Do you love to lead others in worship or you aspire to make disciples of you worship team? Read this helpful blog on six qualities of successful worship pastors.

First up lets talk about the word pastor. Its a word you hear spoken around a lot, but lets talk about what a Pastor is in the Bible. 

A pastor is also sometimes called a shepherd. Its a concept that originated from farming In Biblical leadership, its someone who will look after, lead, feed, and guide the people of God. Someone who will guide them to spiritual growth and service for the Lord Jesus.

The Bible has lots to say about the qualifications for a pastor. And its worth remembering that Jesus is always our ultimate example. Ultimately all good pastors point us to Him.

Being a worship Pastor is different from being a music director, song leader, worship leader or Creative Director. These are great roles & can be really helpful in church, but they’re different from pastors.

We need pastors & shepherds all across the church who are trained qualified & tested as the Bible teaches us. So even if you’re not a pastor (yet) these qualities are something we can all aspire to, for sure. 

Worship Pastors need to be more concerned with the spiritual health of the people in their team than the musical style or ability. They must be committed to coaching correcting, encouraging & protecting the people who are in the team. They look out for them, they look after them, they think and pray for them. And they even create opportunity for them to flourish in the areas that God has gifted them in too. Must have an eye out with regard for peoples talents and unique ability that each person has. They are people who are able to spot talent and potential. And they commit to help that individual go on the journey of discipleship and discover their calling & develop their character. Shepherds & hired hands explain scripture. 

Pastors stay when the going gets tough, they prove themselves in their love for God and the people by showing faithfulness & courage,. Its more important that you love God and care for people than you are a musical genius.

They are a someone who accepts responsibility for shaping the life of the team and the people around them. Not using people for using their abilities but for cultivating ministries individually and corporately. They are people who are constantly growing themselves, they move & inspire people something flows out of them.

Successful worship pastors are people who love people !! They are people empathy and social skills. (don’t be a worship pastor if you don’t like people!!) Successful worship pastors are growing in emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you and build safe places for them to thrive.

In a New York Times Magazine Article published in 2016 called “What google learned from its quest to build the perfect team

Their research discovered that surprisingly, it wasn’t drive intelligence determination or team blend that made the best teams great – it was psychological safety.

The article explains that “Psychological safety is ‘‘a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up”. It describes a team climate characterized by “interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.’’

Wow! We can learn a lot from this. If we want our teams and churches to be full of health, we have to pay attention to this dynamic.

Successful Worship Pastors help create environments that are full of mutual respect & interpersonal trust where people are comfortable being themselves|

Someone who can show up on time, well prepared and lead people to be the same. We are called to be disciples and not divas, right!? Someone who can schedule plan and can execute with a sensitivity that the world would call mystic – cosmic, etc. (Anointing or grace) 

They are someone who is appreciated by others and well liked. Whos got a good reputation with others, someone who others will listen too & who listens to others,. Im thinking of that scripture in Timothy Someone who will mobilize and organise & build  “team” not just RAH RAH a platform or someone who’s a performer.

Its also really useful to learn to be able work with people who have a skill set that you do not in order to fulfill the task that is required. Great teams have this collaborative element too. Worship pastors need to provide leadership t and partner with people to see that the job gets done.

They are tuned in to the Holy Spirit, they have a  sensitivity to the moment that happening in the. Remember that a worship service is not an event to be micro managed. Its a LIVE CONVERSATION between The Lord & His People and we need to be people who recognize when and how God is moving & respond in the right way. Successful Worship Pastors are people with a passion for spiritual breakthrough in the church & for God move and encounter people. It might get messy. Thats work WITH your leaders & leadership team in this. ( personal example)

True humility is to be teachable and shapable and to have your “Strength under control”  Succesful Worship Pastors submit themselves to to the vision & values of the church and being a part of the wider team. They recognise that the success of the team they lead is tied in with the success of the church body, the Body Of Christ. When the body of Christ  wins, we all win. 

We need to appreciative attitude towards musical forms that are different from ours or what we like and understand. Our identity is not in a musical genre – Its in Christ. We need values in our church and teams that are big & wide enough for us to EVOLVE our musical style as we grow!

Musical styles come and go and that’s fun – but our values must remain rock solid. The worship ministry is not a competition, where only the cool kids get to belong, its a serving area where we help our community meet the life changing presence of Jesus Christ.

We are ALL on a sanctification journey. ALL of us. Reach for help, reach for coaching, invest in yourself and in the same way these values are a benchmark for me and you strive in the best way, to model them, know that Jesus is our ultimate example, the ultimate Pastor.  The more we follow Him, become like Him and do what He commands us, the more successful (in His Eyes) we will be.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near to reach least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet, Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today

To further enrich your understanding of worship and how it can transform your spiritual journey, explore what Global Disciples Canada offers in their mission to reach the least-reached communities.

Explore the benefits of local leadership in reaching least-reached communities & how it helps in effective training & community impact.

Reaching communities that have not yet heard the Good News is an important mission. Local leadership plays a big role in this task. Leaders who live near these communities understand the culture and challenges better. They are equipped to share the message of Jesus in a way that makes sense to their neighbours.

Local leaders have deeper connections with the people they serve. They know the best ways to communicate and can build trust more easily. These leaders are important because they help make the mission more relatable and real to those who need it most.

Working with local leaders is a positive approach to reaching the least-reached communities. Their influence helps spread lasting change, bringing hope and faith wherever it is needed. When well-supported, these leaders become strong ambassadors of change, guiding their communities toward a brighter future.

Least-reached communities are groups of people who have had little or no exposure to Jesus’s teachings. They often live in areas where few churches or Christian resources are available. These communities might be geographically remote or comprised of people whose cultures and languages differ from mainstream missionary efforts.

Many of these communities face social and economic challenges. They might have limited access to education, healthcare, or other essential services. This makes it harder for them to hear the Good News and for changes to take root. 

Understanding these communities is crucial for Christians to reach them effectively. Recognising their needs and building trust is important for making meaningful connections.

Reasons that communities remain least reached include:

1. Geographical Isolation: Remote locations make it hard for traditional missionaries to access.

2. Language and Cultural Barriers: Different languages, customs, and traditions may hinder communication.

3. Limited Resources: A scarcity of churches or Christian resources means the message hasn’t spread as widely.

4. Social and Economic Factors: Poverty and lack of education can affect openness to new teachings.

Acknowledging these factors allows those committed to the Great Commission to tailor their approach. Reaching these groups effectively opens the door to transformative change and the sharing of hope and love.

Local leadership is vital when reaching least-reached communities. Leaders who belong to these communities understand the local culture, language, and daily challenges. This knowledge makes them better equipped to communicate the teachings of Jesus effectively. Their familiarity with the area and its people allows them to navigate obstacles that outside missionaries might struggle with.

Local leaders serve as bridges, connecting the message of Jesus with the hearts of the community. They share not only their beliefs but also the lives and concerns of those they lead. This involvement creates a trusting relationship, making the community more receptive to their message.

Benefits of local leadership include:

1. Cultural Understanding: They grasp the nuances of language and customs, avoiding misunderstandings.

2. Trust and Credibility: Being part of the community builds trust, making their message more likely to be accepted.

3. Sustainable Impact: Local leaders can offer ongoing support and guidance, ensuring long-term change.

4. Resource Optimisation: They use available resources wisely, enhancing the effectiveness of outreach efforts.

In these ways, local leadership plays a crucial role in spreading the Good News effectively. Supporting and empowering these leaders helps fulfil the Great Commission by nurturing faith in places where it’s needed most.

To make a real difference in least-reached communities, it’s important to provide leaders with the right training and coaching. This helps them develop the skills they need to lead effectively. Training equips them with the knowledge to spread the Good News and nurture discipleship within their communities. Coaching provides ongoing support to solve problems and encourage growth.

Effective training starts with understanding the unique needs of each community. This means creating programs that are flexible and adaptable. Training sessions should focus on:

1. Biblical Knowledge: Ensuring leaders have a strong understanding of the Bible to share its teachings confidently.

2. Communication Skills: Teaching methods for clear, respectful communication in various cultural contexts.

3. Problem-Solving Abilities: Developing skills to handle conflicts or barriers that might arise in the community.

4. Leadership Skills: Encouraging ways to inspire and motivate others to join and grow in the mission.

Regular coaching sessions help reinforce training lessons. These sessions can offer personalised feedback and create spaces for leaders to discuss challenges and celebrate successes. This constant support builds confident leaders who are resilient and ready to face the difficulties they might encounter.

When local leaders are well-trained and supported, they can significantly transform their communities. Their efforts go beyond just sharing teachings—they start a ripple effect of positive change.

Empowered leaders encourage community members to look out for each other and address local issues together. This can lead to improvements in education, healthcare, and social services, all of which help raise the quality of life for everyone involved.

The impact of local leadership leads to the following:

1. Spiritual Growth: More people learn about Jesus and form a stronger faith community.

2. Economic Improvement: Collaborative efforts can stimulate local economies, creating jobs and opportunities.

3. Social Cohesion: Stronger community ties emerge from shared goals and achievements.

4. Sustainable Change: Long-term solutions become possible through the united efforts of the community and its leaders.

By training and supporting these leaders, we can foster environments where discipleship and love thrive. The transformation witnessed is not only spiritual but also practical, as communities grow stronger, healthier, and more unified.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organisation that trains local leaders living near to reach least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. 

Yet, Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. 

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organisation to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Operating a small business as a church planter has economic advantages but also gives the church planter credibility within a community.

We do it all the time. We meet someone new and within a short time, we ask, “What do you do?”

Some of us enjoy using that question to launch a conversation about what we value most. But eventually, we get around to our job. Whether we like it or not, we tend to link our vocation and our identity.

This tendency presents a problem for disciple-makers and church planters who go into villages, towns, or neighborhoods that are least-reached and may be quite resistant to the Gospel.

How do they explain what they do to their new neighbors and the people they meet and interact with?

They need an identity that makes sense to those who do not yet know Jesus. A small business can provide that, and Global Disciples provides training to churches to equip their near-culture workers to start a small business.

The economic advantage of a small business is obvious for a church planter. They can generate some income, especially when their sending cluster of churches is poor. But a vocational identity that’s understood by the community—a tailor, a shopkeeper, a farmer—is significant in building trusting relationships.

A Guiding Principle of Global Disciples states: “We value the Apostle Paul’s approach to mission as fitting for our time.” Paul made tents as he traveled to preach and plant churches.

As churches in slower economies around the world send out more and more near-culture workers, this principle frees them from the restraint of finances, so they can reach least-reached people.

Interestingly, these ‘co-vocational’ church planters tend to do better at multiplying new fellowships of believers because it’s easier to connect with people, and the model doesn’t demand as much financially as planting a church with a full-time church planter.

Like so many things revealed in Scripture, it’s hard to improve on what the Apostle Paul modeled. He was planting dynamic new expressions of the Body of Christ in places where people had not yet heard the Good News of Jesus. And so are we—as partners with you and with many churches near those who are least-reached.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Danbir knows about facing hurdles and obstacles, he leads a discipleship-mission training in Nepal.

He and the disciple-makers he trained ran into a significant need when they went to share the Gospel in a village—and discovered there was no water! No water for anyone in the community to drink, to wash, to water fields. And his team did not carry any water with them.

God is always at work, but He doesn’t guarantee that our part in His work will run smoothly and that everybody gets along.

Difficulties show up when, like Danbir, we face needs we can’t meet, experience opposition to our mission, or when we’re in conflict with those around us. But as whole-hearted disciples, we learn to trust God to work despite these hurdles. As a result, we can see a powerful testimony and rich spiritual fruit in our lives.

When Danbir was faced with this need for water, he recognized he had to trust God. As a whole-hearted disciple of Jesus, he gathered his team to fast and pray. When the Lord miraculously provided water for the village, it became a powerful testimony. Danbir reported, “There are now 20 new believers preparing for baptism!”

The hurdles we face can also stem from our own human nature as we relate to and serve one another. Rushil, another Nepali director, shared that during his initial training, conflict developed between students from two different ethnic groups. Longstanding prejudices and cultural traits fueled the tensions and interfered with learning to be a whole-hearted disciple of Jesus.

Then a local pastor taught on the session on Right Relationships. Rushil said, “Through that, the lives of the participants were touched by the Lord. They confessed their guilt and sought reconciliation among themselves. In that way, the Lord brought transformation to their lives.” They were knit together in the Spirit and experienced His power as they went on to share the Good News among least-reached people!

As we serve the Lord and share the Gospel, we won’t experience smooth sailing. But God is faithful to His promises and His people, and able to move the mountains of difficulty to fulfill His mission through each of us.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Read how Ebatshu and his team reached the isolated Batwa people and led to a movement of church multiplication among them.

Ebatshu has a vision to reach the Batwa or Pygmy people of Central Africa.

The Batwa are isolated in the forests, living as hunter-gatherers and interacting only marginally with the peoples around them. Culturally, they are often treated as lower class and discriminated against by the majority peoples.

However, Ebatshu included five Batwa believers in the discipleship-mission training he directs, launched with your help through Global Disciples.

For outreach, he traveled into the forests to minister to their people, and that’s where he met Adika. Like most of his tribe, Adika lived without clothes, dependent on whatever the forest provided.

Ebatshu began talking about Jesus but Adika just waved him off, saying, “Who is this Jesus?” Ebatshu knew that actions can speak loudly, so he gave Adika his spare shirt and trousers.

Adika was surprised and wanted to know why. Ebatshu said, “Because Jesus loves you, I love you, and I want to give these clothes to you.”

“Then I want to know this Jesus,” Adika replied. He listened intently to the Gospel and gave his life to Christ. Soon his wife and three children also placed their faith in Jesus.

Ebatshu and his team continued their outreach in the community and spent each evening discipling Adika, teaching him about his new life in Christ.

Soon, others followed Adika’s lead.

A local witchdoctor who was very sick was immediately healed when the outreach team prayed for him in the name of Jesus.

He put his faith in Jesus, as did several women, including one who was a prostitute. She was pregnant at the time and wore a special charm to protect her. Once she put her faith in Jesus, she decided to remove the charm and rely on God’s protection! And she developed a small business to support herself, leaving prostitution behind.

In a short time about 80 Batwa believers were meeting regularly with Adika as their pastor. He even chose a new name—he’s now Moses, the one who leads his people with the Good News of Jesus.

It’s been over seven years since Ebatshu met Moses, formerly Adika. Today, Moses is leading a growing movement among his people. The church is now 200 members strong, and Moses has also planted seven new churches in neighboring villages, giving oversight to the leaders he put in place.

While the Batwa don’t have the Bible in their own language yet, Ebatshu has given each pastor a Bible in a trade language they understand. The pastors read it to their congregation each week, helping them know the God they worship and follow.

They also started a school for the children—a significant step for a people often excluded from education or training by the majority peoples around them. And yes, most of the Batwa in this region now wear clothes, a sign of changed lives and the dignity of being valued by God.

What a joy to see how the Lord has used Ebatshu and Moses to bring about multiplication among this people, rejected by their neighbors but never by the One who created and died for them.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Discover the power of intimacy and build a strong foundation for your walk with Christ through prayer, worship, and obedience.

“I have been searching for meaning all my life,” related Chesy, a director in training from Cameroon. “I went to seminary searching; I have been pastoring for years, still searching. God spoke to me during my time with Him after the teaching of intimacy with God.”

We often hear comments like these from the men and women in training as directors for discipleship-mission programs.

They have spent their lives following Christ, often in leadership positions in the church, but they have yet to experience true intimacy with God.

Teaching this core value has been the key to transforming many leaders who work alongside Global Disciples. Our trainers frequently hear that “we were looking for more teaching and knowledge to succeed in our ministry, but after we learned about intimacy with God, we found our life is like a house built on air without a foundation.”

They’re not alone. Many of us miss this foundational truth in our walk with God. We were created for a relationship with Christ by the Holy Spirit. We bring glory to God through worship, prayer, obedience, service, and fellowship.

Jesus practiced this regularly as he sought the Father in time alone in prayer, fasting, and meditation. During the director’s training, students see Jesus’ model and learn the hindrances to intimacy and the ways to overcome them.

With a new intimate connection to God, Chesy is now back home in Cameroon teaching the discipleship-mission training with students at the Apostolic Center of Missions and Discipleship.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Serving others sets a Christ-like leader apart from those who lead by the model of the world. It’s not easy; our natural bent is to say “I’m in charge,” not to ask “How may I serve you?” Read Annes story of leading discipleship from the kitchen!

Anne is a Global Disciples Facilitator in Uganda who practices servant-leadership. For some time, she prayed about planting a church in a needy community.

Anne led an outreach team with 21 men, to go for several weeks of preaching and prayer, to lay the groundwork for a church. Anne organized intercessors to cover her team in prayer during ministry time. She set up rotations to handle the practical needs of the team, including meals.

Everything was in order and the Holy Spirit was clearly anointing them for this outreach.

When Anne and her team arrived at the host home, she went over arrangements with her hostess…and hit a snag. The woman refused to have the men in her kitchen. Instead of sharing the load with her team, the responsibility for feeding them now fell solely on Anne’s shoulders.

Anne wrestled with God over this. “I’m the leader,” she prayed. “You asked all this of me, but now I have to work in the kitchen instead.” The Lord’s response? “Anne, I need you to do this; to honor this woman’s authority in her own home.”

So Anne obeyed. She participated as much as she could in the outreach and preaching but spent most of her time preparing daily meals for 20-plus people—a laborious task, without pizza deliveries, take-out meals, or instant anything heated up in a microwave.

Over several weeks, Anne’s team saw a great response to the preaching, prayer, and evangelism, and they established the nucleus of a new church. When they gathered to evaluate their experience, one comment came up immediately and was echoed by each person on the team. “Anne served us,” they said. “Even though she is the leader, she chose to serve.”

Through Anne’s example, these young leaders learned to live out leadership according to the model of Christ and to serve others in humble obedience.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Is it possible to build and lead a dynamic, healthy, and culturally diverse team to accomplish the Great Commission? We believe it is.

Our experience in working on international, cross-cultural teams has emerged naturally out of who we are and what we do. As Global Disciples, we equip people to reach those least-reached with the gospel in their own nations.

We work with clusters of churches in collaboration with a denomination, association, or an existing network of churches – now over 1,500 different affiliations in over 65 countries. In partnership with these local churches, we now serve over 3000 locally sustainable mission training-sending programs around the world.

Working as a cross-cultural, international team has been in our DNA since we began 27 years ago, with five discipleship-mission training programs in three countries.

Today, only 19% of our 180 team members are in North America – the rest live and work from their homelands.

We have six people and four nationalities represented on our executive team, and our training Alliance is led by a team of eight from six countries. We travel together, train together, pray, and plan and equip each other, across a wide range of cultures and perspectives. And we enjoy sharing what we are learning and hearing from others about what their experiences have taught them.

Out of this, we see four keys to building and leading a strong culturally diverse team.

It may seem obvious but talking openly about cultural differences and expectations right up front – and along the way – is essential for building and leading healthy cross-cultural teams. It’s not enough to think, “Well, I’ll have to get used to that …” as we are often inclined to do.

Identifying differences in perspectives, patterns, or expectations is honoring everyone involved. Make note of those things – mentally or written down – so you don’t rehash things every time they come up. Decide together about how your team will deal with differences and agree to revisit it later if necessary. This can allow you to move on quickly in a mutually agreed-upon way. Be careful to not automatically defer to the dominant culture or the leader’s preference. North Americans often tend to be the first to speak or make statements strongly.

Allowing others to speak first is empowering, even if they need to be personally invited to comment. On issues like scheduling, it is often wise to go with or adapt from the culture of the setting, especially for a meeting or training people.

There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy, and civilization throughout the world – one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful government, the most successful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love.” That one thing, according to Stephen M.R. Covey, is trust. We agree.

By being authentic, building friendships, enjoying life together, and addressing differences or concerns promptly, we build trust. In most cultures, trust is built on credibility. And credibility is generally established and maintained through at least four things:

In our Cross-cultural teams, we talk often about leading by example or “modeling the way.” Sharing this common desire and discipline provides a healthy level of mutual accountability. It gives opportunities to practice “speaking the truth in love” as we seek together to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received” (Ephesians 4:1–15), in which we are humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love, and making efforts to preserve the unity of the Spirit. All this nurtures friendship and trust.

Some of our best interactions come over tea times and mealtimes, sharing about our lives and being disciples as we travel, sharing a room at night, or sipping coffee. As we understand where people come from, their joys, and challenges, our appreciation grows.

Connectedness and unity in cross-cultural teams grow as we embrace a common focus and reach an agreement on what is most important now and in the future. On our teams, we try to keep three things up front: Why are we together (our vision)? What will we do to pursue this vision or accomplish our purpose (our mission and central focus)? And how will we approach this task or responsibility (our core values and guiding principles)?

To answer those questions as Global Disciples we have developed what we call our arena, using the image of a soccer or football field to define where we work and interact as we pursue our mission and vision.

Our mission statement and our central focus (our what) define the goal lines of our playing field. The sidelines are defined by our Core Values, describing how we behave and interact with others, and our Guiding Principles clarify what we do. This Global Disciples Arena has been hugely helpful in defining the focus and overall priorities of our culturally diverse teams.

When delegating specific tasks cross-culturally, we broaden this to six questions: Who is to do it? What is it we want to be done? When do we want it completed? Where will it be done (if that matters)? How it is to be done if we have a preference? And why are you asking your team/team members to do this?

Delegating effectively in any culture is challenging but it is multiplied across cultures and can easily become prescriptive or feel paternalistic. Clarity and attention to ensuring common understanding allow us to avoid many pitfalls in leading across cultures – if we develop a level of trust and friendship that fosters open conversation about our differences.

Our different views of time and deadlines have led to many interesting discussions on differing expectations. When we built a cushion into deadlines to assure things were submitted in time for printing and preparation, one leader began asking, “Is the line really dead now?”

Clear expectations matter, especially across cultures. Who should set those expectations on cross-cultural teams? The common assumption may be the team leader, but it’s not that simple on healthy multicultural teams. A leader’s role is to guide the team through discerning mutually accepted expectations, patterns of accountability, and how future leaders or team members are selected.

This doesn’t have to be laborious when you go back to the first principles of building and leading culturally diverse teams. Establishing trust and friendship so that differing views can be expressed freely is essential and when paired with a mutual commitment to listen well, to pause and pray – listening for the Holy Spirit’s counsel when differences persist – it makes a huge difference.

We also face cultural assumptions about how leaders are chosen. Within Global Disciples we say, “select well, serve well.” When hiring or promoting staff, we explore their buy-in with our vision, mission, and core values. Without that, there’s no need to go further.

Then we consider our Four Cs: Character, Competency, Chemistry, and Calling (anointing for the job). In recent years, we have also used Patrick Lencioni’s three virtues of The Ideal Team Player: Humble, Hungry, and Smart (i.e., relationally sensitive and appropriate). Considering these factors together provides a balanced and healthy framework for discernment in hiring and promotions across cultures.

However, it requires time for the candidate or team member to apply these considerations. We have also had a near-culture colleague spend time with the candidate in their home with their spouse and family. In these settings, we have learned much that has averted potentially bad decisions and have never regretted time together while interviewing.

In many cultures, promoting a younger or less experienced person over someone older or with more history is a challenge. It takes time, patience, open communication, and authentic affirmation when working with the older, more seasoned person who is not promoted. By God’s grace, we’ve made that transition several times without losing the more senior leader or seeing their passion for our common mission decline.

Finally, frequent, clear communication and well-defined patterns of accountability are essential for building and leading healthy multicultural teams.

A lack of clarity in roles, especially cross-culturally, can result in leaders holding back and underperforming because they don’t want to cross the line of their defined responsibility – or they fear stepping beyond defined responsibilities and creating confusion. Most of our mid-level leaders provide brief weekly reports on key metrics in their jobs.

In senior-level roles, a monthly report and call, with other conversations as needed, is our pattern. Most of our cross-cultural team members are self-starters, and passionate about what they do – so they don’t need constant communication to stay focused. But we all find it important to clearly know what we are accountable for and by what metrics our performance will be measured.

There’s a deep joy and sense of satisfaction in working with multicultural teams as we are compelled by the love of Christ, energized by authentic friendships, and propelled by the common cause–making God’s glory known among the nations!

– Galen Burholder, President/CEO of Global Disciples

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

From year to year our Executive Team identifies priorities and goals for the next fiscal year. This document is called our “Move Forward” Strategic Plan. Our Four Strategic Focus areas for our 2021/2022 year are the following;

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective training and coaching strategy, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!