The relationship between Paul and Timothy provide a great example for developing new leaders today.
This post provides some guidelines to ensure that the important responsibilities that you want to pass on are successfully transferred and to the right people.
You will also find the audio to a talk I shared about this subject at the bottom of this post.
When Paul couldn’t be where he was needed he sent a guy named Timothy in his place.
If for whatever reason you could no longer lead is there someone who could step up to replace you?
Who would you send in your place if you couldn’t go?
The Apostle Paul trusted people like Timothy with the responsibilities of the day to day needs that ministry presented.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul had some pressing matters that needed to be attended to, so he sent Timothy to the church in Corinth.
1 Corinthians 4:14-17 14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
The Apostle Paul was saying that the issue was becoming a problem because there was no “father in the faith” present to help the resolve the matter.
Paul told them to resolve the problem by imitating his way of life.
Do not miss this… The Apostle Paul made himself available to the Corinthian church by sending Timothy to them.
Notice three important things in this passage about Paul and Timothy:
- Paul is a father in the faith to the Corinthian church.
- Paul tells the Corinthian church to imitate him.
- Paul sent Timothy to the Corinthians so that they could imitate Paul.
Paul had confidence that what he wanted communicated and modeled could be carried out by Timothy.
If you are a leader it is important that that you have a “Timothy” in your life too.
Guidelines To Successfully Develop New Leaders
1. Give People Room To Grow
Matthew 5:14-30 14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
All three men had the same master but one had a different perspective of him.
I think too often we identify with the man who was fearful of how the master would respond…
God gives us room to grow, think about the people that He invested into.
The problem is not if God will use us but our perspective of God wanting to use us.
Have you ever had the following thoughts?
- “I’m not important enough to invest into someone else.”
- “There is nothing that I know/have that is valuable.”
- “I don’t have enough to give to anyone else.”
All three of those thoughts are a result of having the wrong perspective!
God can bless exactly who you are… but He does so that you do not remain the same.
Jesus constantly gave His disciples room to grow, and still does today.
Who is in your life that God wants you to invest into?
What gifts have you been given that can be used to encourage the gifts in others?
2. Stay where you make your greatest contribution but lead as if you won’t always be there.
Where in your ministry/life do you make the most impact?
Focus your efforts there, but remember, it’s not about you.
When it comes to entrusting and sharing in the ministry with others it also important to know that it is your responsibility to equip others.
It is not someone else’s job to raise up your “Timothy”.
- Sharing ministry responsibilities with others does not mean that they are your gopher or “yes man”.
- When it comes to training others you should display respect realizing they are a peer, a co-laborer & co-heir in Christ.
- Sharing and equipping others in ministry is a privilege and we should be humbled to do so.
3. View relationships as long distance not short term.
Jesus chose twelve men in a day but led them in discipleship over the next three years.
Your impact on the world is determined by your impact on people… normally one person at a time.
Don’t lead your ministry asking, “How can people help me build my dream?”… Ask, “How can I build people to help them dream?”
Traits to look for in a possible “Timothy”:
- Do they share your heart and the heart of your church?
- Can you be friends with them?
- Are they teachable?
Three ways to determine who may be a “Timothy” in your life:
- Prayer Ask God to knit your hearts together and to connect you in ministry
- Be Aware and Observant Of Those Around You The person (or people) that God wants you to share ministry with may already be close to you.
- Use Discernment Begin to invite those that you prayerfully identify to share in ministry with you.
This is the model that we use at CFM to transfer mission and heart with those that we do ministry with.
I do ministry, you watch.
We do ministry together.
You do ministry, I watch.
You do ministry.
(REPEAT)
Who is in your group/ministry/life that you could mentor and entrust ministry to?
Allow God to multiply the gifts and ministry within you and others.
To listen to a talk I shared on this same subject with one of the teams I lead click the play button below:
Has This Been Helpful?
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God Bless!
Evan Doyle
