Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in each church. After praying—their prayers intensified by fasting—they presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their lives. (The Message Bible)
This coming summer in our church we are going to talk about leadership. Too often in churches we have an open space on a board and we simply try to fill that space with a body. Paul and Barnabas didn’t have large congregations from which to handpick these leaders and they weren’t in these cities for years at a time to get to know all the individuals thoroughly- more likely just months or sometimes weeks. They somehow (the passage speaks of prayer and fasting) selected leaders and gave them the most important lessons they knew so that those people could pass on those lessons to the rest of the congregation when Paul and Barnabas had moved on. Leaders set priorities. This has never been more important than in our information age as we are bombarded with voices and data and stories from all over. Leaders set priorities and then challenge the group to accept and implement those priorities. In your group, be it a congregation, a family, a bible study or work team, how do you help seek God’s priorities and put them into practice?
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 