Apprentice Manual Final PDF

1
APPRENTICE
FIELD GUIDE
A REPRODUCING CHURCH RESOURCE

WWW.NEWTHING.ORG
| Apprentice Field Guide
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Community
Christian Church.
All scripture passages in this guide, unless otherwise noted, are
from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). The NIV
is copyrighted 1973, 1978, and 1984 by the International
Bible Society. Used with permission of Zondervan Publishing
House. All Rights reserved.
GRAPHICS AND DESIGN

J.J. Barrows - Sherry Gossman - Nick Plassman
CONTENT
Carter Moss - Eric Metcalf - Nick Plassman
EDITORS
Hannah Greever - Charissa Holland - Carrie Larson Carter Moss
www.newthing.org
www.communtychristian.org
1635 Emerson Lane

Naperville, IL 60540
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Jon Ferguson
4
7
Chapter 1 - Reproduce
Following the call
15
Chapter 2 - Recognize
Discovering the Potential
Chapter 3 - Recruit
Casting the Vision
29
Chapter 4 - Refine
41
Chapter 5 - Reflect
53
Chapter 6 - Release
73
Developing the Skills
Forming the Character
Launching the Leaders
Chapter 7 - Remember
85
Appendix A Leadership Expectations
97
107
Furthering the Mission
Appendix B Sample Leadership

Development Plan
FOREWARD
By Jon Ferguson
Co-Founder Community Christian
Church, Director, NewThing Networks
Ive been in small groups and served on
teams with the most unlikely combination
of people and still God does what only
God can do. Through an encouraging word, an insightful
comment, an expression of kindness, a heart-felt prayer, or
simple genuine hospitality, God shows up and I am blessed
way beyond expectation. Im given just what I need to SMALL GROUP
get me through my week.
GURU
I guess thats what Jesus meant when he said . . . where two
or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
When were together, whether were serving on a vocal
team or doing life together with a small group God shows
up in a way thats different than He does when were alone.
Ah, the power of genuine community; little bands of people
gathering in cafes, homes, and church buildings or serving in
classrooms, under-resourced neighborhoods, and community
centers. Its people like you and me making a difference,
and finding the hope, encouragement, and accountability to
be what God dreamed we could be.
As a leader, you have within your grasp the ability to
convene the very presence of God. Youre that important.
Whether its three year olds or eighty-three year olds, it
takes someone to step up and say Ill do it. I will lead.
And not only will I lead, I will bring someone alongside me
to develop who will eventually lead as well. Its one thing
to lead, its another thing to care enough to invest yourself

in someone else who can lead those you cant lead.
We call these rising leaders apprentices. Jesus believed
in this enough to bring alongside himself not just one,
but 12 apprentices -- ordinary people with names like
Peter, James, and John. He asked them to do life with
him, to watch him, to learn from him. The idea is simple,
but through them he continues to change the world. And
through you, he wants to do the same.
Within these pages are some of the most practical and
insightful ideas youll find to guide you on this journey of
not only leading, but leading others to lead . . . to change
the world.
Im not kidding. You can change the world!
REPRODUCE
Chapter One -Following the Call
is
Peter, and on th
re
a
u
yo
t
a
th
u
I tell yo
e gates of
y church, and th
m
ild
bu
ill
w
I
,
rock
w 16:18)
come it. (Matthe
hell will not over
Wow. These are some of the most powerful words of

Jesus ever recorded. How do you think Peter felt? How
would you have felt? Try hearing Jesus say those words
to you: You are <insert name>, and on you I will build my
church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it.
How do you feel, deep in your gut?
Overwhelmed?
Excited?
Intimidated?
Honored?
Humbled?
All of the above?
This is really a profound turning point in the Bible. Through
out all of Jewish history, people waited for this Messiah
to show up. Then He finally does as a humble man named
Jesus. And now after 30 years of life and a mere three
years of ministry, He reveals to His followers that He
actually isnt sticking around. He will not remain on Earth
to lead them. He has a different plan; a plan to entrust
the entire future of the church, of His mission on Earth, to

humans, people like us. Wow.
The only way our leadership can
carry on is to invest into others.
So far, Gods plan is working! From Peter until today, God

has continued to call and empower leaders to lead His
church. Its because of their legacy that we are here today.
We are followers of Jesus like Peter was and called to the
Jesus mission like Peter was.
Its also true that we will not be here forever. Not just in the
literal sense that our life will come to an end someday, but
it could mean that we may end up moving to another city
and joining a new church. Or, we may get called to serve
in some other capacity, which calls us to leave our current
leadership position. So the only way that our leadership
can carry on is if we invest it into others. And that was Jesus
plan.
Another leader in the Bible who received a direct call to
leadership from Jesus is Paul. Paul understood this idea of
leadership investment (apprenticeship) as well as anybody.
One of the many people he invested in was a young,
motivated apprentice named Timothy.
Reproduce |
Paul perfectly casts the vision and value of reproducing

leadership. We see this in 2nd Timothy in one simple
statement. Its been referred to as the
2-2-2 Principle:
p
in
d me say
r
a
e
h
e
v
ha
things you witnesses, entrust
And the
ny
lified
ce of ma
n
e
s
e
r
p
lso be qua
a
e
l
il
th
w
o
h
men w
to reliable ers.
oth
to teach
y 2:2)
(2 Timoth
Paul speaks of reproducing leaders into the fourth

generation.
He 1st Generation
instructs Timothy
tion
2nd Genera
to invest in reliable
ion
men 3rd Generat
who will also be qualified to develop
others.
4th Generation
10
Pause for a moment and let the hugeness

of that sink in. When we examine this idea
of apprenticeship, were not talking about
finding people who can help us do tasks more effectively.
And were not talking about preparing people to simply
replace us so we can move on to something else. We are
talking about reproducing our leadership so the mission
wont stop with us and is carried on to future generations.
Language is important when it comes to leadership.
The word apprentice paints the picture of investing in
someone else so we can reproduce our leadership in them.
The US Navy defines an apprentice as an enlisted person
receiving specialized training. One dictionary definition
reads:
to bind or place with a craftsman in

order to learn a trade.
Our apprentices are people that become bound to us in
order to get specialized training and learn the trade of
leadership.
Its important to differentiate this from other similar but
distinct roles. Apprentices are different than assistants, coleaders, and helpers. The difference is that the apprentice
is not simply helping a leader, rather, the apprentice is
becoming a leader.
10
Reproduce | 11
The challenge is that apprenticeship does not happen

automatically. You can believe all you want that
apprenticeship is a great idea, but to live it out, you must
be intentional about recognizing and recruiting others to
join you on the mission, investing time and energy to refine
their leadership, and releasing them in faith to carry on the
mission and go teach others.
ween
oration bet
b
a
ll
o
c
a
s
ip involve
God.
Apprenticesh
ntice, and
re
pp
a
e
h
t
r,
the leade
Apprenticeship is as much of an art as it is a science. It

involves collaboration between the leader, the apprentice,
and God. It can be accomplished successfully through a
combination of skill, relationship, and discernment about
what works best for each person. Yet no apprenticeship
carries with it the guarantee of success. Choosing to invest
in someone involves a lot of risk and a lot of faithand
thats just the way God likes it! While there is no simple
one size fits all formula, there are several important tools,
guidelines, and artistic aids to help empower you to take on
the wonderful apprenticeship challenge.
12 | Apprentice Field Guide
So what is your ultimate goal in life? Raise good kids to carry

on the family name? Leave this world a better place than the
way you found it? Dont most of us want to leave some kind
of legacy behind that shows we had an impact in this world?
That is exactly what God is talking about through Paulthat
it really is possible for us to leave behind a legacy, even one
that carries on from generation to generation. The possibility
of leaving that sort of legacy is incredibly inspiring!
So let the apprenticeship journey begin!
Reproduce Review
Jesus entrusted His mission to be
carried on by people!
We need to constantly invest in other
leaders, both to be able to replace
ourselves and to send out more
leaders.
We must be intentional about
apprenticeship; we cant just expect
it to happen.
Apprenticeship is a collaboration
between the leader, the apprentice,
and God.
12
Reproduce | 13
Questions for Reflection

1. Did someone invest in you before you became a leader,
or were you forced to learn it on your own? Either way,
how did that feel?
2. Have you ever invested in someone else to develop them

for a particular role? What was that experience like?
3. Why do you think Jesus chose to rely on people to carry

on His mission?
14
15
RECOGNIZE
Chapter Two -Discovering the Potential
How much do you remember about 5th grade?
I (Eric) am not sure how much I really remember, but one
particular experience stands out to me. I was an aspiring
young artist and my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Guinn,
recognized this. He identified me as a person who had talent
and invited me to oversee the development of a significant
art project a chalk art drawing of about 50 Walt Disney
characters. I was both floored and excited about the chance
to show off my talent and passion for art, so of course I
responded with a YES!
Even though I didnt go on to pursue a career in art, the

confidence and empowerment I gained from having a leader
like Mr. Guinn recognize specific gifts in me is something I
have never forgotten. Before we discuss how to develop an
apprentice or even how to recruit one, we need to begin with
how to recognize one.
How do I know what to look for in an
apprentice? And what if

I ask someone to
be an apprentice
and they turn out to be
the wrong person?
16
One of the biggest challenges we face as leaders is knowing

what to look for in a potential apprentice, because they
will one day go on to influence the lives of others. No
matter how much reading and listening we do, it is just plain
hard. In my experience of trying to be a good apprentice
recruiter, Ive learned a lot about who I should have asked to
be an apprentice and who I shouldnt have asked.
Im a recruiter by nature. Im always looking for who I can
do ministry with. I definitely prefer to do ministry as a
team versus aloneits more fun! However, this natural (or
supernatural) inclination can cause me to invite people into
apprentice roles before they are really ready. I remember
one time when I asked someone to apprentice who was
introverted, quiet, arrogant, too serious, opinionated,
boringyou get the picture. The plain truth is that I should
not have asked them to be my apprentice. They werent
ready or even right for the role. So why did I recognize and
recruit them as an apprentice? Because I really wanted to
have an apprentice
I just wasnt sure what to look for.

Mr. Guinn recognized something in me, and as leaders we
are given the great privilege to recognize gifts in those
around us. Mr. Guinn may have identified a creative genius
(yeah right), but what are we looking for when we are trying
to identify potential apprentices?
16
Recognize | 17
to identify
d
e
e
n
e
w
o
d
?
of qualities
tice leader
n
What kinds
e
r
p
p
a
p
u
o
l small gr
in a potentia
pprentice?
ader a
A worship le
leader?
apprentice
ry
t
is
in
m
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n
der?
A stude
rentice lea
pp
a
y
t
li
a
it
A hosp
These are big questions to tackle, but we can start by

identifying the must-haves qualities that simply must be
in place before you can consider someone as a potential
apprentice. Beyond these, Ive also learned that there are
several bonuses -- characteristics that arent necessarily vital
for every leader to possess, but are a huge bonus when they
are present.
The Must-Haves
You cant drive a car without wheels, without an engine, or
without gasoline. You cant bake a cake without flour or
eggs (not a good one anyway). You cant eat a true Chicago
hot dog without onions, mustard, and relish. Think about the
must-haves youve already determined in your ministry, the
things that youve drawn a line in the sand about and simply
refused to cross. These often take lots of conviction from God
combined with some real life experience, for us to develop.
Here are a few of the must-haves that God has developed
in me when it comes to entrusting people
with the high privilege of leadership:
18
18
Spiritual Velocity
The apprentice must have a Jesus-centered lifenot a life
of perfection but a life centered on Jesus. Maybe youve
heard people list their priorities like this: God is first, family is
second, church is third and job is fourth. While there certainly
is some pragmatism to looking at things this way, what if it
could actually play out more like this: God is at the center of
our lives, and everything else revolves around Him and His
will. A person with a Jesus-centered life will be impacted in all
areas of their life. Some of the ways this can be seen are:
following Jesus
to
nt
e
m
it
m
om
C
Private
(baptism)
Public Commitment
eir spouse, date
love th
Marriage how theys
rd
nights, affirming wo
y, etc.
g boundaries, purit
in
Single healthy dat
lking positively
eir kids, ta
Parenting loving th
ning
about them, discer
ardship, generosity
ew
Finances tithing, st
Dont misunderstand this list thoughit isnt about perfection or

arrival. Its really about the journey. Brian McLaren describes
it brilliantly in his book More Ready Than You Realize, where he
calls it the journey factor.
Recognize | 19
as a
iple-making
c
is
d
g
in
as
e
tor -- se
ey, not just
rn
u
jo
g
in
Journey Fac
d
n
ess and une
)
holistic proc
an McLaren
ri
(B
t.
n
e
v
e
n
a conversio
Usually we see a Jesus-centered life as one where someone is
either in or out. Looking at the figure below imagine the
circle represents the point of conversion. As you can see Person
A has crossed that point and Person B has not. Person A is in
and person B is out. Therefore Person A has a Jesus-centered
life and Person B doesnt.
upon
apprentices based
What if we chose
ion?
ion instead of posit
ct
ire
d
d
an
m
tu
momen
This idea of momentum plus direction towards Jesus can be

called spiritual velocity. I (Eric) have seen a very real and
recent example of this in a small group where the apprentice
is a recent Christ-follower who certainly is not fully displaying
Christ through his life.
20
However, he is constantly pursuing Jesus, more than Ive seen

in many Christians I know. His momentum and direction are
incredible and definitely inspiring to me! Focusing on their
spiritual velocity versus whether they totally get it or not is far
more practical and inclusive. Do you think the disciples totally
got it? Of course not! BUT, they were moving in the right
direction and Jesus saw that. So keeping these thoughts in mind,
heres how we might reflect spiritual momentum:
So while Person A may have had a conversion experience,

he or she is not currently living a life of spiritual velocity. Since
Jesus is alive and changing the world on a daily basis, we need
to be seeking him daily (Luke 9:23-25).
Person B, on the other hand, is moving toward Jesus and is
changing the world with Jesus. Spiritual velocity is about
momentum and direction. Is the person you are considering
as an apprentice someone who wants to be in on the mission
of helping people find their way back to God? Is he/she
taking steps to live this out? If so, then they are ripe for the
opportunity to become an apprentice.
Recognize | 21
Teachability
Another must-have is teachability.
A person has to be truly willing
to accept feedback in order to be
developed. Is he/she willing to take
constructive criticism and trust that the
person giving it has their best interests
in mind?
One of the roles we play as leaders is
to identify growth
opportunities in apprentices that would help strengthen them
and, in turn, the local church. In fact, the entire apprenticeship
concept is based upon teachability the process or role
cant exist without it. If a person is teachable he/she must be
willing to be affirmed, accept feedback gracefully, and be
willing to change how they do things. This teachability needs
to be coupled with trust, and we are responsible as leaders to
develop that. If an apprentice trusts us as leaders, he/she will
be much more open to being apprenticed by us.
Relational Intelligence
Relational intelligence is the idea that a potential apprentice
needs to have the basic understanding that
people matter; people matter to God and
they need to matter to us. A person with
relational intelligence has the knack for seeing
the best in people. Theyre not oblivious to
peoples growth areas, like some sort of blind
optimism. Instead they possess a keen ability to see greatness
in someone.
reaction when
What is your first
in the parking lot?
r
ca
r
ei
th
e
se
u
yo
Parking Lot Test - Another attribute of relational intelligence

is what our staff likes to call the parking lot test. The test
is simply this: when you see the potential apprentice leaders
car in the parking lot as you pull in, is your initial reaction to
feel excited to see them, or to hope that youll be able to
avoid them? Its basically a chemistry question. When this
person walks into a room, how do people feel? Leadership
is not solely about the role, it is about relationship. Too often
we assume that simply by giving someone the authority of
a role, people will follow them. This is not true. If someone
cannot lead with relational intelligence, then they arent
really leading at all, theyre micro-managing. Relational
intelligence is a must-have when considering a potential
apprentice.
The Bonuses
Pay-day comes for many of us either on the 15th and 30th
of each month, bi-weekly, or once a month. However,
sometimes there is a special pay-day when we get an extra
amount of casha bonus. This bonus often allows us to do
the things we cant normally afford: pay off a credit card,
remodel a living room, or simply give it away to someone
in need. Whatever the case may be, we are given the
opportunity to make a bigger impact with this bonus. It gives
us the chance to do more than we could have done without it.
22
Recognize | 23
When it comes to identifying an apprentice, there are some

great bonuses we can receive as wellcharacteristics that
dont necessarily have to be in place before selecting an
apprentice, but can be huge assets to their leadership journey.
There are several different bonuses we could consider when
identifying an apprentice, but lets focus on four in particular:
Missional
There has been a recent resurgence within the Church in
regards to the study of mission. This study has emerged
because there is an argument that the Church has lost its
mission: to seek and save what is lost (Luke 15). Many argue
we have instead become a church filled with a consumer
mindset. What does the church have for me? Does it offer
the best programs for my kids? Can the teaching at this
church meet my needs? Does the music fit my personal style?
These are all valid questions to ask, but if they become our
focus, they consume us (pun intended).
When looking for potential apprentices, it would be a huge

asset to identify someone who is missional, willing to sacrifice
time, money and personal interests in order to help more
people find their way back to God. When they are sold out
to this mission, they will be sold out to the leadership that is
required to accomplish it.
Discerning
A unique spiritual gift that some potential leaders
possess is the ability to discern whats happening in any
given situation. If someone can discern peoples needs,
wants, passions, and dreams, they will have a much
better chance of leading that particular group or team.
They will know when to push people and when to let
them work things out on their own.
Inclusive
Someone who is inclusive is a breath of fresh air. Many
of us are wired to be very selfish with our time and even
more so with our friends and communities. Once weve
found a safe place to laugh and cry, we are generally
very selfish about whom we allow to experience what
we have. However, an inclusive person constantly
includes people in their conversations, their community,
and their life. If you have a potential apprentice who is
inclusive, it means they love people. It means people will
want to follow them. And it means theyll bring countless
people along on the mission.
Biblical Knowledge
Knowing Gods Word (the Bible) is vital to our
spiritual growth. Its one of the key ways for us
to learn about Gods character, about His will
for our lives, and about His mission for this world.
But while extensive biblical knowledge is very
valuable, its not necessarily a must-have for someone to
begin in leadership. Someone can have all the biblical
knowledge in the world, but not really love people or
know how to lead them. (John 5) Additionally, it is often
easier to teach someone the Bible than it is to teach them
24
Recognize | 25
how to be more loving. No matter where a person is when

they begin in leadership, they will hopefully grow in their
knowledge of the Bible throughout their leadership journey.
lieve in
e
b
y
ll
a
e
r
Do we
Does God?
people?
Some people are born leaders and some are refined as

leaders through patience, life-experience, coaching, and
Gods provision. Think about how you became a leader.
Who identified you as a potential leader? Who gave you
permission? Who cast the vision? Who inspired you to take
a risk and say yes? It took someone recognizing something in
you to get you where you are today.
The question at the heart of the issue is this: do we really
believe in people? Or another way to ask it: does God really
believe in people? If our answer is no, then the concept of
apprenticeship will never work. But, if we can answer yes,
then this whole journey is about to get a lot more interesting.
The life of following Jesus is about to get more real and more
inspiring as we go on this leadership journey with apprentices.
Recognize Review
The Must-Haves
Spiritual Velocity (whats their movement/

direction, not just position?)
Teachability (are they open to being
developed and sharpened?)
Relational Intelligence (do they get people,
and do people like them?)
The Bonuses
Missional (are they willing to sacrifice for

Gods mission?)
Discerning (can they wisely discern things in
people and situations?)
Inclusive (do they love to bring people
alongside them?)
Biblically Knowledgeable (do they have a
strong grasp on Gods Word?)
26
Recognize | 27

1. In your church, are there any other must-haves or
bonuses that you would look for when recognizing
potential apprentices?
2. Are you someone who tends to recognize peoples

strengths/gifts right away, or do you first notice their
weaknesses/challenges?
3. Who was the first person to recognize potential in

you? What was it they saw in you that was most
motivating and encouraging?
28
29
RECRUIT
Chapter Three - Casting the Vision
hat.
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think all
What if, what if, what ifThe truth is, these
questions and fears are so strong for most of us that they can
keep us from ever inviting someone into an apprenticeship. And
when we say no for someone in this way, we are denying them
the opportunity to be affirmed, to ask God what He wants next
for them, and to experience the incredible journey of leadership.
Information
The word recon (pronounced RE-con, not rek-in, that paints
a totally different picture), which is short for reconnaissance,
is an interesting one. It reminds me of a popular secret agent
video game called Splinter Cell Ghost Recon or of the Oceans
11 (and following) movies, where Danny Ocean and his team
of professional criminals study their target to gather all the
information they will need to be most effective in their task.
Heres the official definition straight from Wikipedia:
a military term for gathering information.
ple before Moses

Then Caleb silenced the peoand take
and said, We should go up rtainly do it.
can ce
possession of the land, for we
(Numbers 13:30)
One biblical example of recon comes from the book of Numbers,
in chapter 13, where there is a story of 12 men who are sent on
a recon mission. When they return, all but one of the men gives a
completely negative report. Only Caleb displays the faith in God
to know that He can overcome all of the obstacles they witnessed.
In our current ministry context, recon represents an opportunity

to gather as much information as possible before recruiting an
apprentice. This involves intentionality, some discernment, and
like Caleb, a real faith in God and His ability to work through
people.
Simon was a guy that I (Nick) had identified as a potential
apprentice. He had what I was looking for on so many levels that
I was ready to recruit him. I began my recruitment process by
simply taking interest in what he was doing. One particular night,
he was fixing a light at the church. There was a team of guys
that would gather each Wednesday to do maintenance around
the church, and for Simon, it was an easy way to contribute.
The depth of the role was not too demanding, he was able to
contribute with friends, and the time commitment was fairly light.
It was a great place to get his foot in the door of contributing.
30
Recruit | 31
I knew I liked what I saw in Simon so I asked people for

insight about him. I was looking for their reactions to my
recruitment of him. Friends are almost always a good way
to get free information and reaction about the potential
recruit. When I am asking I usually look for affirmation
about the person that I may use later in discussion with them,
or I look for potential barriers for the recruited role.
With Simon, I was encouraged to hear from his friends that
they believed the role I was recruiting him for was a great
fit. The other free information I learned was that Simon had
gone through a rough divorce a couple years earlier, and his
contributing role was very important for his own community
and relationship health. He was able to really find a sense
of belonging and value by contributing in his current role.
So after a small bit of recon, I was ready to make my ask.
n. He
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Invitation
Once we have gathered information and insight
about a potential leader through our recon
mission, the next step is to make the ask, to actually invite
them to join us on the leadership journey. This may seem like
an obvious step, but dont be fooled. There are times when
it can be extremely tempting to simply stop here, and never
make the ask of someone. Why? Because we can think of
a hundred reasons why they would say no. But we must
be very careful to never say no for someone. We must
allow God room to work in their lives. We cannot have
an apprentice if we do not ask. Its up to us to present the
opportunity, and up to God to work in them from there.
We must be very
careful never to say
no for someone.
When I first approached Simon, I had my strong case ready.

His friends believed he would be a great fit. I personally
saw many things in him that I wanted on my team, and I
knew that I was about to ask him something that was going
to be hard to refuse. So I made my way over to Simon, and
the conversation looked something like this:
32
Recruit | 33
Nick: How are you doing?

Simon: Fine.
Nick: Simon, can I ask you a question?
Simon: Sure.
Nick: Simon, have you ever considered
contributing in student ministry?
Simon: (Laughter, not a good sign.

Then a pause) Are you serious?
Nick: Completely.
Simon: (More laughter, still not a good
sign) Why in the world would you ask me
of all people?
Nick: (Racking my brain, recalling all my

recon) Because I think you would be good
at it.
Simon: Why me?

Now was my chance to use what I had learned, to affirm
him, and to cast my vision.
ICNU
ICNU is a linguistic play on letters and words, also known
as license plate language. The letters stand for I see in
you. These four simple letters may be the most important
and impactful part of recruiting an apprentice. Seeing true
potential in an apprentice is infinitely more important than
simply filling a need with any warm body, and once we are
convinced of that, we need to make sure that they know that!
The question they most want

answered is why me?
Joseph Meyers explains in his book Organic Community that
when you are recruiting someone, the number one question
they want answered is not whats in it for me? The question
they really want answered is why me? They want to know
why you selected them out of everyone else. And they hope
that the answer is tied to who they are as a person, and how
God can uniquely use them to fulfill some special role in His
mission. How disappointing would it be for them to learn
that the reason was really about you just filling a need, and
that they are simply the nearest warm body to you? As you
meet with them to cast your vision for their apprenticeship, it
is your opportunity to tell them why you believe they are the
right person, why you believe in them, and why you believe
God wants to use them in this way.
34
Recruit | 35
I began to share with Simon what I saw in him. I pointed out

the way he seemed to light up when he was around students.
I shared that students seemed to be drawn to him, and that
his commitment to small group and weekly contributing were
important qualities I was looking for. I told him about how
other people around him thought he would be a great fit as a
student ministry apprentice.
After a couple of silent moments, Simon told me he would
have to think about it and would get back to me. I smiled and
agreed, but told him I would be back to ask him the following
week. And I did. Week after week went by with Simon telling
me that he was still thinking about it. And I would take each
opportunity to tell him what I saw in him. I am not sure if the
commitment made him nervous (because of his recent divorce)
or if it was hard for him to believe in himself, but I knew that
I wanted him on my team. So after 8 weeks (yes, 8 weeks)
of asking him and giving him more and more time, he finally
agreed to check out our student ministry.
Include
Sometimes the first ask of any recruit can be to simply come
and watch what you do in your role. You can ask them to
observe, while giving them full permission to ask questions.
Simon had agreed to come to a student ministry service

and observe each aspect of it. I asked him to pay careful
attention to the entire service and to gather any questions
he had to share with me afterward. I set up a follow-up
meeting (a vital step!) with Simon for a few days following
his attendance. This was to ensure he would come and that
he and I could reflect on his experience soon after. We
had our follow-up meeting over coffee, and I asked him
about his experience. He shared that he really enjoyed it
and was looking forward to becoming a student ministry
apprentice.
After hearing his experience, I began to share my
journey, how I came to know God and how I had come to
COMMUNITY. Simon then revealed to me some insights
about his own life. He felt comfortable sharing what his
journey had looked like and how he had arrived at our
church. It was the beginning of his apprenticeship, the
beginning of his leadership at our church.
While Simons story is one of my favorites to share,
remember that it wont always play out like this. The
important lesson is that when we see something in someone
that we truly believe will benefit the mission, we need
to be willing to do whatever it takes to give them that
opportunity.
36
Recruit | 37
REMEMBER
1. Information: Gather all you can about your
potential apprentice.
2. Invitation: Ask your potential apprentice to begin exploring
leadership with you.
3. ICNU: Share with your potential apprentice why you believe
they are the best person to be your apprentice.
4. Include: Cast a clear and compelling vision of what the
leadership role involves, and how this apprenticeship will get
them there.
It took sharing what I saw in him, sharing what others saw

in him, and having consistent follow-up for Simon to agree
to pursue an apprenticeship. And after over a year of
apprenticing, Simon is now one of the best leaders we have.
Those things I saw in him have come to fruition, and each day
I am thankful for the time I spent pursuing him. Though it could
have taken even longer, He was the one I truly wanted on my
team, so I was relentless about pursuing him.
What if that was how we approached recruiting? What if we
were unstoppable about it? What if even when we were told
no, we continued to pray, and pursue the best team to lead
our ministries? What if
Recruit Review
Do some recon (learn all you

can about the person)
Make the ask (give them the

opportunity to say yes)
Share the ICNU (clearly

answer the question why me? for
them)
Invite them to join (cast a

clear vision of how they can be a
part of Gods mission)
38
Recruit | 39

1. When people have recruited you for certain roles
(whether in the church or elsewhere), have those
experiences been good? What made them that way?
2. How do you usually feel when someone tells you

no? If its hard for you, is there anything that would
help lessen that difficulty?
3. Is it more natural for you to work alone, or do you

like to work in teams? If alone, what would help you
want to start inviting others to join you?
40
41
REFINE
Chapter Four -Developing the Skills
Two different books were recently released that both paint
a similar word picture describing a non-formulaic approach
to ministry. In Organic Community, Joseph Myers talks about
the value of allowing community to emerge from a blank
canvas, rather than approaching it as a paint-by-numbers
process. In Walking the Small Group Tightrope, Bill Donahue
and Russ Robinson argue a similar perspective:
help you
y
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m
s
r
e
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t it will
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,
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our color pa
of art.
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organize y
w
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e a life-g
not produc
In other words, you cant paint without a paintbrush, you cant

paint without paint, and you cant paint without some type
of canvas. Similarly, there are certain tools that are essential
to allowing the art of leadership to take hold. These vital
sciences or paint tools include:
varied learning environments,
freedom to explore leadership,
and step-by-step experiences that allow
reproduction of ones role or responsibility.
The Practice of Development

Every role is reproducible!
(If its not, then why create it?)
Every role is reproducible. Let that sink inevery role is
reproducible. If its not, then why create it? Think about it.
Why do we create new ministries, programs, small groups,
and teams in the first place? Hopefully the underlying
mission is to help more people find their way back to God
and ultimately give God more glory, right? If thats true,
then wouldnt you expect that a healthy and vibrant ministry,
program, small group or team would reproduce in order to
reach exponentially more people for Christ? Of course!
If we are to become all about creating teams and groups
that are reproducible, that means every role must also
be reproducible. So the question remainshow do we
reproduce that role? If its a person who loves kids and
serves diligently to help more kids love Jesushow do you
reproduce that role? Or what if someone is great at running
sound, playing guitar, or leading worshiphow do we
reproduce that?
In 1997 a book was published by a great church consultant
who has influenced our church in regards to leadership
development perhaps more than any other person. In his
book Nine Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership, Carl
George describes a simple and memorable process on how to
reproduce the role of any leader through apprenticeship:
42
Refine | 43
I do, you watch, we talk.

I do, you help, we talk.
You do, I help, we talk.
You do, I watch, we talk.
You do, someone else watches.
Lets unpack each of those:
I do, you watch, we talk

If you were the leader of the set-up/tear-down ministry and
you had an apprentice, you would want your apprentice to be
with you at all times to learn the ins and outs of that ministry.
So if you show up at 6am to set up, have your apprentice
show up at 6am (but remember to buy them coffee, so you
are serving them along the way). Then have your apprentice
watch as you direct traffic during set up. Theyll observe
where tables, chairs and people go. Once services are over,
the apprentice can observe how you lead the whole tear-down
process, from how things are broken down, to how they are
carried out the door and packed into the trailer. You want them
to watch everything you do as a leader so you can talk about
the apprentice role.
I do, you help, we talk

Lets try another scenario for this one. If you were a leader
of a support and recovery small group and you had an
apprentice, your goal is to reproduce everything you do as
a leader with that potential leader. But at this stage of the
game you are giving them opportunities to help. So maybe
you have the apprentice leader do the opening prayer
time and you do the facilitating, and the apprentice leader
is responsible for taking mental note of how you do as a
leader. They should pay attention to how you ask followup questions, how you respond to people talking during
someone sharing, and how you respond to particularly
difficult stories. You and the apprentice can meet outside
the group and discuss how you did as a leader. You can
then share how they did helping with the prayer time.
You do, I help, we talk

Lets say youre leading a lighting team and you have
an apprentice who has had a few experiences with
helping and they are ready to go the next level of the
apprenticeship. This means its time for them to do, while
you help. So for any given service, have them set up the
lighting, run the lighting in cue-to-cue, and run the lights
during service. After those services, you can then meet with
your apprentice to discuss how things went, asking them if
there is anything they would have done differently. You
can also ask whether there is anything that you could have
done as the leader to support them more in the process.
44
Refine | 45
You do, I watch, we talk

This is nearly the final phase of reproducing the role. This is
when the apprentice feels ready and confident to take on
full responsibility for the leadership role theyre apprenticing.
For example, if theyre apprenticing as a childrens ministry
small group leader, they are now ready to lead the
childrens small group on their own, while the current leader
observes. Then the two will meet to discuss how things went.
It is through this last phase that it becomes apparent whether
the apprentice is really ready to step into leadership. And
if both people feel like the timing is right, then its time to
reproduce into leadership, which leads us to our last phase.
You do, someone else watches

This last step is vital. It reminds us to repeat the process, to
never forget the vision of being a reproducing church and to
never settle for stopping at one generation reproduction. It
reminds us to be a church that reproduces second, third and
fourth generations. Remember Pauls vision for the church
that he cast so well to Timothy, the 2-2-2 Principle.
What is t
he most
eff
way to d
evelop an ective
apprentic
e?
The Principles of Development
One vital question to consider when it comes to developing an
apprentice is this: what is the most effective way to develop
them? Different people learn best through different methods,
so is it possible to provide multiple ways for them to learn?
The answer is yes. It is possible to develop someone in all
four of the primary learning styles, while allowing most of
their development to occur in their most effective style, in their
sweet spot.
Experiential Learning
One way we can equip our apprentices is through the
experience of leadership. Experiential learning simply allows
someone to try on the role. They get the chance to step up
the plate and see what God can do through them.
If you have an apprentice worship leader, you can give them
the opportunity to experience leading worship, perhaps
having them facilitate worship during a service for one of the
three songs performed. Once the experience is over, you can
then meet with your apprentice to affirm them in what they
did well and offer input on their growth areas.
Or consider the usher leader who needs to develop an
apprentice. To help develop them in the fine art of recruiting
more ushers, the leader could try doing a role-play scenario
with the apprentice. This could involve letting the apprentice
46
Refine | 47
practice inviting them to serve, while the leader offers a

variety of yes and no answers. The apprentice could also
take on the organization of the ushers during a particular
weekend service. After each of the experiential learning
opportunities, the leader should meet with the apprentice to
give them feedback on how they did.
Self-learning
Id (Eric) like to give a shout out to all you self-learners
out there! Im a self-learner, and as a self-learner I enjoy
studying on my own. Give me a book, a website, or an
article and I will dissect it, process it, and apply it, all on my
own. As a self-learner, Im constantly seeking out new ways
to see things through blogs, websites, books, magazines, and
anything else I can get my hands on.
Im also a big-time reader. At any given time I can be

caught reading 4-6 books at once, getting through about
one book every 7-10 days. Im such a huge fan of reading.
Its even a little bit of a competition among our staff; were
always trying to see who can read what first. In fact, I
once committed a federal offense (I opened someones
package from Amazon) just so I could read what they
ordered first! I read books on various topics, but they mostly
center on ministry: everything about small groups, emerging
church (philosophy, critiques, and strategies), leadership
development, spiritual formation and many others.
48
For our COMMUNITY apprentices who are self-learners, we

have designed blogs like:
www.cccsmallgroups.com
www.multi-sitekids.org
www.multi-sitearts.com
blogs
to vis
it
These blogs offer video modules, articles, posts from church

staff, best practices, and many other leadership development
resources. We also constantly recommend various books
for their own self-learning, some on general leadership and
vision-casting principles, some on spiritual development, and
some on ministry-specific skills.
Classroom
For our COMMUNITY apprentices who learn
best through a classroom environment, we
offer something called Leadership Community.
Leadership Community is a concept that was introduced by
Carl George in Coming Church Revolution. In this book he
lays out a simple model called V.H.S or
vision
huddle
skill
The vision time is for sharing where youre headed as a

church and ministry; the huddle time is for coaches, leaders,
and apprentices to connect; the skill time is an opportunity
to develop specific abilities for a particular area of
ministry. We gather together the first Saturday of every
month to celebrate whats happening in our ministries. Its
also a time where we equip our leaders based upon need
Refine | 49
through coaching and training. If done right and leaders

take advantage of it, this can be one of the most powerful
experiences for an apprentice. Whether these classroom
opportunities become a monthly event like this, or consist of
constantly varying classes and training sessions, they can be
valuable to an apprentices development.
Mentoring
I'm
My (Eric) favorite of all these learning

Eric
environments has to be the mentoring
experience. My bias for this comes from
a ministry context where I have had the
privilege to meet one-on-one with some of
the greatest leaders anywhere. In fact, Im
in a one-on-one mentoring relationship at
least once a week and most times twice a week. Apprentice
leaders get the privilege to meet with a leader one-on-one.
Ive seen time and time again where good apprentice
leaders become great leaders because of the investment
one leader made in them. In fact, nearly all of our staff
have been apprentice leaders at some point. Being in
a mentoring relationship with someone who loves Jesus
and would give their life for the local church is key to
experiencing a fulfilling apprenticeship. Well talk more
about what this mentoring relationship looks like in the next
chapter, as we explore more of the art of relating to an
apprentice.
The science of reproducing the role is about knowing the
practices that work and diligently applying them. These are
the block and tackle practices of leadership, the practices
that are fundamental to spiritual and numerical growth.

Through the grace of God, consistent application of these
practices, and constant prayer, God can help us live out this
2-2-2 Principle to carry out His mission.
50
Refine | 51
Refine Review
The 4 styles of learning
o Experiential (learning through
doing, practicing, being on the
job)
o Self-learning (learning through
personal research and reading)
o Classroom (learning through the
teaching of others)
o Mentoring (learning through a
1-on-1 relationship)
The 5 steps of apprenticeship
o I do, you watch, we talk.
o I do, you help, we talk.
o You do, I help, we talk.
o You do, I watch, we talk.
o You do, someone else watches.

1. Which of the 4 styles of learning do you thrive most
in? Are you allowed to learn that way most of the
time?
2. Which of the 5 steps of apprenticeship is the

toughest for you to do, or the easiest for you to
overlook?
3. Why do you think its so vital to include the we talk

part in each of the development steps?
52
53
REFLECT
Chapter 5 - Forming the Character
I (Nick) brought the plant with me to our first meeting. I
placed it on the table and we both looked at it in silence. I
had owned the plant for years and had kept it healthy the
entire time. We had been through much together and now I
was loaning it to Tom. He had agreed to be my apprentice,
and as we both sat at the table that
day, we considered the next few
months with it. My first meeting with
my new apprentice was christened
with the plant.
During those next few months, I loaned
the plant to Tom as a tool for his
apprenticeship. The plan was for Tom
to take care of the plant and learn
about its growth and challenges.
(Inside I feared this would be the last
time I would see my plant alive.) I
wanted Tom to take careful notice of
this particular plantwhat its needs
were and how to help it grow to its
maximum capacity. After our
meeting, Tom put the plant in his car and we left
to finish our work day. I got a call that
night that the plant was not doing so
wellprobably because Tom had left
it in his hot car all day! Every leaf was
withered. He was not off to a good start.
Over the next few months, the plant made its

way into our discussions about growth, care,
and challenges. The day Tom graduated from
apprenticeship to leadership, I received the
plant back. It was still alive, but it had gone
through many changes while it was under Toms
care. I was happy to take it home and place it in the sunny
spot where it was able to flourish again. I was also happy
to see my apprentice move to a place where he was leading
and flourishing in leadership. While his gardening skills
could still use some work, his leadership skills had definitely
taken a huge leap forward. To this day, Tom and I still talk
about the plant!
So maybe you are wondering, Do I really need to go
buy a plant for my apprentice to be successful? No, not
necessarily, but it is important to understand that certain
aspects of the development process will need to be unique to
each apprentice.
So why the plant?

I chose the plant specifically because Tom was actually
known for killing plants, but I wanted him to understand and
learn cultivation. I knew that as he cared for the plant, he
would have to pay attention to what its needs were, including
the amount of sunlight and water that were required. It also
gave us a constant in our communication. As he grew in his
understanding of how to manage the health of the plant, this
was paralleling his understanding of leadership.
54
Reflect | 55
Developing your apprentice is a

Each of us has different
journey, not a check-sheet.
areas that we need to
grow in, and each of us
has led a different life full
of different experiences. So whether you include a plant
or some other visual aid, remember that developing your
apprentice is a journey, not a check-sheet. Your goal is to
help them along that journey, in order to holistically develop
them. You get to help them both reflect your leadership and
reflect the character of Jesus. And the fun part is that you
can use your own creativity in doing that!
One-On-Ones
One-on-ones are the meetings that you have alone with your
apprentice. There is no specific place that you have to meet
(i.e. Starbucks, Panera, the church, a dark alley late at night,
etc.) but you definitely want the environment to allow for
one-on-one dialogue.
The frequency of these meetings is up to you and may
also depend on the specific ministry area
of the apprenticeship. But bear in mind
that determining this frequency can be a
challenge. We know that real relationships
take time. You cannot develop a healthy
relationship with someone with no time investment. And
we also know that life often messes with our schedules,
and finding time to meet with your apprentice may prove
difficult. The goal must be to balance this tension of
keeping the time requirements of an apprenticeship to
a realistic level with the importance of strong relational
investment. The minimum frequency for meeting with your
56
apprentice is at least once a month. A better

frequency would be meeting at least twice a
month. This allows for consistent time together, and
also means that if something comes up and the
meeting has to be cancelled, you wont have to go more than
a month before you meet again.
Sometimes in the apprenticeship process, the best frequency
is weekly. This is especially important early on. It is also
important when apprenticing in specific ministries. For instance,
if you are apprenticing someone to be a small group leader,
they can receive the most development if you meet weekly
to plan the coming weeks study and evaluate the previous
weeks group time.
There is an important side note here: it is often best to
avoid apprenticing someone of the opposite gender. But
if you choose to do this, it is definitely wise to only meet
in public settings, and even to find ways to have other
people join your meetings (like another leader, coach, or
apprentice).
What are RPMS?
Your lead
er
caught a ship will be
s much a
s it is
taught.
As you meet with your apprentice, you need to keep in mind

that what you model for them through your time, questions,
and care is a huge part of what they will carry on when
they recruit and develop their own apprentice. Your
leadership is being caught as much as it is
taught.
Reflect | 57
One of the most important things that needs to get

caught and taught is the challenge of balancing life with
ministry. When his/her home-life or work-life presents
with challenges, then you both need to know that serving
and leading will be affected. Remember that beyond
developing leadership skills, the goal is also to develop your
apprentice as a disciple (a follower) of Jesus, reflecting
His life in theirs. One of the ways you can gauge this well
and provide holistic care for your apprentice is through the
RPMS. RPMS is an acrostic for: relational, physical, mental
and spiritual. Just as we check the RPMs on a car to see
how well it is running, we can check the RPMS on ourselves
and our apprentices to see if all is in balance.
The Bible tells us that Jesus grew in each of these four areas
throughout His ministry training:
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God
and men. Luke 2:52
Relationally
Spiritually
Jesus grew in favor
with God
Jesus grew in favor

with people.
Physically
Mentally
Jesus grew in
wisdom.
Jesus grew in
stature.
The bottom line is that relationships take time. The idea

of tackling each of these areas of your apprentices life
can feel uncomfortable or overwhelming at first. It should.
Diving right into an RPMS conversation with your apprentice
before a relationship has been established could achieve
the opposite of what you are trying to accomplish: a
close, trusting relationship. So take your time and use
some relational wisdom. You were most likely chosen
as a leader because of your leadership and relational
gifts. You need to rely on these instincts and on Gods
prompting to know when the time is right to begin the
RPMS conversation.
Realize also that having the RPMS conversation is countercultural to our individualistic way of doing life. Culturally, we
are just not used to asking people how their physical health is
let alone their relational and spiritual health. But nonetheless,
God calls us to this type of Biblical community with one
another. It is at the core of discipleship.
Because checking your apprentices RPMS takes
intentional effort, the risk we run is allowing the
task to become paramount, causing authentic
relational development to fall by the wayside.
One of the best ways to avoid this is to be
very intentional about spending time with
your apprentice. As the leader, it will be important for you
to lead the way for relational sharing. It may take weeks
or months before a leader and apprentice are at a place
where they can venture into RPMS kind of sharing.
58
Reflect | 59
Relational
Our relational world consists of the people with whom we
regularly interact: our immediate family, friends, neighbors,
and small group members. Getting to know your apprentice
means getting to know their relational world.
The relational part of the RPMS may be one of the easiest
to overlook. Oftentimes, simply having a meeting with
someone or seeing them on a regular basis seems like
enough, but it may not be. Someone once said simply
ministry is relationships. So much of how ministry is done
is relationship-driven. If that is the case, then we have to
invest ourselves in people in order to gain
permission to speak into their lives about the
different areas of development. After all,
we are not simply filling a quota, we are
investing in a real person to become a leader
in Gods Kingdom; a leader who will lead
others on their journey.
With one particular apprentice, I (Nick) loved to
communicate with him through sarcasm. I would often
meet him for coffee and discuss the RPMS with him.
Along his journey he had moved and
gotten a different job, so it became
increasingly more difficult to meet. We
would have to be creative and find
alternative times to meet in order to
stay connected regularly. He began to
hear about others that I had met with
and tossed a sarcastic cue to me, letting me
in on how our relationship had changed since he moved.

Something like I see how it is. I move, get a new job and I
become less important. I knew he didnt actually think that,
so I made some time with him and asked him what was really
going on. He filled me in on the fact that he missed the ease
of relationship we used to have and told me that he wanted
that again. We worked on a more regular meeting time
which also helped him adjust to his life change.
Relational development is
the core of apprenticing.
Relational development is the core of apprenticingout of
this, everything else will grow. As we invest relationally with
apprentices, we are given an entry point into their lives and
that is what we as leaders need to be most concerned about:
the apprentices life. Not only are we called to help our
apprentices with the task of their ministry, but we are also
called to encourage them to be effective in every aspect of
their lives.
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Reflect | 61
Good Questions about Relationships

How are things at home?
What about your family life is going well? What would
you like to change?
Who do you consider your closest friend? How is God
using that relationship to grow you?
What are your relationships like at work?
What is the most challenging relationship in your life?
The most rewarding?
Physical
What comes to mind when you think of someones physical
well-being? Maybe sickness and health? Maybe diet and
exercise? Maybe rest and pace? All of these things are part
of our physical well-being. The physical aspect of our lives
and ministry is the ability to have a balanced and healthy
physical life. This is often one of the most overlooked
aspects of an apprentices life. However, if we are truly
serious about developing the whole person, we have to help
our apprentices see that their physical well-being can affect
their ability to lead any given ministry with enthusiasm,
passion, and energy.
Good Questions About Physical

Balance
How is your work schedule?
What does a good nights rest look like for you?
Where is your energy level on a scale of 1-10?
What about your physical health do you want to
change?
What parts of that are in your control?
What parts are out of your control?
Mental
Another important aspect of apprentice development is
mental development. We need to keep a good pulse on
the education of our leaders. As we discussed in Chapter
4, some people are naturally self-learners so they are
highly motivated to constantly develop their mind. Others,
however, need the accountability and encouragement of a
friend or mentor to take the initiative in this area. Part of our
responsibility as leaders is to make sure our apprentices are
being equipped for life and for the ministry they have been
called to. Regularly ask your apprentices about the things
God is teaching them and encourage them to apply that
learning to their lives and ministry in real and practical ways.
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Good Questions About Mental Learning

What have you been learning lately, from the Biblical
teaching youve been exposed to, in your own times of
Bible study, through your small group?
What does God want you to learn through the
particular circumstances in which you find yourself?
What books are you reading to sharpen your skills, to
challenge your growth as a Christ-follower, or to stretch
your understanding of your culture?
How have you applied what you are learning through
your small group or the ministry in which you are serving?
What thoughts have been dominating your mind lately?
Are these thoughts having a positive or negative
effect on your life?
Are they thoughts that are pleasing to God? Is there
something that needs to be corrected in your thought
life?
As leaders we can help our apprentices to not only absorb

learning, but also help them to filter certain thoughts and
information. By asking about their learning, we can help
them avoid being influenced by unhealthy theological
sources. By discussing the thoughts that are on their minds,
we may discover areas of their understanding that are
misguided and need to be replaced with Biblical truth.
Checking the M of your apprentices RPMS can be a
little intimidating. It requires that you listen with careful

discernment and speak the truth with wisdom and in love. As
you talk with your apprentice, maintain a constant prayer for
Gods wisdom to flood your heart and saturate your words.
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,

who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
Spiritual
In his book Home Cell Group Explosion, Joel Comiskey
presents the results of a survey he conducted among the
largest churches in the world. This survey revealed that
personality and gifts were not the biggest factors in the
growth of the churchthe prayer life and devotional life
of the leaders were. Spiritual vitality is crucial to your
apprentices life and effectiveness in ministry. When leaders
hearts are intimately connected to God they will be attuned
to His leading and ministry will flow from
their lives. Too many times we get this turned
around. We fill our lives with the tasks of
ministry and find very little time left to connect
with God. When this happens, not only are we
in danger of wearing out (because we arent
staying connected to our Source of strength
and power), but we are also in danger of
missing Gods plan and purposes (because we arent sensitive
to the leading of His Spirit).
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Reflect | 65
As a leader, you can help your apprentice figure out what

they need to do to find and maintain intimacy with God.
It might be different for each person and may even differ
for the same person through different seasons of life. But
it is crucial that your leaders are building and protecting
things in their lives that will nourish and grow their spirits.
At COMMUNITY, we believe spiritual development revolves
around three vital experiences we call The 3 Cs.
Celebrate: Relationship between me and God.

Connect: Relationship between me and others.
Contribute: Relationship between me and the world.
Good Questions About Spiritual Health

Does your relationship with God feel close and intimate
right now? If not, can you think of something in your life
that is standing in the way (i.e. busyness, sin, apathy,
etc.)?
What combinations of spiritual disciplines do you need in
your daily life to keep your heart intimate with God?
How could I help hold you accountable to the practice
of those disciplines?
How has God been speaking to you lately? What has He
been saying?
The Art of Speaking the Truth in

Love
If an apprentice isnt carrying through with
their responsibilities, it is often the leaders
responsibility to speak the hard words of truth.
When something in an apprentices life seems
questionable, God may desire for you to be the voice of
truth in their life. Speaking the truth in love will enable your
apprentice to take another step in his or her journey towards
maturity. Although difficult, failing to speak these words
of truth might keep your apprentice from growing or prove
problematic, even dangerous, for your team and the people
entrusted to that apprentices care. Truth speaking is hard,
there is no way around that. But it is something we must learn
how to do for the good of the leader, the ministry, and the
church.
There is definitely an art to this whole idea of speaking the
truth in love, and each personality type and spiritual gifts will
bring their own approach to it. But there are a few principles
that we can strive to include every time we are faced with
this challenge:
Pray, Pray, Pray

Do not enter a truth-telling conversation without praying for
God to prepare your heart and the heart of your apprentice
for your meeting. Pray for wisdom and discernment to speak
the right words. Pray that your apprentices
heart will be receptive to
correction.
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Struggle
If it is easy for you to speak hard words into another
persons life then you probably shouldnt do it. If it is
difficult for you to speak hard words because you dont
want to hurt the other person or ruin your relationship, then
you probably are speaking from a heart of love.
Decide
You must come to the decision that you love the person
enough to not allow anything to stunt their growth as a
Christ-follower. Gently affirm to your apprentice that the
words you are speaking come from a desire to see him or
her grow.
Ask
Remembering to ask questions that communicate to your
apprentice that you care about them (beyond just the
ministry task) is vital. One example might be: Ive noticed
that you dont seem to be serving with much enthusiasm
lately. Is there something going on in your life that is
burdening you?
Affirm
It is vital that you affirm your apprentice consistently
throughout their development. Affirm your desire to
maintain a close, authentic relationship with them. Affirm
the apprentices value to the team. Try to catch them
doing things right. All of this affirmation earns you a lot
of relational mileage for when the tougher speak truth in
love times come.
68
As we navigate these relational encounters, it is helpful to

keep the following diagram in mind:
4 Ways to Speak
1
2
Love
No Truth
Love
Truth
No Love
No Truth
No Love
Truth
Love/No Truth
Saying things that are loving, but not true. This may
win friends but it wont grow Christ-followers!
No Love / No Truth
Saying things that are neither loving nor true. This is
the sure way to destroy trust and relationships!
Love / Truth
3
4
Saying things that are true in love. Results in

authenticity and the best chances for growth and
maturity.
No Love / Truth
Saying things that are true but not seasoned with
love. Hurt feelings will result!
Reflect | 69
The Art of Development

Wouldnt it be great if it all worked just like this
every time? We could go down the list of RPMS
and know that we have the recipe for success.
Now that you have been empowered with the
secret recipe for success, you need to know
the hard part. Leadership development does
not come easy and every person needs to be
developed differently. There is no easy recipe for success,
which is why we refer to this part of the development as
art.
Any artist has to practice their art and skills in order to
become a better artist. A painter practices many different
color combinations and may spend hours on the tiniest
detail. It certainly would be amazing if Michelangelo
was born creating masterpieces out of Play-Doh, or
Santana knew how to tear up a solo on his electric
guitar when he was three.
As an art, the development of an apprentice will
take time and patience and the more you do it the
more you will become aware of the specific needs
of your apprentices. If you know that one particular
area of development will be difficult for you, then push
yourself to become better at it. Pray for Gods help as you
lead, and work at your leadership development. And as an
artist, when you are finished and your apprentice moves into
a leadership role, it will be worth it to stand back and see
what God was able to do through your commitment. Youll
get to admire Gods art melded with yours and poured into
another person on mission with Jesus.
Reflect Review
One-on-ones are key to
relational investment and
development
Commit to caring for them in
the RPMS
o Relationally
o Physically
o Mentally
o Spiritually
Learn to speak the truth in love
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1. Have you ever been led by someone who had relationally
invested in you? If so, how was that different than being
led by someone who didnt?
2. How do you think leadership is caught along with

being taught? What specific things could you do to
help someone catch things about your leadership and
lifestyle?
3. Have you ever had someone speak a hard truth into

your life? How do you feel they did in speaking the truth
in love? What did you learn from that?
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RELEASE
Chapter 6 - Launching The Leaders
I (Carter) still remember my

college graduation day; thousands
of us packed together in the
huge arena, listening to the
motivational speeches about the
rest of our lives. Then there was
the long wait while they read the name of every single
graduate so we could make that long prideful walk across
the stage to receive our diploma. (Luckily my last name
starts with M and not Z!) I remember having my parents
in the audience cheering me on, as their oldest son became
the first in the family to graduate college. I remember
the party and gifts afterwards. And I remember taking
my diploma out of its holder, and replacing it with the
certificate I got the night before for eating the Rama-LamaDing-Dong, the ginormous 15-scoop dessert that when
eaten, earned you a small plaque on the restaurant wall.
That parts not relevant, Im just proud of it.
But one of the things I remember most is realizing
what a huge transition this was really going to be
in my life. Ever since I was five, I spent most of my
life in school. Think about itmost of us basically
spend the entire first 21 years of our lives (give
or take a few years) in training for life. Then
when were done training, were released to go and make
a living. But once were released, how do we know if
were really ready? Are we now on our own? Are we done
learning?
The graduation experience parallels the process of releasing

our apprentices into leadership. They have invested time,
energy, prayer, and passion into their training. Then the time
is right to release them into full-blown leadership. There are
some things we can learn from graduation day to make this
transition an exciting experience for them. And there are
strategies we can put in place to aid them as they face the
similar questions as a new graduate.
Graduation Day is Up to You

Its probably a good thing that our school system here in the
U.S. currently decides how many grades are required and
when we are allowed to graduate. If it were up to us, those
who dont enjoy school or find it beneficial would probably
choose to graduate way too early. And those who do enjoy
it and dont want to enter the next life stage might choose to
delay graduation indefinitely! (Maybe youve known a few
of those people.)
There is real danger is not being

wise about our timing of releasing an
apprentice leader.
It is important to figure out the timing piece when it comes

to releasing an apprentice. There is real danger in not
being wise about our timing. It can be tempting to short-cut
the apprenticeship process and release someone before
they are ready, especially when we are facing an urgent
ministry slot that really needs to be filled. A few years
ago in our music ministry, we had someone who had all of
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the technical skills required to become a vocal leader.

But the apprenticeship process was rushed, and she did
not get time to learn some important relational and
communication skills. This ultimately caused the leader who
had apprenticed her to later regret the decision to rush the
timing.
There are also times when we are ready to move on to the
next thing, or when we feel overwhelmed by the process,
so we decide to rush the apprenticeship. And there are
times when our apprentice is anxious to jump into leading
and is pushing for that goal. But when we graduate the
apprentice too soon, it really is a loss for both parties. The
apprentice can end up overwhelmed in their leadership
responsibilities, leaving us spending more time trying to
coach them through challenges later than if we had just
been patient with the process in the first place.
In many cases, the apprentice may never

feel 100% prepared, but this is to be
expected.
On the other hand, it can also be dangerous to prolong
the apprenticeship. This is especially tempting for leaders
who have trouble letting go of ministry and who are very
careful and meticulous in their processes. And it can be
tempting for apprentices who are afraid of risks and new
experiences, and who also err on the far side of caution.
In many cases, the apprentice may never feel 100%
prepared, but this is to be expected. Ask any new parent
whether they felt 100% prepared for having their first
child. There may always be some amount of fear and risk

involved, but hopefully along with that comes faith and a
reliance on God.
So heres where releasing your apprentice is not like
graduation dayyou get to choose when they are ready!
(And with everything we just said, theres no pressure, right?)
So how do you discern when the

time is right?
There are a few things you can do.
First, hopefully the apprenticeship has included lots of
communication between the leader and the apprentice

(remember the we talk step of development in Chapter
4- Recruit?). This helps both people stay on the same page,
so when the time comes, it doesnt come as a big shock to
either one.
Second, hopefully the entire process has been
enveloped in prayer. This is part of why God put His Holy

Spirit into us as Christ-followersto lead us and help us
discern in decisions like this. Remember that He desires to
see people fulfill their mission for Him even more than you
and I do, so He is certainly interested in helping them get
there.
Third,
when you get to the point where you are

confident that your apprentice has most of the necessary
knowledge and skills and simply needs to take the step of
faith to just do it, then it might be time. Theyll never be on
their own anyway, as well discuss soon.
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Set Up for Success

Now that I (Carter) have preached about
not rushing the apprenticeship process, I need
to confess a time when I did not practice what
I preach. I had a situation with a small group
leader when I was tempted to short-cut the
apprenticeship process due to needand I
did. She was apprenticing in a small group
and the groups leader had just stepped
down. If I wanted the group to stay alive, then I needed to
replace the leader ASAP. So I turned to the apprentice and
told her it was time to step into leadership.
Unfortunately, I was not setting her up for success in her
first assignment. The group was already struggling with
consistent attendance, and then the remaining members
had to deal with what happened with the leader.
The leader decided to quit the group to deal with
some personal issues, leaving the group feeling
confused (among other things). So in my desire
to save the group, I basically threw this leader
into the fire and asked her to save everyone from
getting burnt. Fortunately by Gods grace, we have
been able to work through the situation, but it was a
big-time wake-up call to me about following through
with the apprenticeship process.
When we graduate, that very first job we take on is
extremely important. Its where we learn a lot about being
in the real world. Its where we gain experience that will
forever show up on our resumes for future jobs. And we

hope it becomes a job we can enjoy, so we can feel like
our schooling was actually worth it and we really are
figuring out how to make a living.
These same reasons are why it is vital that we, as leaders,
set our apprentices up for success in their first leadership
assignment. We need to put them into situations that they can
thrive in and lead through. When we do that, it earns them
incredible respect from their followers. It fuels their passion
for leadership and reminds them why they embarked on
this whole journey in the first place. It makes them extremely
grateful to us for apprenticing them to success. And it
motivates them to want to invest in someone else in the same
way. Resist the temptation to place an apprentice based
purely on need, and instead factor in the need for them to
have a positive leadership experience.
Lets Party (and Pray)

One of the most fun parts of graduation is often the parties,
which usually include lots of great food and
lots of fun celebrating the accomplishment
with friends.
Thats also part of the excitement of
releasing an apprenticeits a great excuse
for a party! And who wants to miss out on another reason
to celebrate? The best part is that you can be as creative
as you want with the celebration. There are some leaders
who will throw an actual graduation day party for their
apprentice. I know of many small groups that have thrown
birthday parties to celebrate their apprentice birthing off
their small group to go start a new one.
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Sometimes the celebration is centered on big, public

announcements. When one of the pastors at COMMUNITY
apprenticed Lauren and released her into leadership, he
announced to everyone at the weekend celebration services
that her apprenticeship was over and she was becoming
the new (unpaid) ministry director. Immediately following
service, one of the attenders walked up to Lauren, told
her how excited she was that Lauren was taking this step
into an unpaid staff role, and proceeded to hand her a
check! While we cant guarantee that your apprentices will
receive free money when they step into leadership (though
that would certainly help when recruiting them!), we can
guarantee that theyll feel extremely honored, affirmed,
and motivated by being celebrated like this.
The other important piece of releasing someone into
leadership is modeled for us again by Pauls relationship
with Timothy, his apprentice. Paul describes how he and
others laid hands on Timothy and prayed for him as they
sent him out into the mission field:
Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received

through the prophecies spoken to you when the
elders of the church laid their hands on you.
(1 Timothy 4:14)
This is why I remind you to fan into flames
the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my
hands on you. (2 Timothy 1:6)
The laying on of
hands was a very
When someone steps into leadership,
important step to
they are increasing their influence
Paul in the sending
and impact in the most important
out of leaders.
mission in the world!
He wanted to
ensure this was an
experience that Timothy would never forget. Think about
itwhen someone is stepping into leadership, they are not
just graduating from apprentice to leader, they are truly
stepping into the mission field. They are increasing their
influence and impact in the most important mission in the
world!
So this is a great opportunity to let your new leader
experience being prayed for. Again, the creativity of this
moment is up to youyou can do it alone, with others, with
hands laid on them, in a circle with them, etc. But the key is
to create an experience that lets them know what a huge
step this is and that, ultimately, their leadership journey is
entrusted to Gods hands.
I Made It! (Now Where is Everyone?)

I (Carter) remember my first day at my new
job out of college. I found my desk in the vast
wilderness of cubicle-land and sat there asking
myself that historic questionwhat do I do now?
I truly felt on my own for the first time in my life.
No more asking my teachers, assistants, or lab
partners for help when I got stuck. (I could bring my school
books with me, but we all know those have no application
to the real world anyway, right?) No more running home
to Mom & Dad for a home-cooked meal and some clean
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Release | 81
laundry. No more college roommate or dorm floor friends

to work on stuff with.
When our apprentices are released into leadership, we
must commit ourselves to making sure that they do not feel
the same wayalone. We must help them see that once
they are released into leadership, they wont ever be
released from the care of the team, the community, or the
church. They never have to feel fully alone!
One of the most important steps we can take to accomplish
this is to ensure that we have good coaching in place.
Coaches are a layer of leadership in between leaders and
staff who can provide more direct care for leaders than
staff often have the bandwidth to do.
Coaching can accomplish several important things. First,

coaching helps the new leader still feel connected to the
team and to the bigger mission. Second, it gives the new
leader someone
to celebrate their
victories with,
Quality coaching is critical in order
and someone to
for the staff, leaders, and ministry to
encourage them
keep moving in the same direction.
as they face the
challenges. And
third, it gives them
someone to get insight and direction from, someone to
bounce ideas off of, and someone to wrestle through stuff
with. Imagine forcing them to do leadership without all of
these things!
Quality coaching is critical in order for the staff, the leaders,

and the entire ministry to keep moving forward in the same
direction.
The other important follow-up step is to provide
future opportunities for their leadership
development. When we graduate, our education
does not stop. There are many opportunities
to learn on the job and through experience,
and often there are extra trainings, classes, books,
and other resources people can take advantage of to
continue their education. We can provide these same types
of opportunities for our leaders. Each of the four learning
styles discussed in
Chapter 4 can and should continue.
Graduation day is one of the
days that most people will never
forget. While it may bring with
it a variety of emotions from
fear to excitement to being
overwhelmed, it always brings a sense
of accomplishment. As leaders, we havent really
completed the apprenticeship process in a healthy way
until weve released our new leaders in an environment of
celebration, affirmation, and prayer. We get the privilege
of helping someone we personally developed enter into the
adventure of leadership! Ill take that over a Rama-LamaDing-Dong any day.
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Release Review
Timing is everything
o Avoid rushing or unnecessarily

postponing the release.
o Make sure you, they, and God all
agree on the timing.
o It always feels like a risk, and
thats OK!
Setting them up for success
o Put them in a positive leadership

environment.
o Surround them with whatever it
takes to succeed.
Celebrating is vital
o Throw a party, affirm them publicly,

make it a huge deal!
o Pray, lay hands, let them know they
are going with God.
Following up
o Ensure they will be coached from

day one.
o Provide constant future
development opportunities.

1. Have you ever had someone rush and throw you into
a job/role you werent ready for, or move too slow in
letting you start working on your own? How did that feel?
Why do you think it happened that way?
2. Have you ever been publicly celebrated? Have you

ever gotten to do that for someone else? What was that
experience like?
3. What can happen to a leader if there is no coaching or

consistent follow-up and investment in place?
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85
REMEMBER
Chapter 7 - Furthering the Mission
Dont you just hate missing the ending of
things? Recently a popular reality show
let their grand finale run too long, causing
everyones Tivo to stop recording before the
end, which meant none of those people knew
who the winner was! And I (Carter) never
seem to learn to record basketball games for longer than
the allotted time, so there have been multiple overtime
games where I had to miss the exciting ending, and end
up reading about it later. With movies its a different
problemI often fall asleep on the couch before its over,
so I miss the whole conclusion of the story!
The ending of most things is extremely
important. This is true in leadership as
well. Whenever we have a leadership
conversation with someone, its important
that we include what I like to call the
last 10% of the conversationthe stuff that we really
need to say. It can be tempting to stop short of saying
what we feel convicted the other person really needs to
hear, and we can walk away regretting it and knowing
our conversation could have had more impact. I can think
of many times when Ive had important things that I knew I
needed to challenge someone on in our conversation, but I
stopped short of sharing those things.
The Last
10%
We dont want to stop short in this book. We want to avoid

missing out on sharing the last 10% when it comes to this
whole apprenticeship idea. So here is the last 10% of the
apprenticeship conversation that we want you to remember!
What if it Doesnt Work Out?

Lets be realnot every person we invest in ends
up taking the steps we hoped they would take.
Sometimes the apprentice realizes by the end that
this is not really where they are being called, or
that it does not line up with their gifting. And sometimes we
are the ones who realize this. But we cannot let the fear of
this happening hold us back from being committed to the
apprenticeship process.
Stacy went through
Not every apprentice will work out the the apprenticeship
process with one of
way we plannedbut we cannot let
our strongest small
that fear hold us back.
group leaders.
The process went
well but by the
end it became clear that she simply was not ready to step
into leadership. So the leader had a tough conversation
with Stacy (he did share the last 10%!), and they found a
different next step for her. And heres the best partshe
now shares how that conversation was a turning point in her
leadership and her life. While tough to hear at the time, it
helped her take some important steps, and guess what she
does now, a few years later? She leads a small group. The
apprenticeship was definitely worth it.
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Remember | 87
I (Carter) had the opportunity to apprentice Troy to

become a small group coach with me. He was good
at it and definitely developed his leadership skills.
While he did step into coaching at the end of the
leadership, it didnt take him long to realize his true
gifting and passionworking with jr. high students
(definitely not my gifting!). So we talked and he left
the small group ministry to go serve in student ministry.
But all of the leadership skills he developed during
our apprenticeship proved extremely valuable in that
ministry as well. Again, the apprenticeship was well worth it
even though it didnt turn out the way I had anticipated.
Part of the genius of the apprenticeship process is that we
really are allowing people to explore leadership. Both
parties are able to figure out whether this is a good fit in a
safe environment. What are the alternatives? Either you can
both say no without ever exploring it, or you can make
them a leader and let them find out the hard way, and
then later face the challenge of possibly having to remove
someone from leadership.
cess
nticeship pro
re
p
p
a
e
h
t
f
re
genius o
ple to explo
o
e
p
g
in
w
Part of the
o
ll
a
really are
is that we
.
leadership
Apprenticeship allows both parties

to explore the idea of this person in leadership, and it
provides God an opportunity to confirm that step, or
re-direct them.
The other part of the genius is that at the end of the day, we
are really investing in people. And God can use these people
to have tremendous impact for His Kingdom in any way that
He wants. Sometimes that will mean leading in our ministry,
sometimes in some other ministry, and sometimes in some other
church far away. Regardless of where they end up, we can
know that we played a critical role in the development of
another leader who gets to carry on Gods mission.
Taking Risks (like someone did with you)

Joel lives at the end of my (Carters) street,
and I saw that he was a funny and friendly guy
from the first night I met him playing darts in
our neighbors garage. From there, I began to
invite and include Joel in a lot of other activities
I did. This ultimately ended up helping him and
his family feel like they truly belonged to our
community. After several other small but exciting
steps, Joel went on to join our small group, attend
our church, become a Christ-follower, serve with his gifts, and
get baptized. And yeah, I got to be the one to dunk him under
the water.
Joel is one of my favorite
stories; maybe because hes
the first one that God let me
see the whole belonging before
believing idea in action. According
to this idea, people want to feel like they belong
in your community before theyll consider believing what you
believe. And thats what happened to Joelhe belonged to
belonging
ving
before belie
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Remember | 89
a community, and gradually he began to believe in (and

follow!) Jesus. But it hasnt ended there.
I was on the lookout for an apprentice leader
for my small group and, for some reason, God
kept bringing Joel to mind. I didnt know why,
because Joel was definitely not ready for small
group leadership. He had very little knowledge
of the Bible, no real leadership training, and was
still a new Christ-follower. But Joel also had the stuff
that you cant train in a small group leader (the musthaves that we discussed in Chapter 2)he was an
incredible servant to people, he was genuine and humble,
and people just really liked to be around him. So God
made it clearI needed to take a risk and invite Joel
into leadership. And this risk definitely paid off! After a
six-month apprenticeship with me, Joel is now leading a
neighborhood small group, where he is serving and loving
his people (and helping them have a lot of fun).
ly took
someone definite
risk on me.
One important thing God reminded me of

in the midst of that decision was this: someone
definitely took a risk on me. And I am forever
grateful that they did! It wasnt just one risk
either. It was risky to ask me to become a
small group leader, and later to apprentice as a coach,
and later to apprentice as a pastor. And now today, as
a result of all those risks (and despite all of my continued
growth areas), I get the awesome privilege of leading over
500 people every week at an incredible church! This is all

certainly due to the endless grace of God all along the way,
but its also the result of multiple leaders who valued investing
in apprentices and who were willing to take big-time risks on
people like me.
Dont we follow a God who loves to take risks on people? In
fact I have a hard time finding very many leaders throughout
the Bible who seemed qualified on day one. From Moses to
David to all 12 apostles to Paul, Im embarrassed to say that
they might have been some of the last people I would have
cchosen to invest in as leaders.
TThey had all the right reasons
Dont we follow a God
who loves to take risks fo
ffor me to believe they were
on people?
the
th
h wrong people to carry on
Gods mission. But God saw
G
through the surface, deep into
who they were, and He knew the incredible potential they
had. May we, through the eyes of Gods Spirit at work within
us, begin to see the real potential in people.
Whos Next?
At one point in the life of COMMUNITY we had a revelation.
It became clear to our staff that while we seem to be
succeeding pretty well at developing apprentices, we have
plenty of room to grow when it comes to producing 2nd
and 3rd generation leadership. This means that our leaders
are training apprentices who will become leadersand
then STOP. Somehow our value of apprenticeship is not
being passed down beyond this 1st generation of leaders.
Something is getting lost in the translation.
90
Remember | 91
Dont miss this

Of all the things that we
need to develop in our
apprentices, one of the
most vital is to make sure
they really get the value
of apprenticeship.
We need them to see from day one of being a leader how

important and even urgent it is that they begin to develop
their own apprentice. Then they can pass on this value to
their apprentices, who will in turn pass it on to.well, you
get the idea. And so did Paul apparently (long before us!),
as he wrote those words to his apprentice, which we refer to
as our 2-2-2 Principle.
Some churches have decided that simply having a leader
who wants to start a small group is not enough. They will
not allow a small group to begin until the leader has an
apprentice already in place. While that may seem hardcore to some, and require a lot of patience and faith from
others, it has some huge advantages. Think of the core team
that is committed to making that small group happen from
day onethe leader, the apprentice, and the host (and
their spouses in some cases, 6 people!). Think about the
support the leader will get when they face the challenges
that are coming. Think about the value of apprenticeship and
leadership reproduction that is visibly

communicated to the entire small
group from the very first meeting.
This doesnt necessarily need to be
your same conviction, but perhaps it
should at least be your consideration.
What if leaders in your ministry were
required to have an apprentice from
day one? While that means saying
no to some and not yet to others, and thus will certainly
require some faith and patience, would it be worth it in the
long run?
The Ultimate Apprenticeship

After a long career as one of the most successful leaders
in history, Moses knew he would not be able
to carry on Gods mission by leading the
Israelites into the Promised Land. So he invested
in a young, motivated guy named Joshua.
Joshua carried on Moses legacy, and more
importantly, Gods plan for His people.
After a short career of spreading the gospel, Jesus knew that
for His mission to carry on, He would need to invest Himself
into leaders who would invest in other leaders, for generation
after generation after generation. By doing this, He knew
this new thing called the church could carry on until He
came back one day.
92
Remember | 93
FFortunately for us, the

apostles took their
a
apprenticeship with Jesus
a
sseriously. They knew the
uurgency of investing in
others in the same way Jesus had invested in them. Young
Timothys apprenticeship with Paul gives us a final picture
in Gods Word of the next generation carrying on the
mission. And thanks to these generations of leaders investing
in apprentices, the Jesus mission carries on to this day.
Thanks to generations of leaders

investing in apprentices, the Jesus
mission carries on today.
Now we are the leaders entrusted with this great mission

to carry the gospel into the world. And if we want it to carry
on after we are gone, we must be relentlessly dedicated
to investing in others. But we cannot do it alone. We must
continue to be committed to the ultimate apprenticeship-our life-long training with Jesus. We must let Him constantly
invest in us, train and lead us, and transform us to be more
like Him.
So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ.

Pass on what you heard from me
the whole congregation saying Amen!
to reliable leaders who are competent to teach
others.
(2 Timothy 2:2, The Message)
Remember Review
It wont always work out the
way you plannedbut investing
in someone is always worth it.
Apprenticeship requires taking
risks on people (like you)which
leaves plenty of room for God to
work.
Reproducing cant stop with
the new leaderso infuse
the value and commitment of
reproducing into them.
We must allow Jesus to
continue developing us as His
apprenticesthen He can
develop more apprentices
through us!
94
Remember | 95
Questions For Reflection

1. When you invest in an apprentice and it either doesnt
work out or they end up moving away, what are some
benefits for both you and them that you can take away
regardless?
2. What was the biggest risk someone ever took on you?

How did that make you feel?
3. What can we do to constantly communicate to others

the value of leadership and apprenticeship to the Jesus
mission?
96
Appendix A - Leadership Expectations | 97
LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS
It is wise as an organization to develop a set of leadership
expectations (we prefer that word over requirement), so
you can clearly communicate to leaders what is expected of
them. It will be up to your organization to decide whether
each leader needs to meet each of the expectations
100% before stepping into leadership, or use the spiritual
velocity model we discussed in Chapter 4, determining the
direction a possible apprentice is moving, whether toward or
away from the expectations.
Here are some sample leadership expectations, the ones
we developed at COMMUNITY. Keep in mind that these
are leader expectations and not necessarily apprentice
expectations. We give these to our apprentices so they can
see what to strive for, and then we attempt to regularly
assess whether our leaders are moving towards these things.
We designed ours to fit in with our three primary values as a
churchour 3 Cs.
COMMUNITY leaders are called
first and foremost to be
servant leaders who model
and encourage others toward
a life guided by a personal
commitment to Jesus Christ and His church. Leaders will
serve as catalysts in COMMUNITYs mission of Helping
People Find Their Way Back to God through a commitment to
growing and reproducing 3C Christ followers and leaders.
A leader will be a personal example of what it means to
be a 3C Christ follower. The following are COMMUNITYs
expectations for leaders in each of the experiences of
.T.
B
.
W
.
T
.
H.P.F
Celebrate, Connect, and Contribute.
Celebrate: me: God

We gather together weekly to celebrate what God is doing in
our lives and in the church.
Celebration of a Personal Relationship with Jesus

Christ
Gods offer of salvation through Jesus Christ calls for a
response of faith. That response is demonstrated throughout
the New Testament by repentance, acceptance of Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior, and baptism by immersion. Repentance
involves a change of heart and mind that causes us to want to
put Jesus first in our lives. When we commit our lives to Christ,
we put our faith in Him to receive forgiveness of sins, eternal
life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is the public
demonstration by which a believer is identified with Christ,
His body the church, and a life of followership. The act is one
done in faith and submission to the Lordship of Christ. (Mark
1:9 - 11, Acts 2:38, Romans 6, Colossians 2:12)
How are you growing:

1) In the belief that Jesus is Lord and Savior,
2) In the confession of sins,
3) In repentance (daily choosing to turn back to God)
4) In believers baptism?
Explain.
Celebration of the Word

Key to growing in a relationship with Jesus is a better
understanding of the principles found in Scripture. A leader
will continually seek to increase his/her understanding of
Scripture and model this value through daily time spent in
98
the Bible. (II Timothy 2:15) A leader will seek to apply the
principles learned from Gods Word in his/her daily life, as
well as encourage and exhort others to do the same.

How is God teaching or challenging you while reading His
Word? Explain.
Celebration of Prayer and Other Spiritual

Disciplines
In order to grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ, a leader
will begin to incorporate specific disciplines into his/her
life. No relationship can grow without communication. As
much as we need to communicate with our heavenly Father,
He desires to communicate with us. In fact, He created us to
fellowship with Him. The growing spiritual life of the leader
will include disciplines such as regular prayer, Bible reading,
and meditation on the Word (James 5:13-16, I Thessalonians
5:16-18) and may include others such as journaling, fasting,
sacrificial giving. . . .

What have you been talking to God about lately?
What has He been saying in return?
Explain.
Celebration Through Corporate Teaching, Praise

and Worship
Growing and developing our relationship with Jesus Christ
and His church includes continuing fellowship and worship
with other Christ followers (Hebrews 10:25). This is not

only beneficial to the personal spiritual life of the leader,
but it is also an encouragement to other Christ followers.
COMMUNITY offers Celebration Services weekly and
Commitment Celebrations monthly as opportunities for
corporate praise and worship. A leader will communicate the
value of these events and his/her commitment to the church
through consistent participation in these celebration services.

How are you and those you lead growing in relationship with
God through participation in Celebration Services?
Explain.
100
Connect: me: the church

We experience Biblical community as we connect with others
through weekly small groups.
Connecting Through Small Groups

A leader will have a commitment to the type of genuine
Biblical community seen in Acts 2: 41-47. At COMMUNITY,
we believe this Biblical community is best experienced in the
context of small groups. A leader will have a commitment
to small groups modeled by personal weekly participation.
They will serve as catalysts to connect others to groups.

How have you been experiencing Biblical community in small
group? Explain.
Connecting for Care and Spiritual Growth

The leaders role is to spiritually grow and develop 3C Christ
followers. Leaders accept the responsibility to provide care
for the individuals to whom they are ministering (I Peter
5:1-4). The leader is not personally responsible to provide
all care for individuals, but rather to facilitate care by
connecting Christ followers to care for each other.

How are you being cared for? What needs can be met?
Explain.
Connecting Through Apprenticeships

The apostle Paul modeled for us the importance of apprentice
leadership (II Timothy 2:2). One of the most effective
ways to reproduce and maximize ministry impact is to be
committed to doing ministry in pairs, a leader developing an
apprentice leader. In order for the body of Christ to continue
to make a difference, each leader must take upon himself the
responsibility of leadership development. A main priority for
leaders will be to invest themselves in developing apprentices
as the future generation of leaders, so ministry can be
multiplied.

Where do you need further opportunities for development?
Explain.
Connecting Through Leadership Training

A characteristic of a growing 3C Christ follower is to be
teachable. This is also true for the leader. A leader will
model a teachable spirit through consistent participation
in monthly Leadership Community as well as other
developmental opportunities. COMMUNITY is dedicated
to providing excellent leadership training and equipping
opportunities. Similar to participation in celebration services
and small groups, participation in these leadership training
opportunities benefits not only the leader personally, but also
encourages COMMUNITYs body of leaders.

What have you been learning through Leadership
102

Community? Explain.
Contribute: me: the world

We impact our world as we contribute weekly to Gods work
using our unique talents, passions, and resources.
Stewardship of Finances (moving toward 10%+)

The Old Testament teaches the principle of tithing giving
to God the first 10% of everything you have. Giving God
the first 10% of everything you have is endorsed in the
New Testament by Jesus but goes even further as we see a
shift toward total stewardship of ones life and resources.
God expects us to live conscious of the fact that everything
we have belongs to Him. We are simply stewards/
managers of the resources He gives to us while we are on
earth. With this in mind, certainly contributing 10% of our
income to God would be a minimum expectation for many
people. For others, it would be a goal to work toward. A
leader will seek to align him/her self with Biblical principles
and model Godhonoring stewardship to those who follow
them (Luke 12:13-21; 18:18-30; 21:1-4; Matthew 23:23,
25:14-28).

Where might God be challenging you in the area of
stewardship and generosity? Explain.
Stewardship of Gifts
God gives every Christ-follower spiritual gifts and talents
to be used to benefit His body, the church. A leader
will model the value of weekly contribution. A leader
will seek to discover how God has gifted him or her, and
be accountable to the church for where/how to serve in
ministry. The leader will encourage other Christ-followers to

follow his/her example, discover their own gifts and talents,
and use them in ministry for building up the body of Christ
at COMMUNITY, and helping people find their way back to
God (I Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4).

Which gifts do you enjoy using the most? Explain.
Stewardship of Home and Family

A priority commitment for every leader is to his/her family.
While the demands of church ministry can become great,
it should never be at the expense of ones relationship to
his/her spouse or children. COMMUNITY is committed
to building strong families. A leader will model a Godhonoring commitment to his/her family; an example that
is consistent in the home, in the church, and to a watching
world. (Ephesians 5 & 6).

Where are you enjoying relationships on the home front?
Explain. Which relationship would you like to see change?
Explain.
Stewardship of Speech
As a leader, what we say has great influence. It is expected
that a leaders speech will be a positive example to those
who follow him/her. The Bible speaks of our tongue having
tremendous power both for good and evil (James 3). A
leader is expected to guard his/her speech carefully, being
104
positive and encouraging, building up the body always

speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). A leader is also
to be known as one whose speech and actions have earned
them a good reputation in their community (Titus 2: 6-8).

Where have you used speech to encourage another?
Explain. Who needs to hear words of encouragement from
you? Explain.
Stewardship of Personal Testimony

A leader will seize opportunities to communicate the meaning
and significance of a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ. This will encourage the believer and challenge the
unbeliever. It is important that a leader is able to clearly
and concisely communicate a Gospel message within the
context of his/her own spiritual journey. A leader will be
able to support his/her story with Scriptural teaching as a
valuable tool for personal evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20,
1Pet. 3:15).

How have you shared about Jesus working in your/their life?
Explain.
106
Appendix B - Sample Leadership Development Plan | 107
Sample Leadership Development Plan

When you first begin an apprenticeship, it can often be
valuable to provide your apprentice with your leadership
development plan for them. This accomplishes several things:
It lays out for them some of the specifics of what theyll
be doing, including the timing
It shows them the kind of progress theyll be making, and
how it will ultimately lead to their leadership
It shows them that you really put some time and thought
into tailoring a plan specifically for them.
Below is a sample leadership development plan that was
given to someone who was becoming an Apprentice Small
Group Director. Perhaps it will give you some ideas of what
types of things to include in a plan.
Apprentice Small Group Director

Leadership Plan
Time Frame
The Small Group Director apprenticeship will start March
1st and run through Sept. 1st. Then if we both feel good
about it, you can officially start as Campus Small Group
Director!
Meetings
1:1 with Campus Pastor (twice a month)

1:1 with Small Groups Champion (periodically)
Small Group Director meetings (twice a month)
Campus team meetings (once or twice a month)
Join some of my 1:1 with other coaches
Primary Responsibilities
Help keep church database accurately updated with small
group info.
Help keep our campus Connect Guide updated.
Help prepare for Leadership Community monthly.
Help recruit/develop more coaches.
Help with strategies and vision for connecting people.
Help with new attender follow-up (Connecting Point class,
Communication Cards).
Share use of the Adult Ministry budget.
Be included on all campus team e-mails.
Other Opportunities
Write articles for our weekly program (highlight a
different group each week?).
Write articles for our Small Groups Blog.
Use part of the Campus Pastor moment periodically on
stage to promote small groups.
Read small group and leadership books along with me and
the team.
Start a turbo group.
108

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1

A REPRODUCING CHURCH RESOURCE

| Apprentice Field Guide

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN

1635 Emerson Lane

Developing the Skills

Forming the Character

Launching the Leaders

Appendix A Leadership Expectations

Furthering the Mission

Appendix B Sample Leadership

| Apprentice Field Guide

to lead, its another thing to care enough to invest yourself

| Apprentice Field Guide

Wow. These are some of the most powerful words of

How do you feel, deep in your gut?

| Apprentice Field Guide

the entire future of the church, of His mission on Earth, to

So far, Gods plan is working! From Peter until today, God

Paul perfectly casts the vision and value of reproducing

Paul speaks of reproducing leaders into the fourth

men 3rd Generat

who will also be qualified to develop

| Apprentice Field Guide

Pause for a moment and let the hugeness

to bind or place with a craftsman in

The challenge is that apprenticeship does not happen

Apprenticeship is as much of an art as it is a science. It

12 | Apprentice Field Guide

So what is your ultimate goal in life? Raise good kids to carry

Questions for Reflection

2. Have you ever invested in someone else to develop them

3. Why do you think Jesus chose to rely on people to carry

14 | Apprentice Field Guide

Even though I didnt go on to pursue a career in art, the

How do I know what to look for in an

apprentice? And what if

| Apprentice Field Guide

One of the biggest challenges we face as leaders is knowing

I just wasnt sure what to look for.

These are big questions to tackle, but we can start by

| Apprentice Field Guide

about them, discer

Dont misunderstand this list thoughit isnt about perfection or

This idea of momentum plus direction towards Jesus can be

20 | Apprentice Field Guide

However, he is constantly pursuing Jesus, more than Ive seen

So while Person A may have had a conversion experience,

22 | Apprentice Field Guide

Parking Lot Test - Another attribute of relational intelligence

When it comes to identifying an apprentice, there are some

When looking for potential apprentices, it would be a huge

24 | Apprentice Field Guide

how to be more loving. No matter where a person is when

Some people are born leaders and some are refined as

26 | Apprentice Field Guide

Spiritual Velocity (whats their movement/

Missional (are they willing to sacrifice for

Questions for Reflection

2. Are you someone who tends to recognize peoples

3. Who was the first person to recognize potential in

28 | Apprentice Field Guide