Everyone builds a platform for their life.
Charisma won’t hold you.
Charm won’t sustain you.
Crowd-pleasing will tear you apart.
Only character lasts.
“You will always lead out of who you are.”
This is notes from some teaching and discussion I shared today with our staff team and yesterday with our Grow Group leaders. I started by saying I have been in ministry long enough to go through times when talking about being a Pastor and leading pastoral ways was regarded as somewhat passé. I fell for the leader as CEO strategist and yes the church can learn from business (and vice versa) but biblically, leadership in the church is to become under-shepherds of His flock. It’s never ownership – it is stewardship. We don’t lead people for ourselves; we care for people for Him. And the moment we forget that distinction, everything starts to unravel. God is the Chief Shepherd – We Are Under-Shepherds Scripture is unambiguous: there is one true Shepherd, and everyone else leads under His authority. Jesus identified Himself this way in John 10:11 – “I am the good shepherd.” And He made it clear that shepherding involves laying down your life for others, not building your own kingdom. 1 Peter 5:2–4 reinforces this: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care… […]
UK Pastors shy away too often, but teaching about Stewardship is vital – and the Generosity Report 2026 shows that it grows rather than diminishes your leadership (if it’s done the right way).
Yesterday I had the privilege of attending – and contributing on a panel at – the launch of the Generosity Report 2026 from Stewardship in London.
‘AND IT CAME TO PASS’ – Used nearly 400 times. In Hebrew and Greek, it’s a narrative marker.
Something happens. (IT!) Then time passes. Then God moves the story on.
It never says:
It came to stay.
or
It came to define you forever.
IT came, whatever it is – (or now was, because, it passed).
Every suffering in Scripture comes with an expiry date – even if the length of that season is unclear at the time.
The questions is not, ‘Do we run systems?’ We all will. Even chaos is a system!
The question is ‘Are the systems healthy?’
Delegation and empowering others is a vital aspect of effective leadership that can prevent burnout and promote a thriving ministry.
Leadership development is a journey that requires intention, planning, and a willingness to invest in others.