As a pastor, it’s easy to feel as if we have entered a competition for people’s time and attention. The pressure can lead us to recruit leaders with charisma, talent and creativity who attract people but lack theological development. As a result, we might produce good service experiences that people attend but miss cultivating spiritual depth to help them grow as Christ followers.

Developing theological substance in your leaders, whether paid or volunteer, is crucial for the formation of all God’s people under your care.

Although not everyone needs a theology degree, everyone has a theology that needs developed — a way to think about and make sense of the nature of God. We tend to look for theologically trained preachers while overlooking the fact that formation also takes place outside of the sermon context. Consequently, we may neglect the training of those who lead and communicate theology in indirect but vital ways.

Consider young volunteers and staff who were born in the digital age. They may not have theology degrees, but they can effortlessly navigate communication for our churches in the high-tech world.

Throughout Church history, art and technology have communicated theology to laypeople, particularly during times of illiteracy. Whether through the 5th-century Celtic high crosses, 12th-century stained glass windows, 15th-century printing press, or 21st-century social media, art and technology can uniquely capture imaginations and hearts with the gospel.

Given our biblically illiterate culture, we must invest theologically in those who design graphics, develop videos, and run social media platforms.

Theological development requires intentionality, especially in today’s world. After all, the pace of modern life leaves little time for contemplation and study.

As a result, many of our leaders don’t know how to process theological concepts. It’s easier to retweet someone else’s thoughts than to cultivate our own beliefs from Scripture. Yet a shallow understanding of God’s truths makes it difficult to live out faith, let alone guide others in theirs.

In light of these challenges, it’s clear there is a need for Bible education. Of course, seminary isn’t accessible, practical or necessary for everyone. Nevertheless, you can invest in your leaders’ theological development in several ways — regardless of your education level or resources.

Although not everyone needs a theology degree, everyone has a theology that needs developed.

Pull your leaders close. Walk them through your thinking process when crafting sermons and series. Let them know the questions you ask of a text and how you allow the text to ask questions of you. Also, show your leaders how you wrestle with God as you minister to people in their suffering and loss. Yes, theology develops in the study of Scripture, but it also takes shape in day-to-day pastoral care.

Listen to podcasts together. Plenty of theology podcasts exist. Find podcasts formatted as interviews and conversations with theologians, which will teach your leaders how to engage in the process of theological development. Podcasts will improve your leaders’ listening skills, expand their attention spans, and widen their vocabularies, all of which are essential in theology.

Read and discuss books together. A plethora of theological books exist. Don’t be afraid to stretch your leaders, but refrain from making it so far above their level that they become discouraged.

Ask good questions. Make those around you think. Jesus did. Study how He asked questions and what He asked. Questions lead to spiritual and theological growth. Your primary job as a pastor isn’t to give all the answers, but to develop those around you.

Encourage your leaders in their prayer lives. Do we even need to mention prayer? Absolutely. Consider Genesis 3. The serpent went to Eve and essentially called the nature of God into question, which turned the conversation into a theology discussion. Why didn’t Adam and Eve bring God into the conversation? Here lies the danger of theology — that it becomes a cognitive activity where we sit around with friends (or on Twitter and Facebook) and argue, talking about God but not with Him. Teach your leaders to invite God into the conversation.

Model a contemplative life. Follow Jesus’ example by making time for silence and solitude. This means you will need to simplify your calendar. Then encourage your leaders to unplug from technology and find space to meditate on Scripture and theology.

Ensure your leaders are with people. Leaders of all ages in various areas of ministry need to sit regularly with the sick and the skeptic, hearing their questions and disappointments. Theology deeply resides in the human experience. Remember, God became one of us, taking on human nature to abide with us. We reflect Him when we live our theology and dwell with people.

Such an investment takes significant time. It might be easier to recruit only those who are theologically developed through education and experience. However, Jesus didn’t take that approach, so we probably shouldn’t either. The investment will cost us something because true discipleship always does.

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2020 edition of Influence magazine.