When Jesus, the master-trainer, took 3 full years to make His leaders (not entirely successfully, from a human point of view) we can hardly expect to do the job ourselves in a shorter time! Nor will a "course of lectures" on Christian Leadership be any substitute for imitating the way in which Jesus shared His Life with the 12, guiding them, loving them, correcting them, encouraging them, forgiving them and praying for them!

What do we work and pray for in order to shape disciples into leaders?

1. A Christian leader must have the spirit of service! A ruler tells the people what to do. The leader shows people by his actions, personal example! (Paul said to the Philippians "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do..."
2. A Christian leader must possess spiritual authority. The evidence of this has nothing to do with status but with obedience to God and being filled with His Spirit (eg. the 7 helpers in Acts 6 - chosen by the congregation and appointed by the elders, were marked out as having been observed as being of good reputation, full of the Spirit and full of wisdom! The "mark of God's fullness" was an obvious characteristic in their daily service, no question about their authority!)
3. A Christian leader is marked as one who has a resolved "willingness to exercise discipline" although always done with a great degree of gentleness.

In this world which so worships at the shrine of greatness; where bigger is better; to have a higher profile, get more attention and give more impression ...all just the norm: we truly need to rediscover Christ Himself as Life. There is no bigger and it doesn't get any better!

Capernwray Bible School Leadership Course: Priorities

Teaching is given by Guest faculty as well as Resident faculty with added personal study and course assignments which are often reviewed together with added discussion.

Using a tutorial approach, the small group context is ideal for group interaction, with its higher degree of practical training in the Christian Life, learning "why we believe what we believe".

Understanding the life of Jesus Christ as He spent time not "just by schedule" but in "rubbing shoulders" with those entrusted to His training as being critical to the training of the 12 disciples.

For the Lord Jesus there was no "work time" and "off time". He was at His Heavenly Father's disposal to pass on to the disciples what had been given Him to pass on! That was anything but a "9 - 5 job". The Lord Jesus let His disciples see and hear almost everything He was doing and saying according to the Father's instructions and through His Father's empowering. They needed to learn to "live" not just "get information".

This is what Leadership Training Students can expect at Capernwray Bible Centre.

Genuine spiritual empowering which comes through Christ's indwelling, resurrection Life, not through designated responsibility, scholarship, methods or formulas.

Charlie Fordham
Director, Capernwray Bible School

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When the Body of Christ functions normally, it's only natural that we reach out to others and share the same degree of the abundant Life in Christ.