“He...called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He
appointed twelve...that they might be with Him, and that He might
send them out to preach” (Mark 3:13-14).
We can see here at least three phrases that distinguish His leadership
training with the twelve. First, He called them “to Him.” Secondly, they
were to be “with Him.” Thirdly, they would be trained “by Him.” I believe
that these three simple prepositional phrases – “to Him...with Him...by
Him” – succinctly summarize Christ’s style of leadership development.
Simply put, His leadership training was relationally based. Jesus knew that
the only way for His disciples to come to personal and spiritual maturity
was in the context of intense relationships. Unlike other religious teachers
of His day, Jesus was not just interested in teaching them what He knew. He
wanted to go beyond that and reproduce Himself in them.
Principle:
“Jesus’ leadership development was relational not
institutional. He personally mentored men and
women into ministry.”John Maxwell has often said: “We teach what we know, but we reproduce what
we are.”^13 Jesus did both in the lives of His followers. He reprogrammed
their minds with His thoughts; and He reproduced His heart in their heart.
Christ’s mentoring model of leadership development was relational...
informal...oral...practical...concrete...mobile...transferable. His emphasis
was upon learning by doing.
“We teach what we know,
but we reproduce what we are.”
(John Maxwell)In contrast to our Western method of church leadership development, I
think it is important to note that Jesus did not use the institutional model –
although there were many available in the Judaism of His day. He was not
interested in producing academicians but apostles. Jesus did not send His
disciples off to some rabbinical school to be trained to lead His church.
He used what I call the incarnational instructional model of leadership
training. He called potential leaders alongside Him and “fleshed out”