Today’s devotion on the theme of Developing Other Leaders is from Brian Croft and Bryce Butler.

Discipleship involves building up the next generation so they are equipped to lead and oversee the church. And implied in this is the fact that at some point you will need to make a transition out of your role. Whether it’s an assignment to another church, retirement, a change in occupation, an illness, or death, at some point you will have to make a change.

Most leaders tend to ignore their weaknesses and assume they will always be at the top of their game, so they neglect to think about their departure. For us as pastors, we may end up waiting until it is too late, and instead of passing the baton in a way that strengthens the church, we drop it and hope desperately that someone else figures out how to pick it up.

Planning to replace yourself is part of the process of equipping leaders and discipling them. It is more than passing along sage advice; you need to intentionally make an effort to share leadership and help the church to see that this leader is begin discipled by you, that he is someone you approve of (Matthew 3:17).

Sharing leadership and publicly acknowledging your junior staff and pastors is a great place to begin, but don’t stop there. Whenever you are able, do your ministry with someone else. Paul had his protégé, Timothy. Who in your ministry is your Timothy? The best way to pass along knowledge and experience is to share the load with someone, to have them join you.

• If you are going on a hospital visit or doing a funeral service, take someone along
• If you are writing a sermon, invite young people to be your research assistants and prepare alongside you.
• If you are on a mission trip or visiting a local partner, take someone along who might be a future leader.