Dr. Jack L. Arnold
Lesson 16 

A LEADER HAS A PLAN FOR DEVELOPING LEADERS

I. Training 
A. Why Train?  All Christians need to be discipled, but all disciples are not leaders.  Yet, there can be no spiritual, effective leaders without  those who are disciplined followers of Christ.  Even Jesus trained men before He expected them to lead.
B. Reciprocal.  Training is a relationship between two or three people?leader and followers.
C. Object of Training.  Jesus trained men to help him in ministry and who would carry on after He was gone.  The goal of training is to win another person to Christ and then take that person from the time of conversion into spiritual maturity?solid, dedicated, committed, fruitful disciples who can repeat the process in others.  The ultimate purpose is to equip the trainee to accomplish the Great Commission through multiplication of leaders who know the discipleship process.
D. Confidence.  For a trainee to want to be trained, he must have confidence in character, knowledge, philosophy and convictions of the trainer.  It is all based on respect.
E. Requirements for a Trainer.  He must know God, have been discipled, know the discipleship methods, etc.  He must know where he wants to take his trainees and what kind of people they should be in terms of Christian character.  He must also have a clear, workable plan to disciple the trainee.
F. Content for a Life of Leadership 
1. Heart.  The person has a leader?s heart which comes from the Holy  Spirit and from his mentor?s heart.  There is a singlemindedness and that is all he wants to be.  Leading becomes natural and not drudgery.  There is joy in leading.  There is a growing heart for the lost world because that is where God?s heart beats.  Without this heart for world evangelism the leader and the led grow spiritually cold?no feeling, no power, no drive.
2. Vision.  A leader has a vision (at least a glimpse) for the whole world.  He longs to multiply self (Christ life) in others.  Without this vision the leader and led will flounder without purpose or direction.
3. Knowledge.  A leader has a knowledge of and develops methods for life and ministry.  It all centers on God?s Word and the application of that Word.  Without the Word, the leader does not know how to accomplish a vision.
G. Methods.  Leadership training is primarily one on one.  Although it can be done in small groups of three or four.  Jesus only took on the training of twelve and He was the Master Trainer.  NOTE:  Discipleship training does not take the place of large group preaching and teaching (existing forms and structures) but uses them and builds upon them and trains to reproduce leaders in them.

II. Training in Context
A. Atmosphere.  Free and flexible, loving and serving, positive and accepting, moving and productive.  The atmosphere will allow for anyone to be trained who wants to be trained.
B. Environment.  A training program may be structured or unstructured based on the needs of the trainee.  Depending on the trainee, you may start at different levels due to spiritual maturity and age.  As the trainee goes on, raise the standards and the responsibilities.  If the situation is not an official training program, then use the structures and programs that are already there.  Use personal relationships.  Create your own training environment.

III. Procedure for Training
A. Preach the gospel and the Holy Spirit produces a convert to Christ.
B. Begin an immediate follow-up program to teach the basics of Christianity?faith, prayer, confession, the Word, fellowship, etc.  The ?Ten Basic Steps to Christian Maturity? is a good place to start.
C. Make sure the trainee knows why he is to believe or do something, so as to establish personal convictions.
D. Equip the trainee not only with knowledge but help him discover his spiritual gifts and teach him how to do ministry with others.  The process for training is:
1. Tell the trainee how to do something.
2. Show the trainee how to do it.
3. Go with the trainee and let him see the trainer doing it.
4. The trainee does it with the supervision of the trainer.
5. The trainee does it by himself.
E. Sharpen the trainee by being a co-laborer with him?deepens convictions on his calling and gifts and assures that he will multiply disciple-makers.
F. A flow-chart may be used to record the trainee?s progress.  This is done through evaluation, using constructive criticism and lots of praise and encouragement.