Distributed Pastoral Leadership | 2025 National Disciple Making Forum (Jason Shepperd)

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Church Project Track Session 3: Distributed Pastoral Leadership

Today, the word “pastor” conveys someone far more centralized and public than was used in the New Testament (often it means the public speaker on a stage). How did the Early Church identify, equip, and empower ‘ordinary’ individuals to function as pastors, and how could implementing this change the church today?

 

Effective Leadership and Distributed Model: Insights from Titus Chapter 1

Dive deep into the principles of effective church leadership as drawn from Titus Chapter 1. This episode outlines the importance of localized pastoral leadership and decentralized structure for fostering rapid gospel movement, referencing works by theologian Alan Hirsch. Learn about the history and evolution of house churches, the critical balance between centralized and light centrality, doctrinal training, and the intricate processes of raising new house church pastors. Gain practical insights into maintaining sound doctrine, facilitating diverse community growth, and the importance of continuous leadership development. The episode also covers the successful transition strategies for legacy churches, effective house church operation, and quantitative versus qualitative measurement of church health.

00:00 Introduction to Titus Chapter One 00:13 The Role of Elders in the Early Church 01:11 Centrality and Movement in the Church 02:16 Distributed Leadership and Sound Doctrine 03:46 House Church Origins and Growth 05:12 Developing Doctrine and Duties 07:56 Pastoring House Church Pastors 14:23 Handling Diversity and Sanctification 17:45 Sunday Gatherings vs. House Churches 24:23 Reflections and Lessons Learned 28:59 Connecting People in a Growing Community 29:56 Leadership Turnover and Mobility 33:13 One-on-One Discipleship Approach 35:35 Challenges in Transitioning Legacy Churches 41:35 Preaching and Teaching in House Churches 45:49 Leadership Pipeline and Testing 50:12 Measuring Success and Engagement 57:46 Recruiting Initial House Church Pastors 59:38 Final Q&A and Leadership Development

 

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