Encourage, Equip, Empower is a slogan that exemplifies what WILD is trying to do. Encourage people who receive this material to learn to develop in their leadership and specifically to grow as Christians. Equip the people as they receive this material to teach this. Several tools of teaching are given to our audiences to encourage them to grow and disciple/teach. Finally we empower our students to make the teachings their own and teach it as their own material and how they teach others.
As you go through this WILD material, please make it your own. Add applications, quotes, Bible passages that fit the principles. The illustrations and quotes offered in this material are based on American culture. Some of the terms are also unique to the American way of thinking. Scripture transcends cultures; applications, illustrations and quotes do not necessarily. The best way to teach this material is to have gone through what you are teaching yourself. Be like the Bereans in Acts 17, where they searched the Scriptures relating to what Paul taught them. I am not the expert, and you may not always be able to follow my thinking, or agree with an interpretation of Scripture.
Please do not let your theology get in the way you do ministry. That was the way this material was written. We do not want to get into heated theological discussions on Biblical issues that divide the Body. The need is to develop spiritual leaders so that the church becomes stronger and has the influence we need in the world to impact our cultures, and especially our youth. For too long, we have accepted mediocrity as the standard for our spiritual leadership. We need to raise up, with God’s help and leading, a new generation who will lead the Body the way and direction God calls us. Let us spiritual leaders be the model and standard for all the aspects of societal leaders. Let those leaders say, “I will follow those church leaders because they know how to lead and are individuals of great character.” If that happens, then we are leading them to Jesus, and the opportunities to introduce them to Jesus as their personal Savior! Let us pursue spiritual leadership with excellence.
Bible studies from chapter 1 and the Top Leadership Principles of Jesus can be taught as individual units or distributed throughout the material like the Top Principles. For example in Ch. 9 (Pitfalls) sexual sin is discussed. Teaching Ch. 1 F. on David at this point would be very appropriate.
There is no need to teach the material the same each time. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you teach. The material is very interconnected and there is not one way to teach the material.
As you teach, use your own illustrations, Bible verses and stories along with appropriate media (video clips) to teach. This material needs to become you own. The principles from Scripture are laid out for you. Teach them in understandable ways and terms you are familiar with each of the trainers will teach differently. That is great. Let people develop their style.
Develop your students to teach, one-on-one, small group or seminar size. Keep encouraging the students to take this material and teach at least one other person. The principles of spiritual leadership need to become who we are. Some students will only attend part of the time, so encourage your students to sit down with those who missed and teach the material. This begins the discipleship process for the students.
As you become familiar with the material, you will find quotes or stories that will work well with the material. With the monthly e-mail, we will send it out to share with many who also are teaching the material.
Utilize the illustrations given in the material. They are transferable from one culture to the next and easy to find the necessary props or transport. Students may share thoughts or an illustration that works well for the setting and with permission, use them.
Have people praying specifically for you as you train. You are giving the Word of God out to people and you also are teaching a key component of the Church – Leadership.
Cultural versus Biblical Christianity
Some of our habits or the way our church or culture does something, if it’s done long enough or by enough people, we begin to indicate they are biblical principles. Some examples can be having church services on Sunday, style of music, methods of devotions or time involved for our devotions. Other topics like baptism, which spiritual gifts are for today, interpretation of “husband of one wife,” ect., can be divisive. Our purpose in teaching this material is not to give us a platform for sharing our personal views on certain topics. We are to tech Biblical principles, not divide the Body of Christ.
We need to work through our understanding of Christianity to know what is clear Biblical Christianity and what has become a part of us due to our culture or church background/ministry groups involvement. It may be a painful process because culture and Biblical principles have become intermeshed. We are not saying don’t share some of these practices but indicate they are not Biblical but cultural or preferential.
Do not teach all the material in all the sections unless time allows for it. Most times you won’t be able to teach it all. That is one reason why you need to become familiar with all the material so the Holy Spirit can prompt you to share as you are teaching.
Use your imagination and creativity to teach the lessons. Each time this material is taught, a new idea is developed and added to the way to teach the material. There is basically not one way to teach this. You do not need to begin with Chapter One. In fact, the character studies are often interspersed in the remaining chapters. Here are some examples:
Part 1 Daniel (Chap. 1 – I) Part 5 Chapter 3 - Vision
Chapter 1 – Preparation Esther (Chap. 1 – H)
Growth Plan *Moses (Chap. 1 – D)
Abraham (Chap. 1 – B)
Part 6 Chapter 7 – Decision-Making
Part 2 Chapter 4 – Character Hezekiah (Chap. 1 – K)
Joseph (Chap. 1 – C) *Moses (Chap. 1 – D)
Part 3 Chapter 5 - Goals Part 7 Chapter 8 - Schedule
Solomon (Chap. 1 – G) Jonah (Chap. 1 – J)
Samuel/Saul (Chap. 1 - E) *Adam (Chap. 1 – A)
Part 4 Chapter 6 – Influence Part 8 Chapter 9 - Pitfalls
*Adam (Chap. 1 – A) David (Chap. 1 – F)
Part 9 Chapter 10 - Rewards
WILD’S SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
DEVELOPMENT MATERIAL
According to George Barna, “The American church is dying due to a lack of strong leadership. In this time of unpre
Find someone who will keep you accountable during this study on leadership. Simply going through the material won’t make you a leader. What you do with this puts you on the path to developing into a leader.
If you became a more effective leader, what would your ministry be like?
