Building Servant Leadership Communities by Daniel Ballast

Building Servant Leadership Communities A Discussion Guide for Small Groups

A Publication of

Building Servant Leadership Communities A Discussion Guide for Small Groups

A Publication of Co-Serve International

Copyright ÂŠ 2010, Co-Serve International, P.O. Box 40567, Portland, Oregon 97240. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ÂŠ 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means--electronic, mechanical, recording, scanning, or other--except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by Co-Serve International, PO Box 40567, Portland, Oregon 97240

Printed in the United States of America

“I just wish that I could have done more.” Arnold Christensen Profile of Servant Leadership Leading from any position, without regard for status or title, is a basic axiom of Servant Leadership. Arnold was that kind of leader. Throughout his life (1915 – 2009) he made daily choices to lead by example, to be a person of utmost integrity, and to assume responsibility. Arnold’s faith in God was his cornerstone for life. His commitment to God’s church defined this reality. Whether he was asked to serve from the janitor’s room or in the board room, he was a leader in the Church. As loving husband, hard-working father, wise decision-maker and caring guide, Arnold modeled servant leadership to his family. In the workplace, he eschewed position while proving to be the dependable leader who could get any job done the right way—even the job of making the parts that would take man to the moon. He generously supported the work of Co-Serve International, providing scholarships for international students who came to earn graduate degrees in the USA and funding new initiatives such as the International Servant Leadership Program and this Study Guide for Servant Leaders. Through his generosity Arnold touched the lives of students around the world, thus enabling them to take the path of servant leadership. As his life drew to a close he said, “I just wish that I could have done more.”

This Study Guide is dedicated to Arnold Christensen, a model of servant leadership.

Contents Preface – A Vision for Modeling Communities of Servant Leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Appreciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Session 1 – Learning in Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Session 2 – Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Session 3 – Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Session 4 – Integrity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Session 5 – Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Session 6 – Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Session 7 – Brokenness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Session 8 – Sacrifice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Session 9 – Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Session 10 – Empathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Session 11 – Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Session 12 – Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Session 13 – Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Session 14 – Forgiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Session 15 – Empowering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Session 16 – Hard work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Resources for Learning More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Preface

Preface A Vision for Modeling Communities of Servant Leadership

This guide was written with the hope that those who use it could gain more than an intellectual understanding of servant leadership and community. Education and learning has become very much an exercise of the mind in our modern world and this has significantly impacted our approach to learning spiritual truth. Often, we believe certain concepts in our minds without realizing the need to practice them and experience them more deeply in our hearts and spirits. This guide, therefore, invites individuals to come together as a community on a journey of the mind, the heart and the spirit. This is a journey of seeking, knowing and experiencing truth that is centered on the example and life of Jesus. This is a difficult journey that will require much courage. For most of us, sharing about theoretical concepts with others is fairly easy. However, speaking openly about the truth we find in our hearts is much harder. Therefore, a first and vital step in working through this guide is agreeing to create a safe place together – a place of acceptance and trust without criticism or judgment. This guide will help your group to consider together 16 servant leadership concepts. These will build on each other, and you will often see important connections with previous principles as you study new ones. However, knowing and learning these 16 principles is not the main focus of this guide. This guide is focused on helping groups of people model these principles with each other and in each person’s actions and behavior. If taken seriously, this guide will not only help you to learn about communities of servant leadership – it will help you to become a community of servant leadership. In order for this to happen, it is very important that the group work through all 16 session and that the activities and homework given in each session are taken seriously. Our hope is that, as you experience some of these truths in your life, you will be able to take the next steps to serve and lead others in your work, your church and your community. As Jesus said, if you obey his teaching, you will, indeed, know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Appreciation On behalf of the staff and volunteers of Co-Serve International, I would like to thank and acknowledge those who have greatly served us as we have grown in our own understanding of servant leadership and as we have sought to share these ideas with others. Our experience teaching and sharing about servant leadership started in Kazakhstan. I am deeply grateful for the friendship and partnership of Dr. Yerezhep Mambetkaziyev, who trusted us and allowed us to teach our first leadership course at his university. I would also like to thank Chuck Ferguson, author of Indomitable Spirit: Life-Changing Lessons in Leadership, for inspiring us to think more deeply about the incredible value of people and relationships. I would like to sincerely thank Cheryl Broetje and Glenn Cross, Co-Directors at the Center for Sharing, for the model of their lives and all that they taught us through the Servant Leadership School. Many of the ideas in this guide come out of what they taught us. Their leadership has helped us to understand the true meaning of community and that our call comes out of our brokenness. I am deeply grateful to Marshall Christensen, my constant friend and partner over the last 15 years. Thank you, Marshall, for creating our organization in the first place, for dreaming with me all these years and for encouraging me to follow Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call. This guide is written in memory of Arnold Christensen, who gave sacrificially and generously to serve people he had not even met. His service is an example for us all. Dan Ballast Co-Serve International

Introduction

Introduction Co-Serve International is a non-profit organization dedicated to building community and teaching about leadership at places of learning around the globe. This guide has come out of our experiences working at both secular and Christian colleges and universities in the developing and Muslim world. We find that students and faculty at these universities are eager to talk about leadership. Their response often comes out of their recognition that there is something wrong with the prevalent approach to leadership that they see in their countries. They recognize a need for a new understanding about leadership and we find it easy to talk with them about leadership problems and possible solutions. In our own search for solutions, we have read many excellent books and we have met many wonderful people who are talking about a different paradigm for leadership. This paradigm is often referred to as “servant leadership” – a seemingly paradoxical term introduced by Robert Greenleaf in 1970 through his essay, “The Servant as Leader.”3 We have found that this paradigm for leadership is actually not a new idea. In fact, it is thousands of years old and is exactly the model taught by Jesus of Nazareth. In Mark 10:42-43, Jesus talked about both the leadership problem and his unique approach to leadership when he said, “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant.” As followers of Jesus ourselves, we have realized that perhaps we have not “followed Jesus” as closely as we have thought. Jesus’ words raise some important questions about leadership. For example, can you really motivate people to accomplish the tasks of your business, university or church by being their servant? And, what does it mean, exactly, to be a servant? And, in the end, what is really the “bottom-line” – the profit or the people?

Introduction

If you are reading this, we believe that you, too, may be asking similar questions. You see the problems of “command and control” leadership, where leaders kill the human spirit as they use power, domination and intimidation to get the job done. And, you wonder, “Is it not possible to reach worthy goals while, at the same time, lifting up, inspiring and empowering the people we work with?” We believe the answer is a profound YES. We also believe that Jesus’ model and teaching is the perfect place to start a study on these ideas. This guide includes 16 sessions that focus on different principles of servant leadership. Each of these is based around a teaching or example from the life of Jesus. Furthermore, the approach to learning during each session is also based on ideas that come out of Jesus’ teaching. These include: Learning together in community: In Matthew 5:1 it says, “Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them.” This verse presents an excellent picture for those interested in learning more from Jesus about servant leadership. First, it shows that it is good to be together in a group with others who are interested in learning. And, second, it shows that it is good to learn from Jesus as the teacher. This guide, therefore, is set up to help people facilitate discussions, but not to teach. The teacher will be Jesus. Further, in Matthew 18:20, Jesus says, “For where two or three gather together in my name, I am there among them.” We believe that gathering together in a group of people who are united in their purpose to learn about servant leadership provides a special environment where Jesus is able to speak to us and meet with us through the Holy Spirit. Such a group also provides an excellent opportunity to practice and model the building of a community – an important aspect of servant leadership. We suggest that you find a group of people (at least two!) that can commit to meeting together regularly as part of your journey through this guide. Learning by considering new paradigms: Jesus often confronted popular ideas in his teaching and suggested an approach that was quite radical or different from the world’s strategy. As Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 5, he repeated the phrase, “You have heard . . ., but I say.” This will also be an approach taken in this guide. Each session will consider one aspect of leadership by comparing the popular approach seen in the world with the model and teaching of Jesus. Learning through action and reflection: In Mark 6:30 it says, “The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and what they had taught.” Jesus asked his disciples to put into action the things that they were learning. They would then routinely “debrief” their experiences with Jesus by discussing what they had done and what they had learned. This guide, similarly, is more than a study of theoretical concepts. Each session includes activities to help the group practice the principles that Jesus taught and then reflect together on what they learned. Further, each session includes “application homework” for members in the group to carry out between their times together, so that they can “return and tell about all they have done.” Learning through our stories: A theme repeated constantly in the life of Jesus is that he knew all about the people with whom he interacted. He knew their backgrounds, their families,

Introduction

their occupations, their dreams, their pain, their sins and their suffering. More than this, Jesus helped people to see that God had a purpose for them – a purpose that was uniquely connected to who they were. Before we can serve people, we need to know them and their stories. This will be a key theme throughout this guide. In order to help the group in this process, each session will include the opportunity for one member to share their “spiritual autobiography” with the group. A spiritual autobiography is simply your life story from a spiritual perspective – taking special notice of how God has been working through the significant moments of your life. As each person shares, this will also help the group to grow in their understanding of the tremendous value and importance of each person and their life experiences. Guidelines for preparing a spiritual autobiography are included later in this guide. How to Use this Guide This guide is intended to help small groups of people learn together about servant leadership as they work through 16 sessions of Bible study, activities, sharing and discussion. This guide will be particularly beneficial for groups that already work or meet together as part of a team, company department, church small group or mission group. Such groups will be able to draw on their previous experiences together and practice what they learn in the future as a group. However, new groups can also be formed with the specific purpose of learning together about becoming a servant leadership community. This guide will work most effectively with groups that consist of between 2 and 12 people. We recommend that the group meet together weekly for sessions of approximately 2 ½ hours. This will allow the group to complete one session each week. At this pace, this guide can be completed in about 4 months. At least one member of the group should take the role of facilitator. This role is not for everyone and should be chosen carefully. The facilitator is more a guide than a teacher - guiding the group through the various questions and activities each session. The facilitator serves the group by helping them to learn from Jesus and from each other. A facilitator is someone with the gift of listening and with the ability to ask appropriate questions to draw out truth from people’s hearts and lives. The facilitator also helps the group stay “on point” and move through the material. Another member of the group should take the role of coordinator. This may or may not be the facilitator. The coordinator will take responsibility for making sure that the time and location of the meeting is set, for reminding the group about the meeting, for setting up the meeting room, and arranging any food or snacks. The group should meet together by sitting in chairs in a circle, with the facilitator and coordinator being equal members of the group. The discussions and activities in this guide are designed to help the group become a community that demonstrates the incredible value of each participant. This will help each person learn, by experience, about the value of building community as a servant leader. As such, we recommend that each member of the small group commit to attend each of the sessions and to actively participate in the discussions, activities and application homework. The first of the sixteen discussions provides specific guidance and information to bring the group together around such commitments. 12

Introduction

Most of the sessions include the following components: Sharing experiences from previous session’s application homework. In this time, each member has the opportunity to share briefly about their experience and what they learned as they carried out the application homework from the previous session. This should take about 20 minutes. Sharing spiritual autobiographies. Each week, one member of the group will share their spiritual autobiography. This will help the group to learn more about each other and help the group to learn through each member’s life experiences with God. This should take about 30 minutes. Responding to spiritual autobiographies. Let the group respond to the person who shared their spiritual autobiography by asking follow-up questions and by sharing encouraging comments about something new they learned about the person. This should take about 10 minutes. “You have heard…” During this time, the group will discuss ideas and questions related to the popular approach seen in the world concerning the leadership principle of the session. This should take about 15 minutes. “But I say…” In this section, the group will enter into a time of inductive Bible study together, considering the teaching and model of Jesus. This should take about 30 minutes. Action and reflection. In this section, the group will perform various activities together and then reflect on what they learn through discussion questions. This should take about 30 minutes. (continues on next page)

Introduction

(continued) Recap – what does this have to do with leadership? This section summarizes some of the key leadership principles discussed in the session and allows the group to share their own thoughts and comments. This should take about 5 minutes. Application homework. In this section, the group will take some time to understand the application homework for the coming week and share about their plans. This should take about 10 minutes.

Following are some helpful guidelines that will help facilitators move the group through each session: 1. Take time before the session (at least 45 minutes) to study the concepts and Bible passages found in the week’s session. Work to understand the purpose behind each discussion question and possible answers to these questions. Feel free to put questions into your own words and to think of additional questions that may be helpful. 2. In some cases, there may be some simple supplies or other kinds of preparation that are necessary for the session. Take responsibility for being prepared with these things. 3. Avoid answering many of the questions yourself. Wait for people to give their answers. Sometimes people just need some time to think. 4. Encourage everyone to participate and encourage multiple responses to questions. Use questions like, “What else do you see?” or “What else did you learn?” to keep the discussion going. Encourage shy people to share by specifically saying their name and asking for their thoughts. 5. Don’t take too long on one question, idea or section. Keep the group moving through the session, in order to finish on time. Try to limit “rabbit trails,” – stories or discussions that are not really connected to the main ideas of the session.

Introduction

During the Bible study portion of each session, the facilitator should follow the general methods and ideas of inductive Bible study. Inductive Bible study helps people discover for themselves what is in God’s Word. You lead an inductive Bible study primarily by asking questions, not by teaching or preaching. The text from the Bible passage for the week’s session is included in the guide. Agree with the group that they will stay focused primarily on this passage as they answer discussion questions. Ask the group to share what they see in the passage itself and not ideas from other places. Ask questions like, “What does it say in this passage?” or “Where do you see that in the passage?” Before the session spend time alone in prayer. Pray that Jesus would use you and that you would rely on His strength. Pray for each member, that Jesus would open their eyes to His teaching and His truth. Preparing a Spiritual Autobiography Your spiritual autobiography is your story from a spiritual perspective. Preparing and sharing your spiritual autobiography will be both a blessing to the others in your group, as it will be a blessing to you as you remember the ways that God has been walking with you in your life. By preparing and sharing your spiritual autobiography, your group will be able to learn from your experiences and grow in their understanding of who you are and in community with you. Start by thinking back over your life and recalling all of the moments (including difficult and traumatic ones) that impacted and formed you as a person and shaped your view of yourself and of God. As you do this consider God’s purpose for you in each of these moments. Write down your reflections and be ready to share these for about 30 minutes with your small group. The following questions are merely guidelines for your reflections. You should include anything that is significant for you. EARLY CHILDHOOD Where were you born? What was it like growing up in your family? How large was your family? Did your parents work? What did they do? Did your parents and grandparents practice religion? Were there significant others who introduced you to God? How? How did your family observe religious holidays? How did you feel about them (joyful, fearful, angry, bored, or indifferent)? Did you sense early on that you were deeply loved? What is your earliest remembrance of prayer and scripture? Were there any traumatic happenings at this time (deaths, moves, physical or emotional changes, abuse)? FORMATIVE TEEN YEARS Were there any changes in your journey of faith at this time, including any religious experiences and meeting people of faith? Where were your deepest belongings (friends, family, school, church)? Did you have any heroes? Did religion influence your choice of vocation? Who were your role models? Were there any traumatic happenings at this time (deaths, moves, physical or emotional changes, etc.)?

Introduction

ADULT YEARS What were the most significant spiritual turning points (salvation, baptism, joining church, marriage partner, death or other losses, vocation, moral choices)? What shaped your inner development and self-knowledge (therapy, readings, small groups, family participation, close friends)? Are compassion, justice and peace-making a vital expression of your faith? In what ways? What is the place of money in your life? Were there any traumatic happenings at this time (deaths, moves, physical or emotional changes, etc.)? PRESENT TIME Where are you on your inward journey? How vital is prayer to your life today? How important is Scripture to you now? What keeps your faith vibrant? What is the nature of your relationship with God (intimate, growing, dull, or distant)? Where are you on your outward journey or â&#x20AC;&#x153;callâ&#x20AC;?? Where is God leading you? Are there any traumatic happenings going on at this time (deaths, moves, physical or emotional changes, etc.)?

Introduction

Session 1 – Learning in Community

SESSION 1

Learning in Community “What is Truth?” Pilate asked. (John 18:38)

Welcome During this first session, take some time to welcome each other and get to know each other. Introduce yourselves. Why are you here? What do you hope to learn through this group? You have heard that... How do we come to know truth? This is an extremely important question for a leader. And, this is where we must start our discussion – as the purpose of this guide is to help us learn truth together about leadership. Consider the following questions as you think about the common approach to education and learning found in the world today: How does most formal education take place today? What do the classrooms look like? How is information taught? What is the role of the teacher? How do students demonstrate that they have learned something? Does most education deal with matters of the mind, like knowledge and information, or on matters of the heart – like love, significance and relationships? Have you ever had a university class on love or forgiveness? Is the education process more competitive or more communal? In other words, do students learn individually by studying objective facts or do they learn through their relationships, with the object being studied and with other people? But I say… Now, let’s consider Jesus’ approach to learning truth… John 8:12 – Jesus said to the people, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” 18

Session 1 – Learning in Community

John 8:31-32 – Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Questions for Discussion: 1. Look at both John 8:12 and John 8:31-32. Both of these verses have an “if . . . then” clause. What is the “IF” part of the clause in each verse? Do these “IF” clauses talk about “knowing something” or “doing something” or both? What does this tell us about Jesus’ approach to learning truth? 2. John 8:12 says, “If you follow me.” If you follow someone, what do you do? 3. What is the result of following Jesus, according to John 8:12? What is the result of obeying Jesus’ teaching, according to John 8:31-32? 4. John 8:31-32 is often taken out of context and quoted as saying “if you know the truth – the truth will set you free.” But, is that exactly what these verses say? What must we DO in order to KNOW the truth? 5. When Jesus says we can “know the truth” – do you think he is talking about gaining knowledge or having a relationship or both? 6. Based on these verses, do you think the truth is obvious to people? Or, does it take some work to figure it out? Based on John 8:12, what is the natural state of people? 7. John 8:31-32 says the “truth will set us free.” What does this imply about our natural state and condition? What do we need to be freed from? 8. Who is Jesus addressing in these verses – a single person or a group of people? What does this suggest about a strategy for learning truth – should it be done individually or together with others?

Action and Reflection An important part to understanding and knowing truth is making a commitment to each other as a community – a commitment to obey Jesus’ teachings together (through actions) and to reflect together on what you learn through this (to understand more clearly the truth that sets you free). As you do this, you will also grow in your understanding of the value and importance of each person in the community, as each person plays an important role in the group’s journey of seeking truth together. As part of this, starting in the next session, members of the group are invited to share their “spiritual autobiography,” with one person sharing in each session. This regular activity will assist the group in learning about each other and building a community of love and acceptance for each member. Take some time now to look over the section on

Session 1 – Learning in Community

“Preparing a Spiritual Autobiography” on page 13 and to make a schedule of when each member will share their spiritual autobiography. As a first action together, make the following commitments to each other as a community. Each member may want to read this aloud to the group, one by one. If you are unable to commit to something, share openly with the group about this, and let the group respond, as they accept you at your own level of commitment: 1. I understand that I am an important part of this community and its ability to seek truth together. I will make every effort to attend all of our meetings. 2. I will be open to letting this group become a safe place for me to share honestly about myself, including my areas of brokenness. I will work towards building trust with other participants. 3. I will keep the personal information shared in our group confidential to the group. 4. I will actively participate in group discussions. At the same time, I will respect other participants, listening carefully to them and giving them fair time to share. 5. This group will be a “no judging zone.” I will accept each person in the group just as they are and value their ideas and experiences. I will be open to learning new ideas from each person. 6. I agree to allow a facilitator to guide us through each session, keeping us “on point” and moving us in a timely manner through the material. 7. I will, to the best of my ability, do the application homework given. Now, reflect on what you learned from this activity. Do you sense in your heart that it is good to be part of such a community? As a final activity, consider the following scenario: You take a risk at your job by trying something new. Your attempt fails and the result is that the company loses money. Your boss is angry with you and yells, “You moron! You just lost the company a lot of money. If you can’t do your job right, don’t do it at all!” From a financial standpoint, the boss’s statement is accurate. Are there truths that were overlooked by the boss in his statement? If the boss and employees could come together and seek truth openly, what might they learn? What other truths and realities exist in this situation in addition to the financial matter? What might the community suggest to the boss as a better approach to handling this situation? Based on what you know about Jesus’ teaching – would Jesus have advice for how to handle this situation? Recap – what does this have to do with leadership? In summary, we see that leadership is about seeking truth through a process of action and reflection in community with others. Leaders are open to new truths and do not pretend that they know it all. Leaders invite others into the truth 20

Session 1 – Learning in Community

seeking process and welcome the input of others. Leaders are willing to take difficult, courageous steps to practice truth. Actions of truth are not always what feel natural or logical, but they are based on the actions and model of Jesus – a model that serves and sacrifices for other people. Application homework Communicate with at least one person in the group in the coming days – sharing about how you are glad to be in this group together with them and that you hope to learn about truth together.