Annually, I pray about a word or phrase I want the Assemblies of God national office to use to enhance our culture of ministry during the year. In past years, that phrase has been “Over the Top,” “Plus One,” “Ready … Fully Prepared,” and “Accelerate.” In 2023, it is “Designed for Servant Leadership.”

Robert K. Greenleaf coined the term “servant leadership” in his 1970 essay “The Servant as Leader.” Long before him, however, Jesus Christ laid its foundation when He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

As servant leaders, we are servants first. We focus on the needs of others, especially team members, before we consider our own needs. We acknowledge other people’s perspectives; give them the support they need to meet their goals, whether professional or personal; involve them in decisions where appropriate; and build a sense of community.

Servant leadership results in higher engagement, more trust, and stronger relationships within teams. It also leads to increased innovation.

What would it look like if we practiced servant leadership in our churches and ministry teams? Let me answer that question from two perspectives: team leaders and team members.

Team Leaders

Team leaders manage and supervise others. Lead pastors, staff pastors with direct reports, and even key ministry volunteers may lead teams. They set the tone and create the culture of servant leadership among their team members.

The primary way to do this is through personal example. When Jesus called the disciples, He didn’t say, “Hear me out,” as if sitting through a training lecture is sufficient. He said, “Follow me” (Mark 1:17). Jesus’ entire life exemplified the kind of life He wanted His disciples to lead.

What does servant leadership look like for team leaders? Consider the following five characteristics:

1. Listening. Listening is more than just hearing in the physical sense. Listening is a spiritual discipline. It is the kind of attentiveness Jesus had in mind when He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear” (Mark 4:9).

For ministry teams, listening is paying attention both to what team members say and to what the Spirit is saying at the same time.

2. Empathy. Servant leaders take into consideration the well-being of their team members. Being empathetic means we enter into their experiences and consider their perspectives. We know what makes them tick and what ticks them off.

It has been said that talent wins games, but teamwork wins championships. Empathy is what makes teams work.

3. Learning. Leaders constantly ask themselves and their team members, “How can we do it better?” I love what Roy T. Bennett wrote in The Light in the Heart:

Don’t just learn, experience.

Don’t just read, absorb.

Don’t just change, transform.

Don’t just relate, advocate.

Don’t just promise, prove.

Don’t just criticize, encourage.

Don’t just think, ponder.

Don’t just take, give.

Don’t just see, feel.

Don’t just dream, do.

Don’t just hear, listen.

Don’t just talk, act.

Don’t just show, tell.

Don’t just exist, live.

Servant leaders are constant learners, moving beyond basic to become something better.

4. Stewardship. Here’s a truth all leaders need to remember: Your assignment today will be someone else’s tomorrow. Wisdom requires leaders to take the long view and prepare their successors for success.

Servant leadership results in higher engagement, more trust, and stronger relationships within teams.

As Paul put it in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Paul stewarded four generations of leadership in this one verse!

5. Security. Team leaders need to cultivate a sense of emotional security that allows others to shine, whether they’re our peers or the team members we lead. According to Proverbs 3:34, God “has no use for conceited people, but shows favor to those who are humble” (GNT). As leaders, are we able to set aside our egos for the good of the team? For the good of the whole ministry?

Team Members

Servant leadership isn’t just for team leaders, however. All Christians are called to steward their influence in ways that best serve others.

As Paul put it in Philippians 2:3–4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

What would it look like if team members practiced servant leadership? Consider another five characteristics:

1. Honor. In Romans 12:10, Paul wrote, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (ESV, emphasis added). That kind of outdoing defines the attitude of a servant leader.

Albert Einstein once said, “I speak to everyone the same way, whether he is a garbage man or the president of the university.”

Einstein’s statement encapsulates how to honor others before yourself. When we regard others as genuinely important, no matter their positions in life, we demonstrate genuine respect.

2. Ethics. Here, we’re talking about the moral principles governing character and conduct. As servant leaders, we should always choose what is right over what is personally advantageous.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

Here’s my paraphrase of that verse: There’s no price you can pay for integrity, but a lack of integrity can be extremely costly.

As team members, our ethics shine when we are honest in our reporting, follow through on our promises, and practice a good work ethic.

3. Empowerment. President Harry S. Truman said, “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” That’s empowerment — setting up others to succeed.

Empowering is what team leaders do, of course, but team members can empower one another, too. We grow our empowerment skills when we acknowledge everyone’s contributions, give and receive honest feedback, and make room for others to shine.

4. People. Gospel ministry is all about people. The Church is a people business, not a widget factory. Loving people is what we do.

Our job, in this regard, is simply following Jesus’ example. “Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1, emphasis added). We begin and end by loving people, and love for people characterizes how we treat them in between.

People are not a means to an end in ministry. They are the whole reason we do what we do.

So, how do we love the people we work with on ministry teams? We see the good in them, pray with them, show patience to them, and love enough to be honest with them.

5. Humility. C.S. Lewis defined humility this way: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.” It’s not self-deprecation or a focus on personal shortcomings. Rather, it’s a focus on and concern for the world around you.

What a valuable lesson on influence! Pride is poison to a team. It is repellent to people you want to influence.

First Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

Such humility starts as a mindset before it becomes a practice. Whether you’re a team leader or a team member, your influence on others will always be stunted if you’re not growing in humility.

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In some business circles, servant leadership devolves into a leadership style or technique for getting others to do what you want them to do.

That’s not what it should be in the Church, however. Rather, it’s the way of Jesus, and therefore the way we live and serve others as His followers. This year, whether we’re team leaders or team members, let’s remember we’re servants first!

This article appears in the Spring 2023 issue of Influence magazine.