The application process for the Mars Hill Church Lead Pastor Residency opened in January. This program is designed for experienced leaders who are ‘already ready already’ and are interested in leading a church at Mars Hill. Tim Birdwell was accepted to the program last year and agreed to share with us a bit of what he’s been learning over the past five months of his residency.
You can’t ever be completely prepared for all that goes into leading a church, but the Lead Pastor Residency has been a crash course toward that end.
The big idea of my experience in the residency so far comes down to multiplying leaders. This starts with pastors and continues at every level of leadership: community group leaders, redemption group leaders, service team leaders, and worship leaders. There’s no flawless formula, but by God’s grace there are principles that I’ve experienced and observed that have been extremely helpful. Here are three:
1) Leading with vision
A lead pastor must be able to, on a dime, anywhere to anyone, cast vision for where the church is going. He needs to be able to paint a compelling and persuasive picture of how Jesus is leading the church on mission and what the next steps are for people. This could be in a 60-second conversation in a coffee shop or the church lobby, a three-minute welcome at the beginning of a service, or a 60-minute teaching time. When people catch the vision in a clear and concise way from the lead pastor, they know what to celebrate, what to improve, and what to call others to.
2) Leading with passion
In one of our meetings with Pastor Mark, he said, “Leading is 90 percent passion.” This is such an important truth that we sometimes lose sight of as leaders. Hardships in ministry, resistance to the gospel, or getting lost in administrative duties can diminish a once vibrant passion for Jesus and his mission. Throughout the residency I’ve learned how crucial it is for my affections to constantly be stirred for Jesus; how crucial it is to grow in awe of the character and nature of God; how crucial it is to love the Scriptures and cling to them tightly; how crucial it is for my heart and mind to be continually transformed by the person and work of Jesus. Passion is contagious. And when our genuine, heartfelt passion is for Jesus, it bleeds out to those God has given us to lead.
3) Leading with repentance
A lead pastor must be a “lead repenter.” The best way we can show others their need for Jesus is to show them how much we need Jesus. By the power of the Holy Spirit, lead pastors must model repentance, demonstrating to those we teach, love, and lead, what it looks like to turn away from sin and turn to Jesus. Leading out of repentance magnifies Jesus and causes other leaders to fix their eyes on him, not you. This is our only hope for multiplying leaders in the name and for the fame of Jesus Christ.
By God’s grace, I am working and praying toward planting a Mars Hill church that will multiply leaders for the glory of Jesus. Ultimately, my hope is to see more people meet Jesus, become more like Jesus, and make disciples of Jesus in and through his church.
Applications are being accepted for the Lead Pastor Residency through May 1st. If God is calling you to be a lead pastor at Mars Hill, apply today.
