Healthy Leaders

Why Many Leaders Are Promoted Too Soon

LeaderSource — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:31:31 GMT

Welcome back to Healthy Leaders! In this issue, we look past man’s ambition to a divine calling to lead God’s people.

Hello friends,

In our last issue, we quoted Malcolm’s words from his book, Healthy Leaders:

“It is only as the leader is genuinely accountable to his community and allows them to help mold and clarify his calling that he is assured of purity of vision. Thus, the calling of the leader must be birthed in Christ, purified in community and built upon fire-tested character.”

This understanding of the true calling of a leader is vital to our topic today — the commissioning of that leader. You’ve identified a high-potential leader in your midst. You have observed his or her life, and see strong indications of thinking and acting abilities. Your community has also observed it, and God has confirmed it.

Now what?

Here’s Malcolm with more:

Throughout the Bible, there are examples of leaders who weren’t commissioned in this way. Instead, they tried to meet their community’s need for a leader without an actual call from God, or worse — they went ahead and commissioned themselves!

Saul is a good example of the man-appointed leader.

The Lord told Samuel to give them what they wanted — a man to rule over them (1 Sam. 8–10). Then Samuel warned the people that their new leader was destined to rob and spoil them (1 Sam. 8:11-17). It was significant that Samuel anointed Saul with oil poured from a man-made flask (1 Sam. 10:1), whereas he anointed David (God’s choice) with the horn of an animal (1 Sam. 16:13) that was not made by man.

Today, man-appointed leaders look upon Christian leadership as a profession or a career. They are more concerned with the medical benefits or retirement accounts that come with the “job” than they are for the sheep of God. They are the “hired hands” (John 10:12-13). They are religious professionals who do not further the life of God’s people. And generally, if they really count the cost of leadership, they won’t stick around for long.

In the other category we have leaders like Korah, who appointed himself to be a leader (Num. 16–17). The following characterized his leadership:

He caused others to rise up against existing spiritual authority (Num. 16:2).
He publicly criticized and questioned the existing leadership (Num. 16:3).
He accused the leadership of what he himself was guilty (Num. 16:3).
He was not satisfied with the position he was given. He wanted more authority and a higher position (Num. 16:10).
He continually murmured against the Divinely-appointed leadership (Num. 16:11).
He ended under the judgment of God (Num. 16:31-35).

Not a pretty picture! And unfortunately it’s one we are very familiar with in our current celebrity culture of Christian leadership.

Malcolm’s Musings

Fallen Leaders and Our Current Church Culture

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2 years ago · 3 likes · 2 comments

In contrast to both self-appointed and man-appointed leadership, true leadership will be appointed by God.

“Paul, an apostle — sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.” (Gal. 1:1)

True spiritual leadership does not come from loyalty to one’s denomination, or from some personal vested interest in leading — it comes from God.

Marks of the Divine Call

Leaders will be aware of the call of God on their lives. They may fight or deny the call for a while, but they will still know God has called them:

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. (1 Cor. 9:16-17)

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.” (Acts 15:7)

Another way we can discern a true divine call to leadership upon a leader’s life is by seeing if people are actually experiencing personal transformation through their interaction with the leader. That is proof of his or her calling from God.

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (2 Cor. 3:2-3)

For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. (1 Thess. 2:19-20)

In short, getting to the point of commissioning a leader involves much more than just a need, or a passion, or an ambition. It involves:

An emerging leader who thinks and acts.
A community who observes and affirms that leader’s ability to lead — generally observed through transformation.
An emerging leader who understands his or her calling to lead God’s people.
Deep dependence on God all around.

May God raise up more and more healthy leaders to lead His people forward in His purposes!

What about you?

Think of the leaders you’re currently training, or have trained in the past.

Are all of them the “right” people?
If not, how could you have made a better choice?

Think of emerging leaders you know who do think and act well.

Which of them should you be investing in more deeply?
How will you do this?

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Article: True Spiritual Leadership
Model Brief: LeaderID
Book: Spiritbuilt Leadership 2: Healthy Leaders
Video Course: Transformational Thinking
For more resources, visit our website.

As always, we’re so grateful to our friends at Fifty-Four Collective for helping us create these videos and for providing top-notch leader development online training. Check out what they’re doing!

"God Himself was working!"

LeaderSource — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:31:05 GMT

Welcome to The Connection, a round-up of fresh stories of transformation and resources for spiritual growth and healthy leader development. Visit our website to learn more about our work at LeaderSource. Thanks for reading!

A Word from Malcolm

Maintaining the present is not leadership. It is stewardship, administration, and care – all important, all necessary, but not leadership.
Leadership asks a different question. Not “How do we keep this working?” but “Where must we move?” When leadership is present, people do not simply feel cared for; they are being led forward. There is direction, momentum and transformation in the purposes of God.
Jesus did not deny the importance of caring for people. He was the most compassionate leader who ever lived. But His compassion always moved people somewhere — toward repentance, faith, obedience, maturity, vision and the Kingdom of God.

Read More from Malcolm

From Pressure to Profound Impact

“I was moved to tears nearly every day. It helped me reflect on my life and actions: Am I fully obeying God’s call? I want to be in deep communion with Him, put Him first, submit, and commit, to be a healthy leader aligned with God’s heart. …”
“This training brought people out of tradition and beyond denominational boundaries into pure understanding. The entire process was filled with God’s presence, our perspective was broadened, and we loved and cared for one another like heaven on earth. Everyone’s life was built up — truly a life-transforming miracle!”

Read the Rest

The Word of God: Transformational Theology 6

God desires to be known. Yet, because He is eternal and perfect — and we are finite and fallen — we could never know Him unless He revealed Himself to us.

And this is exactly what He has done! In His great love and grace, God has spoken. He has made Himself known through creation, through His mighty works, through His Son, and by His Spirit. But uniquely and authoritatively, He has revealed Himself through His Word.

The Word of God is not merely a religious text. It is God-breathed. It is His self-revelation, given so that we might know Him, be made wise for salvation, and be transformed into His likeness. Without His Word, we remain in darkness. Through His Word, we see His glory.

In this volume of Transformation Theology, The Word of God, we return to the central foundation of the Church: the authority, sufficiency, power, and beauty of Scripture. More to be desired than gold and sweeter than honey, the Word of God is our life.

Come and rediscover the great treasure God has placed in your hands. Through His Word, you can know Him — and be changed forever!

Buy the Book Now!

The Latest from Malcolm:

Malcolm’s Musings

When God Seems Absent

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I do not perceive him; on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him; he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold. (Job 23:8-10…

2 months ago · 2 likes · Malcolm Webber

How to Motivate Emerging Leaders to Grow

LeaderSource — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:32:43 GMT

Welcome back to Healthy Leaders! In this issue, we get motivated.

Hello friends,

In our last issue, we looked at key characteristics of thinking and acting that will help us identify high-potential emerging leaders.

Let’s say that you’ve found the right ones. Now what?

The first thing to look for when you are building leaders is opportunities to do it. It won’t happen in the classroom or the library. It will happen on the job, on the road, at home, and in the thick of suffering. It will happen throughout a life lived with the leaders you are building — just like it did when Jesus built His disciples. He looked for challenging assignments to give them, offered them opportunities, and gave them room to try and fail and try again.

But making use of the opportunities that present themselves is one side of the coin. How do we motivate the leaders we have identified to actually take those opportunities?

Here’s Malcolm with more:

It’s important at this stage, as we are seeking to motivate your emerging leaders toward growth, that we recognize the danger of zealous human ambition, and it’s power especially over gifted leaders.

Thomas Merton said this of such ambition:

We must be on our guard against a kind of blind and immature zeal — the zeal of the enthusiast or the zealot — which represents precisely a frantic compensation for the deeply personal qualities which are lacking to us. The zealot is man who “loses himself” in his cause in such a way that he can no longer “find himself” at all. Yet paradoxically this “loss” of himself is not the salutary self-forgetfulness commanded by Christ. It is rather an immersion in his own willfulness conceived of as the will of an abstract, non-personal force: the force of a project or program. (Seasons of Celebration)

A leader’s calling to lead must be tested, whatever their passion, gifting or abilities. It must be observed by and submitted to their community.

“It is only as the leader is genuinely accountable to his community and allows them to help mold and clarify his calling that he is assured of purity of vision. The calling of the leader must be birthed in Christ, purified in community and built upon fire-tested character.” (Malcolm Webber, from Healthy Leaders)

As you think about the emerging leaders that God has given you to build, please remember several important things.

1. Potential is not performance.

“Potential” is, by definition, “what you’re not … yet.”

If the emerging leader is already performing at a high level of thinking and acting, he or she doesn’t need any training, but should be put in charge of everything right now!

You must look for indicators of leadership calling — not perfection.

2. Potential is not willingness.

Someone may have a clear and profound calling as a leader but not be willing to embrace the cost of leadership. Pray for them that God will open their heart to His calling.

3. Potential is not readiness.

Someone may have both the calling and the willingness to be a leader, but is not currently ready to do it. There can be a variety of reasons for this. Don’t give up on them. Keep them involved at whatever level is currently possible and wait for a better time to call them to a higher commitment.

4. It will never be perfect!

Our goal is not perfection. Life and people are very complicated and messy. Remember that one of those that Jesus called did not work out well! This model gives us a clear path but it does not guarantee 100% success. Be willing to take a risk and then be prepared to adapt as you go.

What about you?

As you reflect on what we’ve talked about here, what is God saying to you now?

For those of you who are established leaders, considering who you are building now or identifying who you should build: what can you do to motivate your emerging leaders?

For those of you who are young leaders, seeking to follow the call that God has laid on your life: are you serving and submitting to your leaders and your community?

And if you aren’t building a leader yet… what’s stopping you?

We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

Leave a comment

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Model Brief: LeaderID
Book: Spiritbuilt Leadership 2: Healthy Leaders
Video Course: Transformational Thinking
For more resources, visit our website.

Free Online Training Available on Outdoor Ministry!

LeaderSource — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:30:50 GMT

Join Brent Hoover for an inspiring training on how outdoor environments can become powerful settings for discipleship and leader development.

Drawing from years of experience leading wilderness retreats and outdoor leadership programs, Brent will share stories, insights and practical design principles you can apply in your own ministry context.

There is something uniquely powerful about stepping outside of everyday routines and into a new environment. In those spaces, distractions fade, hearts often become more open to God’s work, relationships grow deeper, character is shaped and emerging leaders begin to see their calling with greater clarity.

Whether you serve youth, students, church leaders or emerging leaders, this training will offer practical ideas to help you use outdoor experiences more intentionally to cultivate spiritual growth and develop healthy, lasting leaders.

Join us!

Date: March 26, 2026

Time:
Eastern Time (US and Canada): 9:00 AM
GMT / UTC: 1:00 PM
West Africa Time (WAT – Nigeria, Angola): 2:00 PM
India Standard Time (IST): 6:30 PM
Indonesia Western Time (WIB – Jakarta): 8:00 PM
China Standard Time (CST – Beijing): 9:00 PM

Zoom Meeting Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84758983431?pwd=HhUMAXru60Gk9cMWYt7rSscWX0qQdo.1

Meeting ID: 847 5898 3431
Passcode: 200400

Facilitator: Brent Hoover
For the past 17 years, Brent has helped develop leaders through wilderness retreats and the LeaderTrek ministry. His experience in outdoor leadership development has helped many leaders grow in character, faith, and calling through intentional outdoor experiences.

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"These truths became alive in us..."

LeaderSource — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:30:55 GMT

A Word from Malcolm

The gifts God gives us are not for personal platform, self-expression or personal identity but for strengthening others. A healthy church is a community in which everything we do is for the edification, healing, encouragement and the formation of Christ in one another. Nothing is wasted; everything contributes to growth in Him.
… The purpose of everything we do is the glory of God. When the Church lives this way, God is honored, Christ is exalted and the world sees the beauty of His people walking in His grace, truth and love.
This should be the vision of every local church: to be a Spirit-filled community where every believer participates, every gift is stewarded, every act of service builds up the Body, and all of it results in glory to God through Jesus Christ.

Read More from Malcolm

Transformational Theology in East Asia

“These truths became alive in us, bringing freedom and release, allowing us to walk freely before God and others, and live in the light. [Transformational Theology] taught us to pay attention to God in all aspects of life and to be led by Him right now, in our current environment.
We learned to serve God and love others in the here and now. When we completed the assignments designed for each lesson, our lives were truly transformed. Many saw their faith grow and developed a deeper hunger for God!”

Read the Rest

Who Jesus Christ Is: Transformational Theology 4

Because of the centrality of the Lord Jesus to everything, the doctrine of the Person of Jesus—particularly the deity of Christ—has been attacked throughout Church history. However, God has provided an immense amount of evidence throughout the Scriptures for both the deity and humanity of Christ. Amazingly, Jesus is both God and Man!

Because He is God, Jesus created all things. All things exist by Him, through Him, and for Him. Moment by moment, He sustains all things, and all things are ultimately for His glory. Apart from Him, we can accomplish nothing of any value. Truly, everything revolves around Jesus.

But He is also Man! And as a Man, Jesus knows what we are going through and welcomes us into a deep relationship with Himself. Jesus has called us to be His friends!

In this fourth volume of Transformational Theology, Who Jesus Christ Is, we unfold the beauty and truth of one of the most important doctrines in the whole Bible. The Christian life, from start to finish, is union and friendship with Jesus—the One who is fully God and fully Man.

Let us come to Him, and He will give us life!

Buy the Book Now!

The Latest from Malcolm:

Malcolm’s Musings

True Spiritual Leadership

2 months ago · 6 likes · 2 comments · Malcolm Webber

How to Identify Those Who Have Strong Leadership Potential

LeaderSource — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:31:18 GMT

Welcome back to Healthy Leaders! In this issue, we look at the characteristics of high-potential leaders.

Hello friends,

In our last issue, we waded into the LeaderID model, which starts with two primary factors for identification of high-potential in a leader: the ability to think, and the ability to act.

It’s no coincidence that these qualities are contained in the Great Commandment that Jesus Himself identifies:

And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

Jesus is talking here about not only thinking capacities, but motivation and will — the things necessary for acting on our faith. Thinking and acting aren’t just relegated to Christian leaders, but they are definitely necessary for those leaders to be healthy and effective!

The Apostle Paul also talks about these qualities in this passage from his letter to the Philippians:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8)

The sort of thinking that God desires leads to practice — it leads to action.

So, besides seeking to think and act in our own lives, what about our emerging leaders? What are the specific characteristics of thinking and acting that we should be looking for in them?

Here’s Malcolm with more:

The LeaderID Model is based on the principle that high-potential emerging leaders are already thinking and acting.

Here are some key indicators of both thinking and acting.

We’ve seen these characteristics in leaders we train.

When we first met Brother E, he was serving as a volunteer during a youth leadership conference our team led. His passion for leading the youth in his church quickly became evident, despite his young age. He was already putting together his own personal designs long before he led 34 members of his youth group through a design workshop with us, while our team only occasionally contributed ideas.

He later reported:

“I can’t be lazy anymore with my own growth and with the group’s growth because most of the youth are looking up to me. I am so grateful to God for the excitement and passion shown by so many youth leaders just a few weeks after the training. I praise God that for the first time after many years, more than 100 of the youth from our church and her daughter church attended our first retreat to fast, pray, learn, and talk about their spiritual growth. Their commitment is quite encouraging.”

Brother E was thinking and acting as a leader in his own context before we connected with him, and his church leadership saw that fire in him. Because of this, his impact has expanded far beyond its initial scope!

What about you?

Let’s take another look at those thinking and acting characteristics:

Now think about the potential emerging leaders you are currently working with in your church or ministry.

Which of these indicators are already present in their lives and leadership?

We shouldn’t think that all of them must be present for the young leader to have high potential. And of course this isn’t meant to be a checklist for creating a “score” for your young leaders. These are simply the kinds of things to look for.

As you consider the emerging leaders in your organization, which of them can you now see as having truly high potential?

What will your next steps be to give them the learning opportunities they need to grow and excel?

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Model Brief: LeaderID
Video Course: Shaping a Culture of Generational Succession
Video Course: Transformational Thinking
For more resources, visit our website.

Choosing the Right Leaders to Build

LeaderSource — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:31:16 GMT

Welcome back to Healthy Leaders! In this issue, we introduce the LeaderID model.

Hello friends,

We’ve been addressing an issue of particular importance recently: that of identifying the right leaders to build. Doing this well is incredibly strategic, but the process of identification is not as complicated as you might think.

In fact, it can be broken down into four factors:

Looking for those who think
Looking for those who act
Observing their lives within real community
Depending on God through prayer and spiritual discernment

Here’s Malcolm with more on this.1

As we see in this video, the LeaderID Model is based on the principle that high-potential emerging leaders are already thinking and acting.

So what are some real-life examples of this?

Like all of our models, LeaderID is rooted in Scripture, and the New Testament contains several examples that are helpful here.

The first is that of Timothy, an emerging leader who eventually came to be Paul’s right-hand man. Luke records this in Acts 16:

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him … (Acts 16:1-3)

Timothy was apparently already functioning well in ministry responsibility in both Lystra and Iconium. He was thinking and acting, and his community recognized his high leadership potential and recommended him to Paul.

Then, there’s the example of the Thessalonian church:

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work…. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

The Thessalonian church is only months old at this point, so they didn’t have appointed leaders yet (such as in Acts 14:23 or Titus 1:5). Even so, at this early stage there are some members of the church who are informally doing the work. Paul would have seen this beginning when he was there, and Timothy would have seen it in a little more advanced state and told Paul about them.

In 1 Thessalonians 5, Paul points them out to the people, but not by title or even by name. The people know who they are — they are serving the people, equipping the people, protecting the people, guiding the people. They are doing the work, not because they have a pastoral job or title but because they love the people and take responsibility and initiative. It is natural and organic.

Moreover, what qualified these leaders was not a formal degree but their lives in Christ, their character, servanthood and vision, and their initiative in guiding and equipping the people.

See, this is how Paul understands “leaders.” Leaders are those who fulfill the functions of leadership — meaning that they are actually doing the hard daily “labor” of leading the people — rather than people with positions and titles.

The leaders here do not have formal titles, positions or religious jobs, and Paul tells the people to know them, recognize them and respect them. True leaders will do the work of leadership, with or without the recognition, but it’s easier and better for everyone if they are “known” by the people (Hebrews 13:17).

Moreover, this shows us how leaders are established in the Body of Christ. They are the ones who are actually doing the work. They take responsibility and initiative. They think and act in a way that serves and builds the life of the church. They do the work first and are identified and recognized later.This is probably what happened in Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5. Those whom Paul appointed as the new elders in the churches were the ones who had already been doing the work and were recognized by the people.

We should also notice that these leaders are “among you.” Like Paul, who lived and served “in the middle of” the people (1 Thessalonians 2:7), these leaders did not show up once a week to stand on a stage and give a brief public performance to an “audience.”

They lived among the people, deeply engaged with them in the midst of their daily lives, serving them, working hard to equip them and guide them. They weren’t religious professionals running organizational programs. They equipped the people. It was close work, personal work, intense work. They did not function from an office; they labored in the homes of the people and in the marketplace. They were “among” them. Consequently they were well-known by the people.

The same thing happens in 1 Corinthians 16:

Now I urge you, brothers — you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints — be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. (1 Corinthians 16:15-16)

In Corinth, as in Thessalonica, Paul tells the people to recognize those who are already doing the work of leadership.

We’ll get deeper into the characteristics of high-potential emerging leaders next time.

What about you?

All of us should be asking, before we get to identifying emerging leaders in our ministries or churches — would this model identify me?

Do you think?
Do you act?
Would your community affirm your potential as a leader?
Would God affirm your potential as a leader?

This isn’t about shame or regret — we’ve all made mistakes as leaders and have room for growth! This is about an honest assessment of your potential.

When you look closely at yourself in light of this model, what do you see? If you’d like, share what you find in the comments.

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Model Brief: LeaderID
Video Course: Shaping a Culture of Generational Succession
Video Course: LeaderID: Identifying High-Potential Emerging Leaders
For more resources, visit our website.

Personal Transformation in the Lives of Sports Camp Coaches

LeaderSource — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:31:44 GMT

A Word from Malcolm

“Jesus did not run seminars. He walked on roads with His disciples and ate meals with them. He invited His disciples to watch Him pray, confront opposition, show compassion, be rejected and suffer, and submit to the Father. They learned leadership by living with Him.
Programs are useful. Tools are helpful. But only true disciples will become healthy Christian leaders who walk deeply with God and remain faithful to Him whatever the cost.
The future of the Church does not depend on how many leaders we train. It depends on whether we build the right ones – leaders who have heard Jesus’ call, surrendered their right to independence and given themselves to Jesus for life.
This is where true spiritual leadership begins.”

Read More from Malcolm

Personal Transformation in the Lives of Sports Camp Coaches

“Every time I prepare for training — during the design phase and while praying — the Holy Spirit always strongly reminds me: This is God’s vision. It’s His work. And every time, it’s something new! He will reign and lead; we are simply hidden in Him, co-working with God. As we think proactively, offer ourselves, and stay sensitive to His guidance throughout the process, beautiful things are bound to happen — and indeed, they always do!
Time and again, things have happened that far exceed what we asked or imagined. This has especially built up my heart in knowing God, relying on Him and fearing Him. God is truly among us. It has greatly strengthened my courage and confidence in Christ – I don’t need to fear, because this is God’s work!”

Read the Rest

New Designs for God Is Sovereign

The doctrine of the sovereignty of God has been an issue of great confusion for many centuries in the Church. Around the world, Christians have been split into two camps, one proclaiming that God is sovereign, the other responding that man is responsible for his actions.

Biblically, both positions are true. The Bible teaches both the sovereignty of God and the genuine responsibility of man. God does not ask us to figure out how this is possible. He simply tells us that both are true, and He expects us to believe and to act on that knowledge, whether or not we can reconcile it.

When we simply believe what God said in His Word – we receive extraordinary treasure. We live in the profound benefits of both positions!

Based on the third volume of Transformational Theology, God Is Sovereign, this companion book is packed full of practical ways to apply this doctrine in your everyday life. The goal of doctrine in Scripture is never just to gain knowledge, but to be transformed by God’s truth!

Buy the Book Now!

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The Latest from Malcolm:

Malcolm’s Musings

Effective Coaching

4 months ago · 5 likes · 1 comment · Malcolm Webber

Don't Miss this Video Training!

LeaderSource — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:56:38 GMT

Hello friends,

Last week we shared a free training opportunity with Dr. Malcolm Webber with you, hosted by Fifty Four.

If you weren’t able to join us live last week, here’s the full conversation with Malcolm!

We’ll be zeroing in on various aspects of what Malcolm talks about in this training throughout the first part of 2026, here on Healthy Leaders, together with great teaching like this, stories, and practical ways to apply what you learn in your daily life. Consider this a sneak peek of what’s ahead.

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Shaping Tomorrow's Leaders

LeaderSource — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:23:08 GMT

We have an exciting free training opportunity for you coming up on January 20th, hosted by our friends at Fifty Four! This is Fifty Four’s first “Live Learning” of 2026, and we’re privileged to be a part of it.

This particular training touches on exactly what we’re talking about at the start of 2026: understanding and identifying high-potential emerging leaders.

Many organizations invest in leadership development, and later realize they invested in the wrong people.

In this 60-minute session, we’ll have a thoughtful conversation on how Scripture reshapes the way we recognize leadership potential. Together, we’ll explore:

Why identifying emerging leaders is often harder than expected
What Jesus’ choice of His disciples reveals about leadership potential
Practical first steps for identifying the right leaders to invest in

Join us!

Date: Jan 20, 2026

Time: 08:00 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Here’s the link for registration (or just click the button below). We can’t wait to see you there!

Sign me up!

The Biggest Mistake the Global Church Makes in Leader Development

LeaderSource — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:31:39 GMT

Welcome back to Healthy Leaders! In this issue, we identify the issue: a lack of identification.

Hello friends,

We’re glad you’re here with us again in the new year!

We closed out 2025 focusing on Christ-centered leader development — which has always been a focus for us, to be sure. He’s the foundation of everything we do! Our health as Christian leaders depends on our dependence on Him.

But our goal is not only to be healthy Christian leaders. It is also to build healthy leaders. And in order to build healthy leaders, we need to be strategic about building the right ones.

So… how exactly do we go about choosing the right ones?

Let’s dig into it.1

It’s striking to consider all of the resources poured into developing leaders across the globe, with little or no attention to determining their potential as future leaders! As Malcolm mentions, we don’t just need wonderful, faithful people, we need wonderful, faithful people who can lead.

Building the right people is an incredibly strategic choice, especially since most of us only have the time and resources to build one or two well! Exactly how we determine who the right person is will come in one of our future video teachings.

But here’s an example of what can happen when a high-potential leader is built.

One of the groups we worked with in recent years in India was made up of 24 young pastors whose focus was on building up youth. These emerging leaders were specifically gathered due to their high potential, and one in particular showcases what that means.

Pastor N is a passionate youth leader; young people are attracted to his commitment and purpose. His passion is only rivaled by that of his wife, who is actively involved in women’s ministry at the church with the same zeal. Together they make a strong team, building up young leaders who are now going on to plant churches in their own areas.

Because of the initial trainings he attended with us, Pastor N realized that the church he had recently been involved in planting was only running services, not transforming lives. He applied the ConneXions Model in that church, designing ways to move the people toward growth. Consequently, they were able to lay a strong and sure foundation for the church — a foundation that, in part, involved knowing which leaders to invest in heavily so they could assist in equipping the other members.

Pastor N said:

“Because of Building Healthy Leaders, I learned how to help people grow, understand their weaknesses and challenges, and understand how much time should be spent with which person. So we started making designs on those areas to build their capacity. Before that I never looked at it that way.”

Now, he meets regularly to fast and pray with the leaders he has built, keeping them accountable to the designs they have made for growth, and they spend time sharing, studying the Word of God, and interceding for each other.

All of his leaders were new converts in his ministry when they started in leadership. He identified their potential during their early service with him in the church, then trained them intentionally, praying all the while. As they were sent to pioneer new churches in new locations, he worked alongside them, constantly modeling and training, then handing over leadership to them when they were ready.

Pastor N continues to identify high-potential young men in his church with a calling for future leadership and high commitment to the Lord. Through the initial church he planted, he and his leaders have now planted two new churches with deep foundations and strong leaders. They have started five new prayer groups in hospitals and homes in the area. In one of these, four young men have come to the Lord — the firstfruits of many to come!

This is what comes of strategically identifying the right leaders to build: strong, healthy leaders who will go on to build strong, healthy leaders!

What about you?

At the turning of the year, it’s always a good idea to look back and look forward!

How has God worked in your life and ministry in 2025?
What are you praying He will do in 2026?

We’d love to hear your answers in the comments. We’ll join you in praising God for what He has done, and pray along with your vision for the new year!

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Model Brief: LeaderID
Video Course: Shaping a Culture of Generational Succession
Video Course: LeaderID: Identifying High-Potential Emerging Leaders
For more resources, visit our website.

Merry Christmas from Healthy Leaders!

LeaderSource — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:32:08 GMT

Dear friends,

Merry Christmas from all of us at Healthy Leaders!

We are so thankful that you have chosen to walk with us this year at Healthy Leaders.

As 2025 comes to a close, we are reflecting on the goodness of God and the ways He has been faithfully at work, both in our own lives and in the lives of leaders around the world whom we have the privilege to serve. Time and again, we have witnessed God forming leaders who are rooted more deeply in Christ and equipped to build others.

As we close this year, more than any plan or program, what stands out most clearly is the faithfulness of God Himself.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20–21)

We serve a God whose power is not limited by our resources, strength or understanding. He is always at work, building His Church and advancing His purposes in ways that bring Him glory.

Those ways are often at play in the smallest corners of the world, in the unseen works of character, service and pursuit of God. He is working in leaders like you and I, as we fix our eyes on Him, the Founder and Perfector of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

A Few Year-End Gifts

Below you’ll find a few of our favorite Healthy Leaders posts from this year, along with a few favorites from (who you should definitely subscribe to if you haven’t yet!)

And as a holiday gift, right now at our website, if you sign-up for email updates, you can get a free e-book of your choice! Just find the book you want, scroll down to enter your information, and we’ll send it your way.

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The Best of Healthy Leaders: 2025

It’s natural for leaders to fall prey to laziness, discouragement, or exhaustion — especially when we are trying to push people forward out of pride, fear, duty, or just our own strength mixed with any shreds of passion we can muster up.
But we do not live natural lives in Christ. In Him, we have new life! And our new life in Him means we pursue His highest purposes for us and those we lead. In Him, we can act!

Effective managers are cheerleaders, facilitators, coaches and nurturers. They build through people. Strong people skills enable managers to unleash others’ energy and potential, and help them grow as future managers and leaders.

To some in the leadership space, managers are just obstacles to overcome on the way to realizing the leader’s potential. They get in the way of progress with their insistence on organization and details.
But nothing could be further from the truth! A good manager can provide steady support and essential critique in the journey toward a leader’s vision, as well as essential insight into how to achieve it.

As a leader you must ask yourself: Am I actively seeking Jesus? Am I spending deep time in His presence, looking at Him? Am I relying on Him for all things, and surrendering all things to Him?
This is not a one-and-done exercise, but a whole-life posture. There is no health or wholeness outside of Christ, and if we pursue leadership or building leaders outside of dependence on Him we will crash and burn.

As you are reflecting on your place in this — whether manager or leader — take a moment to remember the source of all of this: your relationship with Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you in the task before you. Your dependency on Him is directly related to your capacity to fulfill the task He’s given you in your organization or church. God is calling you into deep dependency on Him. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.

The Best of Malcolm’s Musings: 2025

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Do Christians Have Two Natures?

Paul gives us a path of victory! We do not have to walk in the old lifestyle, dominated by sin, unable to overcome the flesh, but, in Christ we are now able to walk in newness of life. We are able to live “according to the Spirit.” We are free from sin and death. We are alive to God and empowered to actually walk in righteousness.

“The Letter Kills, But the Spirit Gives Life”

This axiom is particularly popular in Pentecostal and Charismatic circles. Any time someone wants to declare that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is preferable to the ministry of the Word of God, he proclaims, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Of course, this becomes a convenient way to avoid the discipline and hard work of diligently studying the Bible. Moreover, this axiom is particularly useful when someone quotes a Scripture that we do not like. We simply declare that we have chosen the higher and “living” road of being “led by the Spirit” rather than being slaves merely to the written “dead” Word!

God Is All-Knowing

Another way that God is infinite is in His knowledge. He is “omniscient,” or all-knowing. Over and over in Scripture we read of the infinity of God’s knowledge. It is “perfect,” and “beyond measure!”

The Influence of Greek Culture on Theological Education Today

This is knowledge for its own sake — whether or not it is of any practical significance. This explains why Western societies are content to spend billions of dollars in scientific research on outer space, when multitudes of people still live in poverty on our own planet. This is why some Christian theologians spend their lives studying nuances of obscure doctrines when hundreds of entire people groups still do not have a single church.

The Heart of Servant and Abusive Leadership

A leader who tells the people, “Your role is to help me achieve my vision!” is, by definition, an abusive leader. The true servant leader equips the people to function properly and fulfill their purpose in God (Ephesians 4:11-13)!
In contrast, the true servant may, at times, be tough toward the people he leads. Many times, Jesus rebuked His disciples. He was not always “nice” to them. However, it was always in their best interests!

We are thankful for your friendship in the Gospel, and your support of LeaderSource work in the nations. We hope that our writings here have been encouraging, convicting and equipping in your leadership and life with God.

May God bless you and your loved ones richly in the new year!

Until next time (in 2026), we’re with you.

— Chris (for all of us at LeaderSource)

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Land of Faith, Land of Generosity

LeaderSource — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 12:31:38 GMT

A Word from Malcolm

“Without the presence of the Holy Spirit, the church becomes just another social institution, and, usually, not a particularly good one.
Our central and preeminent purpose in our lives and in our corporate gatherings must be to connect deeply with Him!
In many church meetings, the Holy Spirit is not allowed to have His way. We pray, “God do what you want to do today,” and then go on meticulously following our own preplanned agenda.
And if He does override us and show up anyway, we are embarrassed and awkward and quickly shut Him down.
Such meetings should be better described as “social gatherings” and not as meetings of the Bride of Christ.
Social gatherings, of course, are fine. But they’re not the mighty Church that Jesus died for and that the nations desperately need!”

Read More from Malcolm

Nagaland: A Land of Faith, A Culture of Generosity

As followers of Christ, our generosity flows not from obligation or abundance, but from our union with the One who gave everything for us. In Christ, we are set free from fear, scarcity and self-protection. We are empowered to live a lifestyle of whole-life generosity – giving our time, talents, treasure, testimony, trust and thankfulness in service to God and others.

When a church embraces this kind of generosity, it becomes a vibrant reflection of the life of God. Generosity is no longer a fundraising tactic or a financial strategy – it becomes the culture, the very expression of the Church’s life in Christ. This is seen beautifully in the churches of Nagaland, India.

Nagaland, a hilly state in Northeastern India with a population of approximately two million, is home to diverse tribal communities where over 87% of the population identify as Christian. The state boasts a high literacy rate of 80%, yet nearly 20% of its people live in poverty. Despite economic challenges, Nagas are known for their vibrant culture, deep community support and extraordinary generosity.

Historically, Nagas have supported one another through voluntary contributions during times of illness, death or crisis. When someone is sick, medical expenses are often covered by the freewill offerings of community members – not because they are wealthy, but because generosity is embedded in their culture. This practice of communal giving carried over and found new expression when Christianity came to the region.

Read the Rest

Brief: Shaping a Culture of Generosity

Course: Shaping a Culture of Generosity

New Designs for God Is Triune

Before the creation of the world, God eternally existed in a magnificent celebration of life and self-giving love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This was the triune God for all eternity!

Our summons from the Great Eternal King is to know Him, to experience Him, to enjoy Him, to possess Him. Moreover, in the Church we participate in that life together. The Father loves His Son who loves the Holy Spirit who loves them both – in us and through us! This is what the Christian life is: restoration to fellowship with God. The experience of this should be our highest aspiration. And all of this is because God is triune!

Based on the second volume of Transformational Theology, God Is Triune, this companion book provides rigorous, practical designs for life transformation, based on the lifechanging doctrine of the Trinity – the very center of everything in the Christian life and church life.

This Truth will profoundly transform our lives!

Buy it on Amazon!

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The Latest from Malcolm:

Malcolm’s Musings

What Is the “Unity of the Spirit,” and How Do We “Maintain” It?

The phrase “unity of the Spirit” is from Ephesians 4…

5 months ago · 4 likes · Malcolm Webber

Designing for Gratitude

LeaderSource — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:30:31 GMT

In this issue of Healthy Leaders, we test our design skills to get more grateful.

This time of year in America, we celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday set in place by our first president, George Washington. He started out his Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 with these words:

“Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor…”

You may or may not celebrate this holiday in your nation, but I’ve still found it a good excuse to reflect on giving thanks to God, to whom we always owe gratitude whatever day of the year or country we’re in.

Biblically, thanksgiving is understood as an offering or a confession. Confession, especially in the Old Testament context, is not just about telling someone your sin. Rather, it is a proclamation or an agreement that something is true.

For instance, when confessing a sin (e.g. James 5:16), we are agreeing with God on what sin is. We are proclaiming His holiness and our sin, and that we need the blood of Christ to make us right with Him. If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9), we are agreeing with God that He is Lord over all, and proclaiming that we submit to Him as Lord over all.

In the same way, when we give thanks to God, we are proclaiming that He is good and has done good things for us. We are agreeing with Him that we depend on Him, and that He has been kind to us in ways we could never deserve or earn.

Gratitude is a repeated command (44 times!) in Scripture:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1)

And a lifestyle of thankfulness to God, along with joy and unceasing prayer, is the will of God for all of us!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Is it any surprise, then, that scientists and doctors continue to discover new health benefits to living a life full of thanksgiving, such as emotional health, better sleep, reducing depression and anxiety, and heart health? Seems as though Paul was onto something, probably because he got his information from the One who created us Himself.

Gratitude is a vital part of our health as leaders in our respective homes, communities, ministries, and churches. It presents us with an opportunity not only to acknowledge our dependency on God, but to experience His work in our lives more fully! The more we exercise our “gratitude muscles,” the more we train ourselves to recognize His provision and deliverance for us in real time.

True thanksgiving, however, is more than just saying “thank you” because it’s what we ought to do to be polite. True thanksgiving flows out of a deep, profound experience of the goodness and love of God. When we turn to Him and really look at Him, loving and enjoying Him, the most natural response will be worship and thanksgiving!

Gratitude also strengthens our connection to our community. Whenever we express thanks to someone, we are simultaneously recognizing our need and desire for their help, and that their kindness means a lot to us. This increases trust in one another, and helps us to grow in character qualities like humility, joy, and kindness ourselves.

It’s easy for us to forget gratitude, often out of laziness, self-reliance, or busyness. We rush through our days thinking little about how much we really depend on God and other people, or about how much kindness and grace we really receive on a daily basis.

How then can we grow in gratitude?

A Design for Thankfulness

As we’ve been discussing recently here on Healthy Leaders, this is a great opportunity to practice simple design!

We already have a clearly defined goal: to grow in gratitude. Now let’s put together a few simple, Four-Dynamic ways we can do this (with help from our handy Dynamics of Transformation Chart).

Spiritual Dynamic:

Ask God to give you a more thankful heart, and make you more alert to His kindness and goodness toward you.
Meditate on (and pray using) Psalms of thanksgiving, such as Psalm 100, 118, or 136.
Reflect: are there any areas of your life where you are practicing un-thankfulness? Confess and repent of any ingratitude in your heart, claiming Jesus’ blood to cleanse you of it.
Go before God and thank Him for His gifts of salvation, protection, and provision!

Relational Dynamic:

Get together with a few other believers and share several things you’re thankful for with each other.
Ask a trusted friend to help keep you accountable to avoid being ungrateful, and to remind you of God’s goodness wherever they see it so you can give thanks for it.

Experiential Dynamic:

Practice giving thanks to God! When you get up in the morning, thank Him for three things. When you go to bed at night, thank Him for three more.
During your day, when something good happens, stop and give thanks to God for it in that moment. When something bad happens, thank God that He is still with you and knows what’s going on.
When someone offers you kindness, thank them sincerely for it.

Instructional Dynamic:

Study how Paul and the other apostles give thanks in the epistles. What can you learn from them?
Together with a friend (relational dynamic!), do a study of thankfulness in the Bible.
Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
Listen to Malcolm Webber’s teaching on gratitude, “The Healing Power of Thanksgiving.”

What about you?

What other spiritual, relational, experiential, or instructional design elements would you add? Drop them in the comments!

Until next time, we’re with you.

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Audio Teaching: The Healing Power of Thanksgiving
Book: True Giving: A Brief Exposition of Philippians
Tool: Dynamics of Transformation Chart
For more resources, visit our website.

A Letter from an Emerging Leader

LeaderSource — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 12:30:52 GMT

Welcome to Issue 60 of Healthy Leaders. In this issue, we get into what emerging leaders desperately want and need.

Hello friends,

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation on healthy Christian leadership and leader development.1

As we go about building leaders in our communities, churches, and ministries, we must always keep in mind where we are headed with this: the transformation of lives for Christ. When our leader development is rooted in this goal, in Christ who makes this goal possible, then we are on solid ground.

Here’s Malcolm with a powerful picture of what transformational leader development can look like, and what it can accomplish:

We hear many stories of young leaders desperate to grow.

Brother H is a 30-year-old emerging leader leading a small church of about 20 young people. His mother was a participant in another of our short-term programs last year, and had been deeply delivered from bondage through the training. Brother H saw a complete transformation in his mother’s life and decided that he needed to come.

Growing up in a godly family of full-time church workers, Brother H willingly committed himself to serve God at a very young age. However, as he grew up, he became entangled in many temptations. After seminary, he knowingly committed a deep sin against God, and was plunged into fear, darkness, and depression. He lost the peace he had known in Jesus.

At the program, he finally exposed this sin, receiving prayer and acceptance in the love of God through the brothers and sisters in the training. Now he is convinced that God loves him and will never forsake him!

“In the midst of my desperation, this program brought about a new hope and a new start for me. It restored my relationship with God and gave me new motivation to serve God. It provided me with an opportunity to meet God and be rebuilt by Him. I realized deeply that Christ is the center and the source of my life. Only when I know more about Christ can I live in His abundance; only when I have a relationship with Christ can my life become more holy. Only when I soak in the presence of God can I live out His will and overcome temptation. I have experienced the depth of the love of Christ, and I am willing to submit to His sovereignty.

Now I know God knows my situation clearly, so I don’t use my own ideas and strategies to do things anymore. I have learned to put all things in God’s hands: my ministry, my family, my way, my marriage and financial problems, etc. From now on I will try my best to please God and understand His heart. I am willing to be His holy and noble vessel. I desire to be filled with the Holy Spirt and no longer under bondage, and I am willing to be used by God to be a healthy leader and build a heathy church.”

What about you?

You may already be thinking of young leaders you know. Pray for them now, that God would move powerfully in their lives, and that you would be privileged to be a part of that move of God!

We’re so glad you were along for the ride with us this year here at Healthy Leaders. Thanks for being here! In the new year, we’re going to be diving into how you can identify the high-potential emerging leaders around you. So stick around.

We’d love to hear from you about what God has done in your life and leadership this year. Drop those in the comments so we can celebrate with you.

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Core Model Brief: LeaderStream
Video Course: Shaping a Culture of Generational Succession
Article: 8 Ways You Can Motivate Your Emerging Leaders to Grow
For more resources, visit our website.

Thanks to our friends at Fifty-Four Collective for putting together a comprehensive set of video courses for growing healthy organizations, starting with this series of courses on leadership by Malcolm. We’ll be using some of their videos and some of our own. Be sure to check out what they’re doing!

Transformational Theology for Kids in East Asia

LeaderSource — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:30:57 GMT

A Word from Malcolm

“Many times we give to the Lord those parts of our lives that we really don’t want anyway. Modern evangelism doesn’t help in this regard. We tell people: “Come to Jesus, give Him your pain, give Him your hurts, give Him your sin.” But that’s not what the gospel of the Kingdom is. The message of the Kingdom is: God demands you — not just your hurts or pains, or your debts, but you. Not just the things you don’t want anyway, but the things you do want: give it all to Him. Give yourself to Him.” (from Purpose: Finding and Fulfilling the Will of God for Our Lives and Churches)

Transformational Theology for Kids in East Asia

One local church in East Asia, already engaged in trainings like Building Healthy Churches, recently began using our new Transformational Theology for Kids designs in their church. Designed specifically for children ages seven to 14 from Christian households, this holistic program quickly became a game-changer for their Sunday School ministry.

Teachers reported that prior to this point, Sunday School lessons had felt very dull and lifeless. But this new approach was a breath of fresh air because it was built with a focus on holistic transformation instead of a transfer of information.

This truth-based curriculum brings life and energy. The children really enjoy it! Before, they didn’t want to come because they felt it was boring and meaningless. Now, the Four Dynamic content is very rich and the truths are clearly laid out, making it easier to teach. The kids are gaining a lot.

Not only did this provide a starting point for the teachers, but the activities incorporated in the lessons left a deep impression on the kids — who would often share what they learned with their parents.

Read the Rest!

Get What God Is Like: Ages 4-7

Get What God Is Like: Ages 8-12

Rediscover the Holy Spirit!

In a world of confusion and imbalance, many believers either ignore the Holy Spirit or approach Him with hesitation. Some see Him merely as a vague power. Others affirm that He is God but live as if He is distant and inactive. Still others chase emotional experiences, often leading to extremes that discredit His work altogether.

But the Holy Spirit is not a force, nor is He silent or sidelined. He is God. He is personal. He is active today. And He is the One by whom we truly know and walk with God.

Who the Holy Spirit Is offers a clear, biblical and compelling vision of life in the Spirit. Everything God does in your life is by His Spirit: revealing truth, transforming hearts, empowering ministry, and drawing us into deeper relationship with the Father and the Son.

Whether you’ve known the Spirit for years or are just beginning to seek Him, this book will help you cultivate a life in the Spirit that is joyful, empowered and deeply rooted in the truth of God’s Word.

Buy it on Amazon!

From Malcolm’s Archives

Malcolm’s Musings

Is 24/7 Prayer Biblical?

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2 years ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Malcolm Webber

From the Frontlines

Join us in celebrating what God is has done in 2025 and what He will do in the future!

Truly Christ-Centered Leader Development

LeaderSource — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:30:36 GMT

Welcome to Issue 59 of Healthy Leaders. In this issue, we return to the Center, Jesus Christ.

Hello friends,

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation on healthy Christian leadership and leader development.1

At the end of our last issue, we talked about Christ being both center and circumference in your life and leadership.

We keep coming back to this every day in our work in Christian leader development, because He already is the Center of everything!

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the Head of the Body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His Cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)

This incredible truth has profound implications for how to build leaders!

Here’s Malcolm with more:

In all of our frontline work, we focus on Christ as the heartbeat of all healthy leadership — because He is worthy of our focus, because we need Him ourselves, and because this focus works. Our brothers and sisters in Cameroon have frequently testified of this truth!

“Union with Christ, always taken for granted once we are born again, is the true beginning and the end of leadership. I felt ashamed of myself as a leader after seeing how far I had strayed away from Jesus’ model of leadership. This model has made leader development and discipleship easier and down to earth. Since this training started, I have not stop wondering what could happen if the Church were to fully embrace these tools. We would be able to match the harvest with the number of harvesters! I see a completely new route of ministry before me.” (Pastor S)

“Our solid foundation is Jesus Christ. To lead like Him I must be in union and fellowship with Him all the time. I must seek His face before taking any step.” (Sister K)

“As a Christian leader, I must have the right foundation — fellowship with Jesus — and build on that foundation. My personal relationship with God comes first. It is not something I am supposed to do in my spare time, but something that is supposed to be my identity. Fellowship with God is the source of my life; I cannot live without it. My leadership comes from a good relationship with Christ.” (Sister E)

What about you?

How do you practically keep Christ as the focus of your life and leadership on a day-to-day basis? What do you find most effective? We’d love to hear about it in the comments.

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Audio Teaching: Returning to Your First Love
Core Model Brief: Summary of the Principles of Healthy Leader Development
Book: To Enjoy Him Forever
For more resources, visit our website.

Transformational Leader Development

LeaderSource — Fri, 10 Oct 2025 11:30:54 GMT

Welcome to Issue 58 of Healthy Leaders. In this issue, transformation is within reach!

Hello friends,

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation on healthy Christian leadership and leader development.1

In a recent proposal for nonformal and formal collaboration in developing leaders, Malcolm makes the case that in order for leader development to keep pace with the new churches being planted around the world, we need to regain a culture of people-building in the Church itself. This was how the Early Church did it! They didn’t have universities or Bible colleges to do it for them. They did it “in-house.”

He offers five fundamental questions we need to ask:

How did Jesus build leaders in the Gospels?
How did the Early Church build leaders, as revealed in Acts and the Epistles?
Practically, what might that look like today in the Church around the world?
What are the necessary components of the initial foundation that must be laid in the lives of emerging leaders?
How can healthy leader development be embedded in today’s new churches from the time of church-planting onward — with the right people being identified as leaders and being given the spiritual nurture, relationships, experiences and instruction they need in order for their lives and leadership to be built well?

These questions are great starting points for pursuing leader development that actually brings about transformation in the life of the leader. This doesn’t just happen because we want it to. It takes dependency on God and intentional work.

Here’s Malcolm with more:

We’ve shared some of how a transformational goal, process, and design can take place in a university setting.

But think for a moment about how Jesus did this with His disciples.

He focused intentionally on building each of them holistically, as healthy leaders — not just head knowledge or teaching skills. He built them spiritually and in community. He built their character and strengthened their calling. And He built their ability to think and act well. He wasn’t interesting in a walking, talking head. He was interested in whole people. And His holistic, Four-Dynamic process matched this goal!

But we’re talking about design, aren’t we? Jesus designed both prepared learning experiences and responded to circumstances with purpose and intentionality. This is difficult to do in a modern institutional context.

Traditionally, we have not given sufficient thought to leader development design, often simply teaching as we were taught. Jesus, however, designed an extraordinary collage of diverse learning experiences for His emerging leaders.
In the new paradigm, we learn how to intentionally design learning experiences as Jesus did. Leader development is a somewhat disorderly, complex and multifaceted experiential collage of diverse people, relationships, experiences, responsibilities, opportunities, pressures, etc. that all work together to build the emerging leader. Thus, an effective leader development process is not a neat series of lectures but a fiery immersion in real-life, real-time experiences, reflecting the complicated and fundamentally difficult nature of Christian leadership, bringing deep heart issues to the surface to be dealt with and compelling the emerging leader to look utterly to God for victory and fruitfulness.
The best leader development design interacts with all this to build the lives of emerging leaders in a way that incorporates the transformational goal and the transformational process. Consequently, it is precisely designed for the specific needs of the specific people in the specific moment, and it is responsive and flexible. In our experience, in a well-designed and well-led holistic training program, the very deepest transformational opportunities come by being alert, and then wisely and skillfully responding to God’s design — serendipitous and providential opportunities that arise — not by rigidly following a linear set curriculum. (from “A New Proposal for Nonformal/Formal Collaboration in Leader Development,” emphasis added)

This kind of rigorous, lifestyle leader development is the natural result of placing Christ at the center of everything we do, instead of our desires, traditions, or pet projects.

One of our minister friends in Cameroon had this to say about that shift:

“The teaching about the nature of Jesus’ leadership has opened my eyes! It has completely convinced me that without total dependence on the Holy Spirit, the work of our ministry will be laborious and fruitless.

During my quiet time this morning, the Holy Spirit revealed to me areas I needed to work on in my personal life and ministry, all in line with the 5Cs you taught us yesterday. The Holy Spirit reminded me of the picture of the goal: Christ at the center and at the circumference. He kept telling me that ‘Christ in you must be seen outside you also.’ I must change our evangelism strategy. May God help me!"

What about you?

Take a moment to evaluate yourself: is Christ at the center and circumference of your life? Is He motivating and guiding you, or are you doing it in your own strength?

Go into His presence now, giving Him praise for His grace and power, available to you in Christ. Ask Him to renew and hold you as you go forward in your life and leadership. Tell Him you trust Him to do His work!

Pray this prayer with the Psalmist, Asaph:

Nevertheless, I am continually with You;
You hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward You will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:23-26)

What other passages of Scripture have encouraged you to keep Christ central in your leadership? Share them with us in the comments.

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
A New Proposal for Nonformal/Formal Collaboration in Leader Development
Book: Building Leaders
Tool: Dynamics of Transformation Chart
For more resources, visit our website.

A Church Culture Transformed

LeaderSource — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 11:32:00 GMT

We interrupt your regular Healthy Leaders programming to introduce a new monthly newsletter. This is The Connection, a round-up of fresh stories of transformation and resources for spiritual growth and healthy leader development. If you’re interested in finding out more about our work, this is a great place to start! Visit our website to learn more.

After this month, you’ll start getting The Connection in your inboxes on the last Friday of each month (don’t worry — you’ll still get your regular dose of Healthy Leaders). You can always adjust your preferences for what publications you receive in your Substack dashboard. Thanks for reading!

A Word from Malcolm

“Jesus sent His Spirit to live in us and to reveal Himself to us. A few men knowing God personally in the Old Testament was amazing. Many people knowing Jesus personally in the Gospels was incredible. But now by His Spirit, Jesus is in us! We are united with Him. We are welcomed into the deepest possible union with Him. He is our Friend!” (from Who Jesus Christ Is: Transformational Theology 4)

A Church Culture Transformed

Recently our team in East Asia was able to check in with a church that we have invested in long-term. What we found there moved us deeply! Without prompting, eight of the church’s core co-workers eagerly shared how LeaderSource’s training and long-term investment had brought transformation not just to individuals, but to the entire culture of the church.

What emerged was a vibrant testimony of life change: in mindset, leadership, relationships, and spiritual vitality.

The church once operated around rigid programs and meetings, events that many people were reluctant to attend. But now, gatherings are vibrant and full of life, and people are eager to come. Co-workers who used to avoid meetings now look forward to them because they center on life transformation, not logistics. “The culture has changed,” one said. “Now everyone is proactively involved.”

Read the Rest!

A New Exposition of Ephesians!

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reveals God’s magnificent eternal purpose: to bring all things in heaven and earth under the Headship of Christ. Within this grand vision, the Church has a special calling — to be filled with all the fullness of God and to reveal His wisdom to the heavenly powers.

In this exposition, Malcolm Webber bridges the eternal and the practical, showing how the Church fulfills this calling through unity in the Body of Christ, walking in newness of life, building healthy relationships in the family and workplace, standing firm in spiritual warfare, and growing to full maturity in Christ.

Whether you’re a pastor, teacher, or believer seeking deeper understanding, this commentary will help you to embrace your calling and participate in God’s incredible eternal purpose for His glorious Bride.

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Malcolm’s Musings

Have the Gifts of the Holy Spirit Ceased?

God has always intended that the preaching of the Gospel would be accompanied by signs and wonders (Mark 16:15-20). It has always been His will for His Church to live in the supernatural realm. He has always wanted His work to be done in His way by the power of His Spirit…

8 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Malcolm Webber

From the Frontlines

From our regional director for Africa, Delphine Fanfon:

“We often think of poverty as a lack of money. And sure, that’s part of it. But financial poverty is just one form of a much deeper issue.

The real epidemic?

Poverty of personal leadership!
Poverty of discipline!
Poverty of character!

And like most forms of poverty, it doesn’t happen all at once. It creeps in slowly. Quietly. Through small lapses, small compromises, small blind spots that go unchecked.

We love to blame systems, circumstances, or the people around us for our stagnation. But sometimes, the most brutal poverty we face is the one we’ve built for ourselves — one careless decision at a time.

It’s not sexy to talk about this. It doesn’t go viral. But if you’re serious about becoming someone of depth, power, and lasting impact, you need to hear this:

The little things are not little. They’re everything ….”

Designers of Leader Development and Users of Design

LeaderSource — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 11:31:30 GMT

Welcome to Issue 57 of Healthy Leaders. In this issue, design is for everyone.

Hello friends,

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation on healthy Christian leadership and leader development.1

Last time, we spent some time discussing how you might come alongside your leaders as you are designing ways for them to grow. This same foundation of relationship is essential for your own growth as well. God designed it to be this way!

As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the Body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:20-27)

In other words, we need each other. And this goes for people who are proficient with more complex designs to implement across multiple church networks, as well as those who only design simple plans to help their family grow.

In order for all of us to be built up together as the Body of Christ, everyone can and must do design!

Here’s Malcolm with more:

When Malcolm says that everyone can and must do design, he means everyone — including those who have a long legacy of ministry in their families and their lives.

Pastor G is a fourth-generation preacher and has been serving the Lord for over 36 years. During that time he attended many trainings and seminars. When he first heard about Building Healthy Leaders, he was not interested in it. He thought it was just another program.

Even so, he decided to read Building Leaders, and after reading became so interested that he joined the short-term program for almost two years. He and his church have received so much benefit from the program, but it was during the design section that he was most inspired.

Suddenly he realized that all of the past courses on leader development that he had taken were only materials, and nobody had taught him how to put those materials together to make something new. The ConneXions Model, with its 5C goal and 4D process, showed him how to use these materials to build his personal life and the life of the church. He immediately started a one-year program in his own church with his co-workers, teaching what he’d learned once a month for five days.

Before, Pastor George cared most about doing good works instead of building people. He felt very frustrated and misunderstood, which created tension with his team. However, he was inspired by the idea that making disciples requires that the leader spend a majority of time accompanying them in their growth. When he started spending more time with his co-workers and getting to know them on a personal level, he was able to unite his team and help them grow in a holistic way. This has led to great transformation.

He reported to us that he has been empowered to trust his followers and give power and responsibility to them freely. Because of this he has been freed to accept more preaching invitations and to build the health of the whole church using the Healthy Church models. His focus on building leaders has expanded evangelism and discipleship in his context!

This is the power of learning how to design.

What about you?

Have you identified a growth area in yourself that you can start working on yet? What about for someone you are discipling, or emerging leaders in your church?

We’d love to hear who you’re building, and how it’s going, and if you have any questions about the process. Let us know in the comments!

Until next time, we’re with you!

— Chris

Leave a comment

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Read the latest from Malcolm!
Core Model Brief: Summary of the Principles of Healthy Leader Development
Book: Building Leaders
Tool: Dynamics of Transformation Chart
For more resources, visit our website.

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