Apprenticeship: Development According to God’s Template

The Need

• An organization is limited to the gifts and bandwidth of its leaders, or it can be unleashed by the intentional development of other leaders.
• Overvaluing a leader will bottleneck progress, exhaust oneself, and limit others. 
• People can’t fulfill God’s calling when they fill their calendars with everyone’s expectations. 
• Dangers:
  
  • Inspiring Hero – One person cannot do it all.
  • Micro-Manager – One person cannot manage it all.
  • Detached Leader – One person cannot delegate it all.

The Word: Exodus 18:13-27

• Moses’ devotion to the LORD was distracted by the demands of others (18:13-16).
• Moses’ grueling responsibilities included burning himself and wearing others out (18:17-18).
• Jethro taught the wisdom of one empowering some to meet the needs of all (18:19-23).
• Moses needed to organize his responsibilities to experience all God had planned for him (18:24-27).
• Moses would have missed God’s revelation if he had failed to adjust his organization.
• Jethro apprenticed Moses, and Moses apprenticed qualified leaders.
• As a result, the work improved and expanded.

The Task

• Explore: What is needed in the church or ministry?
• Estimate: What are the unique responsibilities and giftings of the leader?
• Enlist: What type of leaders and servants are needed to assist?
• Equip: What type of initial and ongoing training is needed?
• Encourage: What type of intentional encouragement will you use?
• Evaluate: What type of adjustments do we need to make?
• Expand: What future efforts could be multiplied?

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