Step Two: Master 3 Skill Sets

The following three skill sets are essential for leading a church that has significant Gospel impact in its community:

1. Legal Information: Churches are sometimes reluctant to start new outreach efforts or ministries because they are unsure about legal restrictions that may impact or prohibit these efforts. Simply put, legal information brings confidence to start such efforts. Now, we are not asking church leaders to become attorneys. Rather, we are asking church leaders to become like the Apostle Paul, who used his rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16) and Roman criminal appellate procedure (Acts 25) to further his ministry. Church leaders should have a working understanding of legal standards so they can effectively and courageously lead in changing times.
2. Active Apologetics. Apologetics is often seen an intellectual exercise that is best accomplished through “worldview training” seminars. Now, we should all be concerned about what Christians think about their faith, and there are many great ministries addressing this pressing issue. However, at BCI, we are most concerned with what Christians do with their faith. Therefore, our focus is on an “active apologetic” or giving Christians the information and skills they need to be confident and persuasive when they step into their communities. (John 4; Acts 17). 
3. Public Life.  We want to reclaim a word–the word “citizen.” For many people, this term has “culture war” connotations, but it has a much broader application than just politics. Think “neighbor” but in the context of your city.  We should embrace this role rather than shrink from it, for we should be actively involved in the life of our cities (Jer. 29). This requires a combination of courage, grace and wisdom in our changing times, but it is a skill that we must master. Why? Because public life gives us presence–credibility to speak into the life of our communities.