By James Smith

•He is not going to send another you.  If you are waiting for Him to send someone who lines up 100% with your way of thinking, understanding, talents and abilities, you may be waiting a long time.  He already has someone in our church like that – you.   God gives us unique people who add to our ministry.  They are people who have talents that we don’t have.  They add flavor to the church and giftedness to our ministry.  Appreciate the fact that God has sent you someone very unlike yourself.

•Some will have talents you have no understanding of.  You may not have a bit of understanding of computers and the Lord may send you a computer programmer.  Don’t feel inadequate around this person.  Thank God for him and put his giftedness to work.

•He is going to give you people of various educational backgrounds. Should the Lord send you a Doctor, don’t feel dumb around him…Ask him questions, learn from him…find him a place in the body to minister.  If he sends you an attorney, thank the Lord, don’t feel intimidated, let him educate you on a few things as you expound to him the laws of God and allow his knowledge of the law be a blessing to your church.

•He going to bring you people with more time and energy than you have.  They might have more energy and time to invest in a project, let them go for it.  Don’t put the breaks on something just because you can’t be there.  Tell them what you want to happen and put them in charge of it.  Turn them loose, there is no telling what can happen for the sake of the Church when you are not around. 

•He’s going to give you people who have great ideas and vision.  You are not the only one who has good ideas.  Let them bring something to the table.  Let them express themselves.  Listen to them.  It is entirely possible that they may know more about something than you do.  That is a gift to your ministry.  

•He is going to give you people with resources.  Some of these resources may be money, people relationships, education, etc.  Teach them how to use those resources in ways that best serve the Kingdom.

•He’s going to give you what you ask for.  “Ask and it shall be given.”  However, when He gives it, it may be covered up with sin and worldliness.  It’s up to you to find the diamond in the rough.

Identifying that next leader is not easy.  You must often times select a few prospects and begin to work with them waiting for the cream to rise to the top.  While you are mentoring and waiting for maturity, here are a few things to begin to look for.

1. Leadership in the past. The best predictor of the future is the past.
2. The capacity to create or catch vision. When I talk to people about the future, I want their eyes to light up. I want them to ask the right questions.
3. A constructive spirit of discontent. Some people would call this criticism, but there's a big difference in being constructively discontent and being critical. The unscratchable itch is always in the leader.
4. Practical Ideas. Not everybody with practical ideas is a leader, of course, but leaders seem to be able to identify which are and which aren't.
5. A willingness to take responsibility. Leaders will bear work, for the feeling of contributing to other people is what leadership is all about.
6. A completion factor. In the military, it is called "completed staff work." The half-cooked meal isn't what you want.
7. Mental toughness. No one can lead without being criticized or without facing discouragement. I don't want a mean leader; I don't want a tough leader.
8. Peer respect. Peer respect doesn't reveal ability, but can show character and personality.
9. Family respect. The family's feelings toward someone reveal much about his or her potential to lead.
10. A quality that makes people listen to them. Potential leaders have a "holding court" quality about them. When they speak, people listen.