Gospel Leadership Part 2
Family centred leadership means everyone has a role.
Last week, I started a series on Gospel Leadership, where I’m trying to unpack a vision for leadership that starts with the gospel rather than organizational principles.
To understand church leadership from this lens, we first have to understand the church. So, I began by talking about the nature of the church; what it is and what its purpose is. Last week, I covered the ‘what’ - the church is a family, bonded together by Jesus. Today, we are going to cover its purpose: why the church exists and how leadership relates to that why.
When you think about the church, what do you believe its purpose is?
Listen to what Paul says:
Ephesians 3:10
“[The proclamation of the Gospel] is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The purpose of the church is to declare the cosmic, eternal, glorious nature and character of God—not primarily through individuals, not through events or productions, and not through religious goods and services, but through a family called the church.
According to Ephesians 3:10, the church’s purpose is to make God’s wisdom known not just here on earth but to the rulers and authorities in Heaven. We are a family on a mission of cosmic significance.
Leadership in the Context of a Missional Family
The church is not just a family—it is a missional family—a family with a purpose.
Throughout Ephesians, Paul has been making the case that because of Jesus’ work, we are united into a new and eternal family. And that family has been given a beautiful task: proclaiming the name of Jesus.
When we lose sight of this mission, we will also lose sight of the leadership role the Lord has for each person in the church. But when we remain focused on what the church is for, it becomes clear that every person has a role to play.
Leadership is transformed from an organizational function that exists to accomplish goals and projects into a missional calling—one that exists to draw out the gifts of each person and mobilize them for the mission of God.
The final verse of Ephesians 3 summarizes it beautifully:
Ephesians 3:20–21
“Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
This passage is both a conclusion and a launching point.
It is the conclusion: everything the Father has been doing in building the church as a family is ultimately about the glorification of Christ.
And it is also the launching point: each of us has a role in the mission of God. By the resurrection power of Christ, he is able to do in and through each of us infinitely more than we could ask, think, or imagine.
It is from this conclusion that Paul moves into the practical call of chapter 4 to contribute to mission:
Ephesians 4:1
“Therefore, I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received.”
Embedded in Paul’s words, “walk worthy of your calling,” are two profound implications.
Implication #1: Everyone Has a Calling to Participate
First: everyone has a calling to participate in the mission.
This is the baseline definition of leadership. Paul is not speaking only to pastors or elders. He is addressing the whole church. He wrote this letter to “all the saints.”
And with this one line, Paul connects the eternal plan of God in Christ Jesus, the formation of the church as family, and each persons specific role within that family.
In a family model of leadership, you can’t point to “the leadership” without pointing to yourself. You are part of the family, and you have a role to play in the health of the whole.
Leadership is not a category reserved for a few people in the church. It is a responsibility shared by all.
Implication #2: Not Everyone Is Living Worthy of That Calling
The second implication is that not everyone is currently walking worthy of their calling.
For a variety of reasons (which we’ll explore more in the coming weeks), those who are more mature in Christ have a responsibility to walk with those who are not yet living in the fullness of what God has called them to.
In a healthy family, there is a leadership structure in which each person finds their role and responsibility. Everyone has some form of leadership. It’s not a binary category, and there is no “othering” of leadership.
Leadership is proportional. It flows from maturity and place in the family. In other words, leadership is a result of spiritual fruitfulness—not hierarchy.
This principle of fruitfulness is a theme we will explore more next week.
Paul highlights this as he continues:
Ephesians 4:7, 11
“Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift…
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers…”
To translate, everyone has responsibility, but not everyone has the same responsibility.
Just as parents carry a distinct responsibility from children, so in the church family, those who are more mature carry greater responsibility.
There are different roles in the family. Not everyone is ready for all responsibilities, but everyone has some responsibilities.
This matters because leadership structures do not exist to create hierarchy for hierarchy’s sake. They exist to ensure that everyone has a pathway toward maturity.
Some Takeaways
The church is not just a family—it is a family on mission. We aren’t merely creating community; we are participating in God’s eternal plan to bring people into his household.
This means every believer must be empowered to participate. The mission of disciple-making isn’t reserved for the spiritually elite—it is the normal calling of the whole church.
Church structure exists to serve maturity, not hierarchy. Healthy families have roles and responsibilities, and so does the church—but the goal is not climbing a ladder. The goal is growing in fruitfulness.
Everyone is called to leadership, but not everyone carries the same responsibility. Calling is universal, but influence and authority are proportional to maturity—just like in a family. Don’t misunderstand the meaning of “everyone is called” to mean “everyone is called in the same way.”
The role of the mature is to raise the less mature. Church leadership is not about platform-building or influence-accumulation. It’s about developing spiritual sons and daughters who thrive and multiply.