Two weeks ago we talked about the importance of building our ministry and lives around an ongoing and rich relationship with the Lord. This week we continue looking at A Leader's Heart with the second installment of this series... God Wants to Use You!

One of the most exciting things I have learned on my journey with the Lord is that He has plans to use each of us just the way we are... He is not interested in perfect. He is interested in willing hearts and teachable spirits.

So let's take those hearts and spirits and talk about some qualities of a leader.

A true leader...

Walks with Integrity - A leader will practice what she teaches.

Be honest in all areas of your life, be transparent, and sincere. Most importantly, treat everyone with dignity.

Casts a Vision - A leader is one with vision and must be able to share that vision with others.

Setting short and long term goals, both personally and in ministry, will keep you moving forward.

Motivates Others - A leader can motivate others to action.

One of your primary tasks as a leader is to equip and encourage women to serve... not to do it all yourself!

Knows When to Delegate - A leader knows her limitations and when to pass a task on to someone else.

You can offer direction and give counsel, but learn to recognize the strengths of others and strive to draw out their best. Be willing to let the women under you make mistakes and learn from them.

Keeps Learning - A leader is a learner.

Read. Know what is going on in your world. Attend community classes in areas that interest you and conferences to enrich your ministry. Listen to men and women in leadership and be willing to learn from them.

Checks Her Motives - A leader will regularly evaluate her motives.

Why are you serving? Are you seeking to build your ministry... or God's? Are you focusing on what you do well, or looking for ways to build new leaders?

Sounds simple, right?

You are probably familiar with all these qualities, but do you really practice them? God wants to use you... so, pray over this list. Thank the Lord for your strengths, and ask Him to show you what you need to work on. Trust me.... He will!

In Him.... Robyne Beaubien, Editor

For two weeks we have asked you to tell us what one thing you do as a leader or with your leadership team that have a significant spiritual impact on your ministry.

Here are some of your answers:

We pray about everything and wait on the Lord to give us a 100% consensus on what we are praying for. If He doesn't, we keep praying until He does or He shows us a different way.
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The one most important thing that I do as a leader for our women's ministry that makes a spiritual difference is to place the names of the women in our current Bible study (including our leaders and co-leaders) into a basket. Each day I draw a name out and pray for that person's special needs off and on all day. God is blessing and being faithful to answer my prayer and these ladies are growing in relationship with God and each other. Praise Him!
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For myself, I meditate on the Word and journal each morning, and I walk each afternoon as a break from my work. These three things assist me in paying attention to my faith and my relationship with God.

To keep growing my world view/perspective I read everything I can get my hands on. Books on travel, history, culture, the environment . It is important to bew aware of our world and that we cannot expect someone who does not know the Lord to respond as a "Christian." It also reminds me that we are all different and deserve to be heard. Other people's perspectives enrich my understanding and ultimately, my faith as I draw close to the Lord with my questions.
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I know that the women I lead in Bible Study, respect me as their leader. But it is important for me to acknowledge to them that I journey with them in our Bible Studies and that I am transparent with them as they are with me. The best way for me to lead, and I believe for any Leadership Team, is to be in a place of humility before them so that I can learn from them what the Holy Spirit has revealed to them in the course of our studies together.
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Before I began inviting women to join our WM team, I formed a special prayer team just for Women's Ministries. These eight ladies are prayer warriors who bathe every activity, study, event, etc. in prayer. I periodically send them letters with specific requests for the team (or myself). Without a doubt, I attribute any success in any thing we have done back to our faithful intercessors.
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I think the number one thing that I do personally as a leader is to constantly ask God to keep my focus on Him. To ask Him to remind me Whose ministry this is, that they are HIS daughters who are teaching His Word as well as His daughters who are being taught. I don't ever want to get in the way of what He wants to accomplish in the lives of those He places in my path of influence. So again I must constantly ask Him to keep my focus on Him so I don't go off planning things or "pushing" things or ideas that were never His plan.

Another thing I and my committee do at the beginning of each new Bible Study year (Fall), is we have an encouragement dinner or dessert where all the leaders gather together. We call it the Leadership Encouragement Kick-off. The first part of the evening is spent with fellowship and getting to know the new leaders, and going over "housekeeping" items especially announcing who their prayer warrior will be for their study this year. The remainder of the evening is typically spent sharing what God has been speaking into their lives and how they are responding to the Spirit of God. We pray together and then I usually end the evening with something the Lord has been pressing into my own heart.
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I try to spend one-on-one time with each member of the team. We are a small church so it isn't impossible to have lunch with each of them periodically. During this time I listen to her and encourage her.

Also, I have the names of the women on my leadership team and the names of our ladies of the church on the wall beside my bathroom mirror and I pray for them as I brush my teeth or do my hair.

It is hard to not love them all when you spend a lot of time praying for them!
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Thanks for all your great input ladies!

In Him... Robyne Beaubien, Editor

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