Real change and real ministry starts with the leader. That’s you. Are you doing what God would have you do? Are you serving as the hands and feet of Jesus? Is your heart broken for the poor and for the lost? If you are not living into that yourself, with your own life, there’s no way those who follow you will. They look to you to take their cues about what’s important. And they look not to your words, but to your actions.
Consider this: the future leaders of this movement are not yet Christians. That’s where you need to invest. Invest in raising leaders from the harvest. In this way, leadership development is closely tied to the discipleship process.
One of the best resources I know of in this area is the book Deep Change by Robert Quinn. Fair warning– it’s not a quick read. The book is comprised of short chapters, but they’re so profound you need to stop after each one to go take a walk and think about it. But read it and reflect on it anyway. It’s worth it. Because the change needs to start with you.