(This post was written by Evan Crass, Associate Pastor of Groups)

I took some liberty with the old expression “flying by the seat of your pants” as I titled this post on leadership. Of course, there are college-level courses on leadership with defined steps to become a leader. Books are in abundance on the topic, and undoubtedly you can identify a leader who you want to emulate. But I want to discuss, not the theory of leadership, but the action or practice of leadership, which tends to be a bit messier.

As I talk with group leaders, we often are problem solving. Maybe an issue has been identified that is impeding growth, and we want to lead through it. This issue has nothing to do with topic of the week, and the issue isn’t specifically mentioned in the Ten Commandments. There isn’t a book with the answers in the back. Hence, we are left to lead by the seat of our pants.

Ultimately, leadership is more about being than doing. Jesus words, captured in John 15, talk to our role of simply remaining or abiding in Him. Our ability to lead through a messy situation is directly related to our connection with Him. In other words, doing the right thing comes from being with the Ultimate Leader. This is true as you lead yourself, your family, and others who follow you. So while it may appear we are leading by the seat of our pants, we understand and embrace that our leadership is based in our personal experiences with Him.