Leadership Tips & Training Growing

How to grow as a leader:
Are you burned out? Are you stuck in a rut? Lonely? Do you need a listening ear? Would you like to share with other leaders your challenges and your triumphs? Well, First Place has just the thing for you. . . . for all leaders and potential leaders! First Place Leadership Summit 2003 is scheduled for July 31st through August 2nd in Houston, Texas. Come join the First Place staff, First Place networking leaders and other leaders from across the country for a few days of celebration, fellowship, refreshment, and motivation! You won’t want to miss it! For more details go to www.firstplace.org. Take your leadership to the next level! Attend the First Place Leadership Summit 2003.

How to grow your First Place ministry:
First Place receives many emails and calls from individuals looking for a First Place class that they can attend. The problem many times is that no class exists in their area. Wow! What a shame that people are not able to experience this life-changing ministry! What can you do about this problem? Leaders are the gardeners of First Place. They must help the ministry to grow so that all those looking for a group will find one. Here are some ways that you can water the garden of First Place to insure its growth:

1. Every member should be encouraged to invite a friend to come to First Place. Ask them to bring a friend to the next orientation or to the victory celebration. Give prizes for those members responsible for enlisting others to join First Place and reward the one who enlists the most people with a special prize, such as providing them the next session’s Bible study book.
2. Every leader should find a potential leader in their class. Look for those special members who really “get” First Place. They are successful and have an enthusiasm for First Place that naturally overflows to others. Begin asking them to help you with various leadership tasks, praise them for what they do well and encourage them in their leadership strengths. Let them know that you think they would make a great First Place leader. Many times there are members in a First Place class just waiting to be asked to lead. Start asking!
3. Every class starts a new class. Multiplication should be the goal of every First Place class. First, see if you have any members from other churches. Encourage them to take the ministry back to their church after attending one session. Secondly, once the class grows to 10 or 12 members, it is then time to divide the class into two classes. This gives each class room to grow. If a class gets too large, retention is difficult and people lose that personal touch.

Multiplication will naturally occur if members have consistently invited friends to join and if leaders have been faithful to find potential leaders within the group.


Nancy Taylor is the First Place Leadership Training Director and joined the First Place staff in 1997. Nancy teaches leadership principles to First Place Leaders throughout the country and at Houston's First Baptist Church where she coordinates all the First Place groups. . Nancy also speaks at First Place workshops, rallies, retreats, and conferences, where she delights her audiences with humor and encourages them with boldness. She writes a monthly article, which includes helpful tips for leaders, for the First Place E-newsletter, and was a contributing writer to the Today is the First Day devotional book. Nancy is the resident First Place Bible Concordance because of her love for Scripture memory.