Public Leadership - Be a Voice for Good

PUBLIC LEADERSHIP LEARN >> SPEAK >> LEAD

BE A VOICE FOR GOOD

PUBLIC LEADERSHIP LEARN >> SPEAK >> LEAD

Are you happy with the state of leadership in our society?

Do you trust those in positions of authority and influence?

Or do you want to see things change?

The Evangelical Alliance is passionate about public leadership because leaders create change.

We want to see the Church united in its mission, and confident in its voice.

We are committed to raising up public leaders to be voices for God and voices for good in our society: locally, nationally and internationally.

www.thepublicleader.com

As a young Christian, James became frustrated at believers uninterested in engaging with the issues that concerned non-Christians. He started a radio programme, helping students engage with the big issues of the day from a Christian perspective. He now works for TWR-UK, which broadcasts Christian radio.

“When I think about ‘Christian news’, I don’t think of the relatively minor stories that get very little coverage in the mainstream media. I think of the main stories which affect our lives. We have a unique perspective to offer a hurting world. Never forget: God is on the throne. Let’s not waste that opportunity by looking inward.”

Naomi is currently studying for a Masters in Global Public Health Nutrition. She believes there is a link between people’s physical need for nutritious food and their emotional and spiritual well-being. She is currently exploring the question of what ‘to do’ with this degree after graduation – should this involve overseas ministry or helping to relieve the severe relational and spiritual poverty in the UK? Naomi says that until recently: “I believed that the only way to be an influential Christian leader was through the Church or parliament”. Now, she thinks that Christians need to “have confidence in our leadership in the public sphere”, in a culture where “ineffective leadership has left a bitter aftertaste”.

We want to bring about a culture change in the UK.

Public leaders take responsibility. This could be in politics, the media, the arts or at the school gates.

Public leaders use their voice and bring transformation wherever God has placed them.

They bring leadership to situations and speak up where it matters.

Public leaders serve and work for the good of all. They influence through excellence and example, whether or not they hold a formal position or status. They model servant leadership.

Public leaders work in unity, utilising a single voice to create a bigger platform for change. They take the Church out of the building, leading to widespread transformation.

Public leadership is about people and not programmes. Change happens when people lead; when people with passion, vision and purpose pursue a dream of how things can and should be.

Why does public leadership matter?

The Evangelical Alliance wants the Church in the UK to have a strong culture of public leadership and we are determined to see God’s people become effective voices for good in society.

For God and for good in our communities and across the nations.

Public leaders speak and act under the authority of God who has placed them in specific areas of public life. It means caring about where God has put us, and stepping up, speaking out and engaging in public life.

1 Corinthians 1:26 says: “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But…” Throughout the Bible we see leaders making a difference, not just in the religious realm, but in all areas of life. Daniel was a prime minister, Nehemiah a civil servant, and Deborah a judge, and their examples are followed by Christians throughout history– William Wilberforce and Olaudah Equiano who fought against slavery, Lord Shaftesbury who championed better working conditions, Elizabeth Fry reforming prisons, and William and Catherine Booth fighting against the plight of poverty in London’s East End, as well as countless others working for the good of their communities that history has not remembered. We may not feel like influential leaders right now, but God works with everyone.

We want to see leaders transforming public life today as they did in the Bible and as they have done through the centuries.

What makes a public leader?

Public leaders serve with compassion. This is not a power-hungry sort of leadership, but a form of civic duty driven by compassion.

Public leaders take time to listen. They listen to God, asking Him what His hopes and plans are and what He would like changed. They also spark discussions in and with their community to find out what is needed.

Public leaders learn with humility. They know they don’t have all the answers, so they listen and learn from people who have gone before them, and from those at the chalk face. Then they act upon what they have heard.

Public leaders act with responsibility. Public leaders refuse to give in to the idea that it is someone else’s problem. When they see communities in crisis, or neighbours in need, they do something. They act when others might walk away.

Public leaders act with integrity. This does not mean they will never make mistakes, but when they do they say sorry and act with authenticity. They speak with truth and an understanding of the impact of their words.

Public leaders speak with authority. Public leaders know that they serve under the authority of God and are committed to speaking with that authority, knowing that there are no areas of society where God’s light does not shine.

Fiona had never considered politics. But an overheard conversation in the pub prompted a journey that led her to become a Labour Cambridgeshire County Councillor for King’s Hedges and Deputy Leader for the County group.

“Many people see issues, talk about what is wrong with the world and get mad, I decided to be M.A.D. - making a difference. We have a duty to engage and should aspire to inspire others to do likewise. We should take joy and strength from our positions knowing we are placed there on purpose for a purpose.”

Alex is a senior strategy analyst at a large international aerospace and defence company.

Like many working in secular environments, Alex has experienced the “inevitable moment of self-reflection where one asks…why am I here when on Sunday we talk a lot about faith and Church but not the world?”

Combining the inspiration of Nehemiah with the prayerful interpretation of psychological and psychometric profiling has helped him to set long-term development goals that progress God’s calling on his life. He hopes to discover more about the huge untapped leadership lessons of the Bible, including how leaders created high performing teams, united around shared goals, which changed the world.

Where do you start?

Find your place: Public leaders know where God has put them and where He is calling them. They are passionate about the vocation, issue or place they are called to and are committed to seeing it flourish. They are motivated by the urgent need to see things change.

Find your purpose: There are lots of things that need to change, as well as some things that should remain the same. Public leaders look to history and see how Christians have brought about change in the past.

They look to the present and see Christians leading in the UK and beyond. They identify a place where they can uniquely make a difference.

And they look to the future. They are committed to being part of an ongoing multi-generational journey that will continue beyond their own lifetime.

If you don’t know your place or purpose, look around you. What’s happening? What’s not happening that should be happening? What are the things you’re passionate about, what are the things that excite and motivate you? Where are you now?

What do you do next?

Inspire vision and action: Public leaders see things differently. Their faith and hope inspires them to see new possibilities and a different future. They are not just reacting to the world as it changes around them, they are cultivating culture, creating new things and leading change.

Work hard: Public leaders know it is worth pursuing excellence. That it’s worth taking the time to get experience, get trained and to become familiar with the environment in which they are working.

They work out what they need to learn from established public leaders and others who have taken this journey before them.

Speak out: Public leaders become a ‘go-to’ voice. When something needs saying they step up to the microphone. They have earned the right to speak and to be heard because they have demonstrated their commitment and established their credibility. They speak up in the Church and in their community, but they also speak beyond it.

Take responsibility: If you were in a lift and it broke down, would you be the person to take responsibility, calm people down and find a way to get out? Public leaders take decisions – where can you take responsibility and develop your leadership?

What can your Church do?

See the need: We have a crisis of leadership in our country. Politicians are not trusted, journalists are not believed, and bankers are bashed. In virtually every sphere of public life authority is being undermined by poor leadership. What we need are better leaders.

Understand the call: Public leaders are committed to where God has placed them. Public leadership is a key part of mission: it is about the people of God going to the places where they are called and needed, even if that’s outside the church walls or the regular weekly church schedule.

Train: Churches provide an ideal training ground. They can bring public leaders together, they can help them learn from each other and they can train them to make the most of their opportunities.

Release: When church leaders see people in their congregations with entrepreneurial gifts for leadership in public life, they should recognise this valuable God-given ministry and release these people to lead outside of the church walls. Churches need advocates in and for the communities in which they are located.

Support: The Church is vital to the support and development of public leadership; this is not a thing to be done alone. Public leaders need a community around them – practical and prayerful support from a church that understands their calling and encourages them to become a voice for good.

Encountering Jesus in her early 30s radically transformed Jane’s life. Since then, whether as a prayer group leader for Prison Fellowship or as South West England adviser for the Alpha Course, she is passionate that others experience that same transformation.

Using the skills of her 25 years as a barrister, Jane now serves as CEO of the National Parenting Initiative, encouraging every Church in the U.K. to run parenting courses for its community.

She says: “Now is the time that God wants to ‘turn the hearts of the fathers to their children (Malachi 4v6)’. The thousands of Churches across the UK have a key role in fulfilling this prophecy.”

For Josh, both public leadership and evangelism have at their heart the need to “be good news”. Josh has his own regular weekly local radio show where his features and items are all focused around good news. “One of the main barriers to development in our town is low aspirations.

Many young people and adults talk the town down and therefore themselves in the process. The negative power of these words is a real stronghold for many.”

A few years ago Josh was part of the launch of ‘I love Folkstone’, a campaign to encourage individuals to think and speak positively about the town.

How can we help?

The Evangelical Alliance is committed to growing a culture of public leadership across the Church in the UK. We want to train and equip Christians to take responsibility where God has placed them and bring leadership in all areas of public life.

By sharing the stories of public leaders making a difference in a wide range of environments we can encourage more Christians to take the opportunities for leadership they encounter.

We want to hear your stories of leaders in local communities, whether working in education, the legal system, speaking out in the media or standing up in the political arena. Visit thepublicleader.com to read inspiring stories of public leadership, to submit your stories and to sign up for email updates. You can also email us at hello@thepublicleader.com.

We want to work with churches to provide bespoke training for your congregation or for groups of churches, and we are available to speak about the need for public leadership and the opportunities for Christians to respond. Please get in touch if you’d like us to provide a training day or want one of our speakers to take part in your event.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.

Not many of you were wise by human standards; Not many were influential; Not many were of noble birth.

But… 1 Corinthians 1:26

PUBLIC LEADERSHIP

www.thepublicleader.com

Public Leadership is an initiative of the Evangelical Alliance © 2015-2017