Beyond Knowledge of the Word – Learning to Lead a Church

At Christian Leaders Institute, one of the challenges is the ever-present difficulty of determining the effectiveness of the training. As part of an effort to accomplish this, CLI asks students to submit final reflection papers in some of their classes. One such class, Church and Ministry, seeks to teach students what it means to lead a church. In her final paper, Angela Palle of the United States has this to say about Church and Ministry.

“This course has blessed me in ways I cannot even begin to describe. Before taking this course, pastoring to me was being knowledgeable in the word of God and being able to teach it… …this course has taught me that just knowing the word of God is not enough. You must be sensitive to situations, in your response…”

As Angela begins her reflection, she talks about the greatest impact that this course had in her life. The realization that leading a church well requires more than just knowing the word of God and teaching it is central to any church leader. In Church and Ministry, Angela was able to gain a new understanding of this truth.

As she continues to reflect on Church and Ministry, Angela says “…I always believed the pastor should be an example of organization, uprightness, holiness and what have you. But if you allow your Christians to see your human side you make your position and the standards you set reachable.” Later on she talks about another specific area of this course that helped her learn what it means to lead a church. “Finally the importance of small groups to the growth of the church, hospitality in these groups, training new leaders, the difference between an assistant and an apprentice gave me new insight into this walk. I am very grateful to this course.”

Getting Started: The Path to Lead a Church Well

After submitting an application to Christian Leaders Institute, Angela was enrolled in the class Getting Started: Christian Basics Certificate. This class introduced her to the CLI Bible school model, but it also gave her an opportunity to introduce herself to the faculty. In this course, students are asked to share a little bit about themselves and their ministry goals. Angela writes this “I want to open a women’s ministry. This will be a forum for women to take on the challenges of life prayerfully, support one another in various ways and reach out to other women who are going through similar situations. CLI will make that happen for me by inculcating in me the knowledge, skills and tools I need to run this ministry that is why I really need this scholarship.” After finishing the Getting Started class, Angela obtained the Christian Basics Certificate and was able to progress to further studies at Christian Leaders Institute.