The primary role of a Challenge Community leader is that of shepherd. The role of shepherd indicates leadership, and more specifically, spiritual leadership. This spiritual leadership includes fostering God honoring relationships between members of the community as well as relationships with those in the community’s affinity group, facilitating Bible discussions weekly and helping people apply biblical truths to their everyday lives, and leading their communities to missionally engage their affinity group with God’s love and grace.
Beyond the more general spiritual leadership role of shepherd, Challenge Community leaders will serve in several other roles in order to fulfill their RELATIONAL, BIBLICAL, and MISSIONAL responsibilities.
Helping your community LOVE (love God, love each other, and love your neighbors)
Communicator – you will prioritize communicating with the people in your community and in your affinity group (inviting, welcoming, informing, encouraging, challenging, listening, etc.) in ways that honor God and build others up (Ephesians 4:29-32)
Connector – you will commit to connecting people to each other, to the community, and most importantly to God (1 Thessalonians 2:8)
Peacemaker – you will promote love, unity, and peace among the members of your community, and by God’s grace, wisely navigate any tension or conflicts that may arise (Ephesians 4:2-3; Colossians 3:13-15)
Helping your community LIVE God’s Word (knowing, understanding, and applying biblical truth to their everyday lives)
Example – you will devote yourself to growing in your own personal relationship with Christ as an example to others (1 Timothy 4:12)
Encourager – you will encourage the members of your community in their personal relationships with Christ, especially through prayer, reading, studying, and applying biblical truth to real life (Hebrews 10:24-25)
Facilitator – you will facilitate a Bible discussion leading to the understanding and application of God’s Word during the community’s weekly gathering (1 Timothy 4:13)
NOTE: You do not need to be a teacher, preacher, or Bible answer guy, in fact you should not try to be any of those things. Rather you are a peer, with a little more preparation, leading others to discuss and arrive at truth.
Helping your community SERVE (by meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of people in your affinity group)
Servant – you will commit to observing and meeting needs of others, especially those in your community’s affinity group (Matthew 20:25-28)
Evangelist – you will faithfully and regularly share the Good News with individuals who do not yet know Christ as Lord and Savior (2 Timothy 4:5)
Mobilizer – you will work diligently to organize and mobilize your community to see, serve, and share the Gospel with your affinity group (Matthew 28:18-20)
Here are the expectations that we have for every Challenge Community leader
Make decisions and live in such a way that represents Christian Challenge well and more importantly represents Christ well. Live above reproach.
Model what the life of a mature disciple of Jesus Christ looks like to those in your Challenge Community. Be an example of living on mission for Christ.
Prepare for leading the weekly community gathering. Thoroughly read and personally study the Bible passage that will be discussed. Meet with your Challenge Community partner to prepare for the gathering, develop
discussion questions, organize announcements, etc.
Communicate with whoever is hosting the community gathering (the one providing the location for the gathering). Organize the meal or snacks and any other appropriate logistics.
Nurture healthy relationships with people in your community as well as with those in your affinity group. Get to know people, hear their stories, learn their names, know some of their struggles, and be able to pray for them specifically.
Communicate with your people weekly outside of regular gatherings. Attempt to meet with everyone in your community periodically, at least once each semester. Meet with them early in the semester of possible.
Engage some of the people in your community in ongoing discipleship relationships. This might mean one on one meetings or helping facilitate a small discipleship group for accountability, encouragement, and prayer.
Identify future Challenge Community leaders and begin to offer them opportunities to participate in leadership responsibilities. Meet with potential leaders to prepare them for the community gathering and allow them to participate or even help facilitate the Bible discussion as appropriate.
Work with your Campus Missionary to help plan Community Projects and missional events on and around your campus. Communicate a missional vision to those in your community.
Attend Challenge Community leader meetings, trainings, and hangout opportunities. You should also maintain an ongoing discipleship relationship with one of your Christian Challenge campus missionaries.