JONATHAN BUCKLAND
Every leader harbors a profound desire to create lasting impact—to invest in others and develop leaders who will carry forward a meaningful mission. While this concept seems straightforward, effective implementation remains challenging.
With the constant barrage of pressures felt in the daily tasks of carrying out the mission of the Church, coupled with the care of the congregation God has given for us to shepherd those under our care, it is easy for the need of developing leaders for the future to take a backseat. The temptation of the leader is to busy themselves with the important work of what is urgent, while unintentionally neglecting what is necessary.
One of the necessary requirements for building a healthy and reproducing church is the development of leaders within the local congregation. Feeling the pressure of needing a qualified leader today to fill a responsibility or role in the present can cause us to shift our eyes away from the importance of developing leaders now for the needs of the future. The reality of “what is” can cause us to lose heart in striving toward what we feel God has called us to become.
It has been my experience that the greatest way to intentionally develop leaders is through the implementation of a plan that you are committed to over a period of time. Leaders aren’t made in a day; they develop over time through consistent effort, cultivated learning environments, and hands-on practical application.
The Critical Balance: Heart and Strategy
Many leaders possess a genuine passion to develop the leaders around them, but lack a systematic approach to developing others. This disconnect creates some critical leadership challenges.
First, the leader who possesses a heart for developing others, yet lacks a strategy to do so, will create an environment of frustration for themselves and for those they lead. Secondly, the leader who has a strategy to develop others, but lacks the heart and consistent effort to see it through, will foster a culture of apathy among those who would tend to rise to the occasion.
What produces a transformational environment is when the leader can couple a workable strategy with a heart of commitment to see it through. In these transformational environments, what begins as a trickle will develop into a stream and result in a river of leaders flowing to your church and, ultimately, impacting your community through the church you lead.
Key Principles of Intentional Leadership Development
Imagine transforming your church’s leadership approach by focusing on developing the potential already present in your congregation. Instead of continually praying for leaders to arrive, what if you committed to cultivating the leaders God has already placed within your care? Each individual God has connected to your ministry possesses skills, abilities and passions that are waiting to be developed and released for Kingdom impact.
To embrace this development mindset, we must adopt a few key principles:
1. God provides everything necessary to fulfill the vision He has called us to pursue.
2. Raw potential requires intentional development—leaders must be shaped and nurtured.
3. Leaders are rarely “born ready”—they must be systematically trained and equipped.
These key principles are part of the reason I am passionate about the opportunity that Destiny Leadership Internships offer the local church. DLI Internships provide distinct differentiation from other methods of leadership development.
The Destiny Leadership Internship Difference
Our unique leadership development process offers adaptability for churches of any size. Through intentional leadership formation and systematic discipleship, your church will begin to develop leaders as they walk through the internship process. One of the excellent aspects of this process is that it requires minimal resources from the local church to integrate into what is already happening. This adaptable process was created with your church in mind from start to finish.
Biblical Foundation
Our approach is grounded in several scriptural mandates. Each of us are called to make disciples and fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). As leaders walk through the Destiny Leadership Institute curriculum, they will deepen their understanding of scriptural knowledge.
Another biblical mandate given to us is the importance of leadership reproduction. We are called to develop leaders who, in turn, will teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). While students walk through the internship process, they will be given the opportunity to develop practical leadership opportunities to grow and nurture their development.
Lastly, we recognize relationships are the foundation of how God has chosen to impact the world. We find that life-on-life development opportunities create meaningful mentorship opportunities where we can share our lives with others (1 Thessalonians 2:8) and, thereby, cultivate the values of the Kingdom in real world moments.
Practical Benefits
The Destiny Leadership Internship process offers key leaders under your care the opportunity to go deeper into scriptural understanding through a more formal learning environment. Built into the internship process is the ability for leaders to utilize practical applications within their ministry context to foster new skills and leadership development.
Understanding that each ministry context is unique, the Destiny Leadership Internship process gives the local church the flexibility to allow the vision, culture and values of your congregation to be integrated into the leaders you reproduce. The goal of the program is to not only develop leaders within your local context, but also to reduce the ministry leadership burden by broadening the base of those who serve. This environment produces and increases congregational engagement through partnership and collaboration, while enhancing the ability of your church to seize ministry opportunities that present themselves within your sphere of influence.
Why Should You Consider an Internship Process in Your Church?
Few investments offer such profound eternal significance as developing individuals called to serve. By systematically investing in potential leaders, you’re not just filling roles—you’re transforming lives and expanding your church’s Kingdom impact.
