Kids' City Leadership Pipeline

Last Saturday at our monthly Leadership Community gathering, I spent some time talking to our Leaders about our Kids' City Leadership Pipeline.  I believe the future of the Reproducing Church Movement is dependent on our ability to develop leaders for new congregations, campuses, and churches.  Every time we launch a campus here at CCC or help plant a church in the NewThing Network, we need a Children's Ministry Director ready to help lead the charge into this new venture.  I've realized that our Kids' City Leadership Pipeline is not flowing strong enough.  We have amazing, dedicated leaders, but we're not doing enough to move more of them further down the pipeline into Coaching, Coordinating, and Campus Director roles.  We've got to get after this.

So I created this diagram to help our leaders get a better picture of what our pipeline looks like.  Each box holds a brief description of the role but also a short list of the leadership skills that are developed at each level.  I challenged them to consider if God might want them to take a step further down the pipeline. 

After we spent some time discussing all of this, we broke up into huddles of 4 to 5 people and I asked each group to discuss the following 3 things:

1. What is your current role?
2. What development do you feel you need to grow in your current role and/or to prepare you to take the next step in the pipeline?
3. What is your dream role?  Where would you like to end up in the pipeline?

I was so encouraged to see how people responded to this exercise.  I had the groups record their answers so that I could read them afterward.  It was great for me to see how many people aspired to greater levels of leadership.  And it was also good for me to learn what areas of development they desire.

My dream is to have so much energy and passion flowing through this Kids' City Leadership Pipeline that the next time we launch a campus or plant a church we have multiple people who are prepared to step into the Director role.  I'd love to say to a new Campus Pastor, "Here are 3 people for you to interview.  Figure out which one is the best fit for your team."

Follow this link if you'd like to download a copy of the diagram: Download KidsCityLeadershipPipelineIllustration.pdf

Comments

[Rindy]

This is great! This is what we are thinking about right now in our church plant systems planning--excellent thoughts!!

[Rob]

Our team is talking through how to disciple people into leadership roles. Interestingly,one thing I have learned is there has to be a structure that makes room for new leadership.

I find my team can be very task driven, which I am grateful for but they overlook the people side.

Any thoughts or resources about fostering discipleship? (besides the bible of course)

[Tammy M]

Rob,

A few years ago we compiled a coaching guidebook called "Life Changing Conversations" to help our people better understand the "people development" side of leadership. You might find it helpful. It is available in the e-store on our www.communitychristian.org website.

From a business perspective, I find Marcus Buckingham's "First, Break All The Rules" helpful in understanding the people side.

Of course anything you can people go through on spiritual formation is great too. I've used Ortberg's "The Life You've Always Wanted", Giglio's "I Am Not But I Know I Am", among others for 1-1 or group discipling.

Andy Stanley's "The Next Generation Leader" is also a great book to lead your staff through.

Hope that helps!