Life-Long Learning for Church Leaders

By Denise Craig, CCA

As a former educator, I have always felt life-long learning is something of value. It is important.

Here are just a few reasons why church leaders should be life-long learners:

1. The Bible is living and active, so being a constant student of God’s word means no matter how many times we read it, we can continue to learn new things and see new practical applications for our lives.
2. Things change. The world around us is changing — technology, financial environments, laws, communities, and people’s needs, just to name a few. When we walk in curiosity, we can not only stay up-to-speed with changing times, but we can remain relevant in an ever-changing world.
3. Learning new things keeps our brains working at optimum capacity and helps us feel more fulfilled. God designed us to grow. If we aren’t growing, we are declining.
4. When leaders learn, others follow. If we want our teams to expand their capacity, we must lead the way. We cannot expect our teams to do what we as leaders are unwilling to do.
5. Continuing to learn encourages a growth mindset. In Carol Dweck’s book Mindset, she compares a growth mindset to a fixed mindset. Leaders want to avoid becoming fixed, sedentary and rigid. Instead, we should strive to move forward, believing things can change, improve, and thrive.
6. Learning encourages and drives innovation. When we are willing to learn, we are willing to accept that there may be more efficient and effective ways to do things.
7. Creating a culture of learning in our organizations means we create an environment in which people can try new things without fear of making a mistake.
8. Allowing experimentation and cross-departmental sharing of ideas encourages collaborative learning and diverse perspectives. This can lead to unique, helpful solutions to real-life issues in the office or the church.
9. Leaders who learn by continually scanning their environment for change are more adaptable, agile, and more prepared to respond in times of crisis.
10. Creating a discipline of learning in one’s life is like making deposits in your investment account and experiencing the benefit of compound interest over a lifetime. Continuous learning does not just expand a leaders’ knowledge. It also helps refine problem-solving skills and inspires the entire team to do the same. Jesus, although He was all-knowing, lived His life being interested in others. Learning from each other — our mistakes, our challenges, and our triumphs — is not only a mutual benefit, but it is part of being in community.

If you want to continue learning things that will help you directly with leadership in your church, check out the educational resources available through The Church Network community.

There are webinars, conferences, and even a professional certification program for church leaders. Let’s head into 2024, being intentional about learning and growing together!

Related URLs:

Professional Certification: Certification-Overview (thechurchnetwork.com)

E-Learning Lab: TCN (pathlms.com)

TCN Events: Events List (thechurchnetwork.com)

TCN Website: Home (thechurchnetwork.com)

Denise Craig, CCA is a strategic leader who is passionate about helping others discover their God-given purpose so they can live and lead well. With more than 20 years of personal experience in church leadership, Denise is honored to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of The Church Network. She serves on the advisory panel for Church Executive Magazine, and is a regular speaker for conferences, Bible studies, and financial seminars. Denise received a BS Degree in Vocal Music Education from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and did graduate studies in Teaching and Learning at Cumberland University, and in Biblical Studies at Berea Bible College. Denise became a Certified Church Administrator (CCA) in 2006 and is a Certified Financial Coach with Ramsey Solutions. Denise can be reached at denise@thechurchnetwork.com.