To pick up where we left off yesterday’s Instruction, I would like to say this first.

Critiques do not have to be critical.

We are in covenant relationship and we need to speak truth in love. Lead with love and the truth of a moment will be easier to accept.

First find a positive thing to express. Then ask a question. Expressing the need for further explanation puts the hearer in a place of learning better how to express their thoughts and leads to growth in their presentation.

Do not critique style. Style changes as we mature. We adapt to what works if we do not feel like we are being attacked.

Acts 15:37-39 English Standard Version

³⁷ Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,

Sometimes a future leader just needs a new tutor.

There have been leaders that are only interested in results as they try to establish a new church. They are impatient and unwilling to train up replacements. Leaders are grown in this Kingdom and it takes time for each gift to be fully developed in order to be functional. That does not mean that the inexperienced need to be replaced, they need the experience and right kind of feedback.

In business I was asked to accept a new and higher position. My first task was to find and train a replacement. That is a difficult task to accomplish without recognizing the talent in others. This is how churches flourish and find lasting success in a community. Otherwise the church average age will increase until that body of believers dies of old age.

Proverbs 9:9 English Standard Version (ESV) Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

When given a new role in the church what do we know about that role? Sure we were chosen to do a new thing but what do we actually know about that role before we take it on? Observation of how others take on a role may hint at what is accomplished and give us an idea of what should be accomplished but what does it take to be successful?

Some years ago I was blessed with the role of leading a life group for a season. I chose to lead us in reading Ephesians. The previous leader was a teacher. Watching his approach was interesting and we could see those skills blessing the group. What could not be seen was the preparation that went into every session. He would study the scriptures beforehand and come up with a plan.

When I took over I had no teaching skills. I did not prepare beforehand. I went into every meetings just as I went into every bible study, relying on the Holy Spirit to lead me in truth. Being that kind of student of the Word was right for me but it did not translate into group study because not everyone approaches bible study in the same way. I did not know that at the time. I had much to learn about other people’s methods of bible study. I had an expectation that the Holy Spirit would show others what He was showing me and that was short sighted of me as a leader.

We need to learn from new experiences. The take away needs to be growth in the role and to accept our shortcomings and learn how to adapt to our new surroundings. We cannot do that alone. We need the feedback of the group. How can we learn how to best serve others without discovering how they receive and understand our efforts? We can all grow together if we share not only what we see and understand but to be honest in how we feel about the effort being put to us.