Drive down any street on a Sunday morning, and you’ll notice the contrast. Some church parking lots are brimming with cars, while others sit nearly empty.
As a pastor, you know this isn’t about numbers for the sake of numbers—it’s about the mission. It’s about reaching people and impacting eternity. But when your parking lot isn’t filling up, the frustration can feel personal.
So, what’s the secret?
Why does it seem like God blesses some churches and not others?
Surely, it’s more than luck, right? God isn’t playing favorites. The answer may surprise you.
Church Success Comes Down to ONE Thing
It’s easy to point to surface-level factors when a church thrives. Is it:
- Solid theology?
- Powerful preaching?
- A buffet of programs?
- Stunning facilities?
- Resources, charisma, or worship style?
While all these play a role, they aren’t the true difference-maker. Every one of these elements relies on something bigger: Leadership.
As John Maxwell famously said:
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
The best preaching, programs, and worship teams won’t thrive without great leadership behind them. Leadership sets the tone, aligns the vision, and ensures growth happens in a healthy way.
If You Want a Great Church, Be a Great Leader
This isn’t about sidelining God. Leadership is God’s chosen method for advancing His Kingdom. Think about it:
- God calls leaders to fulfill His mission—Moses, David, Peter.
- God equips and empowers those He calls—Nehemiah, Paul.
- God moves through leadership to expand His Kingdom—David unifying Israel, Peter leading the early church.
If you want to pastor a thriving church, it’s time to lean into leadership. Here’s how.
7 Practical Ways to Increase Your Leadership Quotient
1. Start with Self-Assessment
Take an honest look at yourself as a leader:
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- Do you have a clear vision for your church?
- How are you growing spiritually and personally?
- Are you effectively developing leaders around you?
Practical Tip: Use a leadership self-assessment tool to pinpoint strengths and gaps.
2. Prioritize Personal Growth
Your leadership grows as you do. Commit to:
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- Reading leadership books or listening to podcasts.
- Seeking honest feedback from staff and peers.
- Finding a mentor or coach for guidance.
Practical Tip: Start with The Ministry MBA or The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership to jumpstart your growth.
3. Build a High-Performance Team
Strong leaders cultivate strong teams.
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- Host leadership training sessions for staff and volunteers.
- Create a pipeline to identify and develop future leaders.
- Invest in your team’s spiritual growth through Bible study and prayer.
Practical Tip: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni is the definitive book for team-building strategies. Want to Lead Better? Stop Surrounding Yourself with People Just Like You and You Can’t Win Without The Right Teammates (Just Ask Matthew Stafford) may help, too.
4. Cultivate Emotional Intelligence
Leadership requires managing your emotions—and others’.
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- Practice self-awareness and stress management.
- Address conflicts biblically to foster unity.
- Embrace feedback and criticism as tools for growth.
Practical Tip: Journaling can help you reflect and grow in emotional intelligence.
5. Inspire with Vision
A clear vision motivates your congregation and aligns ministries.
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- Regularly communicate your vision in sermons, meetings, and conversations.
- Create a vision alignment checklist for your team.
Practical Tip: Access the Leadership 601 Course in The Ministry MBA for in-depth vision-casting strategies. You can get The Ministry MBA Leadership 601 Workbook for FREE HERE. You may also enjoy 7 Steps to Rekindle Your Vision Fire.
6. Lean into Accountability
Every great leader needs accountability.
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- Join a peer group of pastors or church leaders.
- Schedule regular check-ins with a coach, mentor, or board member.
Practical Tip: Explore the Church Accelerator Community for built-in coaching and accountability.
7. Model Spiritual Leadership
Spiritual stewardship begins with you.
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- Prioritize your own prayer and Bible study time.
- Lead with humility and dependence on God.
- Foster a culture of servant leadership within your church.
Practical Tip: Guard your personal spiritual life to ensure your leadership doesn’t come at the cost of your relationship with Jesus.
Don’t Blow This Off
The best leaders aren’t born—they’re built. Every pastor has the potential to grow their leadership skills. Start today with a simple self-assessment, and take the next step toward leading a thriving church.
One More Thing…
You’re probably aware of our Church Accelerator Community. All our Partners have unlimited access to our resource section, full of courses, frameworks, supporting documents, and our new Custom AI tools (Sermon Outline Creator, Sermon Evaluator, Small Group Question Writer, and more).
Partnership starts at $149, which gets you about $5,000 in resources. Don’t wait. Become a partner today.
Check out the Strategic Partner and Community Partner options if you’d like personalized coaching for you, a staff member, or your church. I limit the number of these options to maximize my investment in each church and pastor. Let me know if you are interested.
Leading With You,
Dr. Gavin Adams
