The Art of Followship

“Come and Follow.” We read these words of Jesus repeatedly in the Gospels. It was His call to the disciples by the Sea of Galilee and to the crowds who surrounded Him. The Gospels record Jesus inviting people to become His followers about nineteen times. What is shockingly absent from the call of Jesus is this phrase: “Come and lead.” He never taught about leading – only following. In fact, the only times Jesus spoke about leading was in a negative context (leading others astray, being led into temptation, etc.). So, if Jesus emphasized following, why does it seem like the modern church is so obsessed with leading?

As an experiment, I went to Amazon’s Book page and searched for “Christian Leadership” books. There were more than 50,000 search results. I’m not sure what’s left to be written on the topic, but I guarantee that there will be more Christian Leadership books published in the years to come. A quick online search for church leadership conferences will yield several pages of options – just pick a location and I am sure you can find a conference to attend! What I failed to find, however, were any “followship” conferences. (Yes, followship is a real word - I checked the dictionary just to make sure).

Now, before we go much further, I’d like to say that I think leading well is incredibly important. Our churches are full of people who need to be shepherded, so we should be men and women of God who faithfully steward the influence that we have been given. As we continue to grow in our leadership skills, let’s not forget that while leading is something we do, being a follower is what we are.

Being a follower is sometimes viewed as being inferior. In corporate America, if you’re following, it’s because you haven’t risen to the top yet – you’re not the alpha in the pack. If you’re a follower, it is because you are not yet skilled or equipped to lead and make decisions.

As Christians though, following should mean something different. All positions of leadership, authority, and influence could be stripped away from us in a moment. What remains is our identity as followers of Him. Amid the pressures of leading, what can we do to stay rooted in our “followship”?

Remember the first things.

You can’t help others follow if you’re not taking time to follow. Commonly, many pastors only spend time studying and reading scriptures while preparing for their sermons. During the busyness of ministry, it can be difficult to find time for ourselves, but you will never regret taking time to renew your heart through Scripture, prayer, or meditation.

Take your sabbath.

Hey pastor/leader, with God, you can do all you need to do in six days. Don’t feel guilty for taking your day off or your vacation time. It’s okay to ignore a phone call or leave an email unanswered while you’re spending time with your spouse and kids, going fishing, mowing the lawn, or taking a nap. The sabbath is needed to rest, to heal, and to hear God. Taking this day each week goes a long way in maintaining health.

Get out of the Green Room.

The practice of creating a green room at our churches has become common. While having a designated space for the staff to gather, prayer, rest for a few minutes, or eat a meal is perfectly fine, let’s not let the green room keep us from the very people we’re ministering to. Yes, there were times that Jesus got away from the crowds, but He never fully removed himself from the people He had come to serve. When pastors and church teams stay in the comfort of the green room it can create an unnecessary barrier between the clergy and the parishioner – and people notice. Don’t let a green room culture unintentionally keep you and your team from building relationship with those in your church.

Don’t forgo friendships.

Find your people. Do life together. Join the community. These small group slogans are abundant in American churches; however, pastors are often the least likely to be in a group themselves. In fact, as cited here, 58% of pastors feel they do not have true friends and 27% of pastors say they have no one to turn to if they’re facing a personal crisis! Building genuine relationships within the church you’re leading can be difficult. People may tend to see you solely as their pastor may keep their guard up. Conversely, you may feel that you can’t be real and vulnerable when interacting with church members because you’re in “pastor mode.” As followers, we need to invest in healthy relationships where we feel safe, can be our true selves, and can find accountability. In my own experience, this takes a lot of time and intentionality, but it is possible! These communities have kept me grounded and encouraged me to keep seeing myself as a follower first. Jesus had close friends – we can too.

The ultimate follower.

Jesus did only what the Father told Him to do (John 15:19-20). Even Jesus – the only begotten son of God – chose to follow the Father. He could have been the greatest leader that the world had ever seen. He could have commanded armies, demanded loyalty, or started a political movement. Instead, He washed feet, and He invites all his followers to do the same.

Alicia Osgood

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