that reaches beyond the separation of church and state to the exclusion of Christianity among reason. Among the entanglement of our world, we have hope. As I type this, Jack Bauer has returned and redemption is to be found in another twenty-four hours!

Our educational system also faces a turning point. The system is failing as measured by most national and international benchmarks. Money isn’t the issue as per student expenditures continue to rise with assessments failing to follow the upward trend. Many studies show high school graduates in the United States ill prepared to successfully engage in a global marketplace. This isn’t an insult to the many fine, qualified professionals in public education. Some of my closest friends are in public education, and I respect them greatly. The incompetency of public education is not because of the individuals involved, but rather it is due to a broken system. Increased bureaucracy or even more public money has not and will not bring resolution. This is why, for the first time in memory, we had presidential candidates calling for the dissolution of the Department of Education. It’s too heavy and is sinking under the weight of itself.

At the same time, the “product” of Christian education has also seemingly become less desirable as measured by overall enrollment. The perception of what Christian education entails varies greatly, and the spiraling economy makes discretionary money more difficult to cultivate. These two factors, among others, have contributed to an average decrease in enrollment of 12% in Pennsylvania in Christian schools over the past five years. In most markets, select Christian schools thrive, while the majority face downsizing.

In contrast, alternative educational options are skyrocketing. Home schooling is becoming more organized, supported, networked, and in turn more prevalent. Cyberschool and other distance learning formats are becoming more widespread.

So what does this mean? It’s my belief that the free market system would be a catalyst for significant, positive changes in the world of education. Even without true educational choice, parents are increasingly dissatisfied with public schooling as their mandated option and are intensively seeking other choices as shown in the expanding alternative education market. Lobbyists for school choice are gaining merit as initiatives across the nation are showing encouraging results.

Where does Christian education find itself in this evolving educational landscape? The aforementioned statistics support a theory that quality, diverse, focused Christian schools are positioned to experience significant growth while schools vying to survive simply because of the “Christian” label that they carry will fail. Parents seek choice, including non-public, religious schools; however, they will not sacrifice quality academics for thinly veiled dogma. The “church school” with a prayerful heart but with unqualified teachers, a loose curriculum, and an unstructured organizational approach will attract only the parents seeking to hide and protect their children from the evils of the world. (Warning: The humanness of the fallen world permeates the walls of these schools as well, so the protectionist mindset will be unsatisfied, leaving these schools to die on the vine).

With 85% of people in the U.S. considering them “Christians,” parents carry that belief forward as they seek educational options wherein their children develop worldview through the lens of faith. Certainly for the devout Christian, an educational option that integrates academics with faith parallels God’s call for parents to train their children in the way of the Lord. In surveys, this option is even attractive for nonpracticing “Christian” parents as they seek a holistic educational choice that incorporates the mind, body, and spirit into the instruction for their child.

It’s my belief that those schools that are able to construct themselves on the fundamental truths of the one true God while providing diverse, quality academics will continue to flourish. This means providing a consistent, moldable curriculum based on clearly stated objectives. This means benchmarking academic offerings against the leading public and non-public schools, adapting what works and remodeling what doesn’t. This means meeting students where they are at in their faith, catering to the student who has known Christ for years while equally supporting the student who is uncommitted or skeptical about a relationship with Jesus. This means tearing down denominational barriers and inviting healthy, intelligent discussion about the Christian faith. This means being authentic and transparent about our faith journeys, showing hearts that seek a dynamic relationship with Jesus as opposed to doctrinal mandates. This means loving, serving, and forgiving in a way that is softening hearts as opposed to force-feeding evangelism that is hardening hearts.

Christian schools were at their heyday in the 1980’s. Enrollments reached peak levels, and new schools opened regularly. We now see a generation that came through these schools making educational choices for their children. Too often, these alumni are apathetic to the difference that Christian school made in their lives or worse, are jaded by the experience. The negativity is due to a myriad of reasons, but is most predominantly rooted in legalism and hypocrisy.

However, like Jack Bauer, we have a new “24.” As a Christian school, we have a new opportunity to define ourselves, not by what the world calls for but by what God calls us to be. At Carlisle Christian Academy, we believe that we are called to be an educational community that seeks to know, love, and serve God. We believe that we are to pursue excellence, trying to serve our students more effectively and more efficiently tomorrow than we did today. We believe that separating academic knowledge and spiritual truth is ineffective as they are not mutually exclusive. We believe that God has called us individually to be at this school to collectively learn and grow in and through Him. We will attempt to walk alongside parents as they work to train their children up in the way that they should go. I believe that in our new “24,” parents will continue to see the inherent value in this.

So what does this mean for Christian educators worldwide?

• Embrace today like you first did when you felt God’s call to this vocation.
• Teach with passion.
• Work with parents to support their children.
• Go deeper into the student world to find what might motivate them.
• Be open to let God change and transform you so that you might have a greater impact on the impressionable lives of your students.
• Think of the most difficult parent, student, and co-worker and consider how you might change yourself or your approach to strengthen those relationships.
• Forgive instead of judge.
• Be real instead of pretending.
• Commit or recommit to being completely disposable to God in allowing Him to make your school place a true “city on a hill,” a light in your community that cannot be hidden.

A Principal's Joy

Dan Beerens
Vice President for Learning Services, Christian Schools International
Originally published on Nurturing Faith (January 16, 2009)


As a Christian school principal what is the most valuable thing for me to do in my day? I believe that principals have one of the toughest jobs going, balancing many needs, wearing many hats, and if really effective, doing the tough things of leadership as opposed to avoiding conflict and just reacting to daily fires. Given the fact that there are limited hours in the day, what is the most effective way for principals to allocate their time? This was a question I pondered each day of my eleven years as a building principal and over my 28 years in education.

I will admit that I have changed my mind on the answer to this question over the course of my career. One certainly could argue that the answer might be dealing with students, keeping parents or boards happy, raising money, or doing teacher observations. Yet, I believe that if I had to sum it up I would say it this way: The best use of time and the greatest joy of a Christian school principal is . . .

Encouraging the encouragers to nurture faith in students.

In a Christian school it is all about nurturing faith – it is why a Christian school exists. If the education delivered in a Christian school is not challenging students to see God in all things then it may as well close its doors and give up on its mission.

How is faith nurtured in students? A principal must encourage his/her teachers to pay close attention to, and assist them in, three areas:

Curriculum – how am I helping my students see God through the study of this subject? How do we see brokenness and redemption in this discipline? What is God’s intention for this aspect of his created order? How might we be a part of his plan to restore it?

Classroom – how am I modeling faith and how do my pedagogical practices encourage faith in students?

Community – is my classroom modeling Christ’s law of loving God and loving neighbors? How am I contributing to the professional community in my school? How is our school impacting our community?

The job of the principal is to be the chief carrier of the mission and vision of the school, and if he/she focuses on the three areas listed above they will be on the path to greater distinctiveness in meeting the mission and vision of their Christian school.

Now to unpack the first part of that statement “encouraging the encouragers.” The primary task of the principal is to encourage the teachers who are encouraging the students in faith encouraging learning. Teaching is a complex endeavor, one that leads to much second-guessing on the part of conscientious and sensitive teachers - likely those on your staff who are doing the best jobs already with kids. The more complex the work, the more room there is for discouragement by the teacher and the more need there is for encouragement by the principal. The effects of encouragement have been well documented in business literature by authors such as DePree and Welch. Goleman in his book, Working with Emotional Intelligence, reminds us through his citation of multiple studies that the leaders who are most effective are those who are warm, encouraging, and genuinely care for their followers. Management consultant Kevin Cashman suggests a ratio of 5 “praises” to 1 “criticism” in our interactions with those we supervise. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, his words of grace allowed others to be liberated to try again and created the ultimate environments of grace in which people could flourish.

It is the Christian school principal’s special joy to be an agent of encouragement to those who encourage and nurture faith in students.

Leading Your School In Uncertain Economic Times: Practical Suggestions

Dr. Barrett Mosbacker
Superintendent, Briarwood Christian School (Alabama)
Full article posted on The Christian School Journal

Many experts predict that we are headed for a recession. A recession in and of itself is not particularly worrisome. Like breathing, expansions and retractions in the economy are normal and keep the economy healthy and vibrant over the long-term.

Whether the predictions of gloom and doom come true or not, it seems clear that we are in an extended economic slowdown, which may affect many of our schools. As school leaders, it is our responsibility to assess the situation and then to provide prayerful, faithful, and steady leadership.

So how do we prepare our schools for economic turndown, or even a possible prolonged recession? The role of the leader is not to react but to respond prayerfully and strategically. If the economy spirals into a long recession it will affect our families and in turn, our schools.

I offer the following series of possible contingent responses for your prayerful consideration if, as seems inevitable, there is a sharp economic downturn. Obviously, every school and local market is different, but perhaps one of these suggestions will be helpful.

• Pray faithfully for your families and for your school ministry.
• Look at possible ways to prepare your students for an economic downturn.
• As much as possible, move toward zero-based budgeting or at least look at your budget from that perspective.
• Smaller schools need to assess the number of students per class to ensure that each class is at break-even on a contiguous basis
• Increase financial aid.
• Stay on top of your accounts receivables.
• Think of ways to expand your market.
• Work on your retention rates!
• Consider merging with other Christian schools.
• If you are a Covenantal school (a school that only enrolls children born to at least one confessing parent (1 Cor. 7:14), consider enrolling the children of non-believers.
  
  

Click here to read the full post, including detailed information on each of the above suggestions.

Effective Ministry Leadership

Dr. James Jeffery
President, Baptist Bible College

This article was orignially printed in the Spring 2005 edition of the MACSA Bridge. Dr. Jeffery was the keynote speaker at the November 2004 MACSA Convention.

Our mission at Baptist Bible College, Graduate School, and Seminary is to provide excellence in biblical education for effectiveness in ministry leadership. The needs of the local church and those it partners with as it fulfills its mission on Christ’s behalf in a broken world demand the right kind of leaders. They must be Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, servant leaders who stand ready to take their places according to God’s call. They are able to influence others toward God’s purposes.

What are the characteristics of these leaders?

Convictions
Effective ministry leaders are the result of theological formation. They have put deep roots down into the soil of the Word of God. Because of this, they know what they believe and why they believe it.

Commitment
Spiritual formation shapes leaders to be committed to the lordship of Christ over all of life. These leaders are committed to Christ’s cause in the Great Commission and the local church as the center of God’s program on Earth.

Character
Leaders must earn the trust and respect of those they influence. That comes from being conformed to Christ as the fruit of the Spirit is developed on the vine of character. Who we are inside determines what we do in ministry.

Competencies
Effective ministry leaders develop leadership, specific ministry, and personal competencies to be effective. The Book of Nehemiah gives an outstanding example of leadership competencies. Nehemiah was unwilling to accept the status quo of the broken-down wall. He inspired a shared vision, mobilized people to team up, encouraged the people, and set the example.

Capacities
No two servants of Christ are the same. As we follow Christ, He shapes us individually to become effective leaders. That comes from knowing yourself as you discover the way God has designed you for ministry with your gifts, personality, and experience. It also comes from growing through lifelong learning and mentoring.

As these five "C's" are integrated into every aspect of life and ministry, we will be effective in carrying out the Great Commission of Acts 1:8.