On Their Way: Seven leaders benefit from new training process

As he helps to shape a church leadership program, Mark Veldt keeps remembering a video he saw more than 10 years ago.

“It showed an airplane being built around a businessman as he was flying through the sky,” he says.

As he helps to shape a church leadership program, Mark Veldt keeps remembering a video he saw more than 10 years ago.

“It showed an airplane being built around a businessman as he was flying through the sky,” he says.

It’s a great metaphor for the two-year Commissioned Leaders program Veldt is developing at Christ Memorial Reformed Church in Holland, Michigan.

Shaping the pieces 

“We’re trying to respond to the needs that are there,” says Veldt, a leadership development specialist with the Church Leadership Center.

Seven Christ Memorial members were selected for the program, which features classroom sessions in Bible, doctrine, worship, and leadership principles. Each member also meets monthly with a mentor, sharing spiritual life formation and direction.

The developing program came out of Veldt’s initial conversations with Christ Memorial lead pastor Todd VanEk about possible commissioned pastor candidates. (Veldt has done considerable work in commissioned pastor training with Leadership Center colleague Burt Braunius.)

“We started talking about how there is a clear need for leadership development more broadly in the church,” says Veldt. Through research with selected church members and staff, he discovered a two-fold need the pilot program attempts to address.

One was to give newer church members—those who are not from traditional church backgrounds—a clearer path to leadership roles, resulting in increased diversity.

“Many church people acknowledged loving God and wanting to serve him, but were unsure about answering questions on specifics of the Bible or denominational differences,” Veldt says.

So a training “road map” was created, with the help of church staff members such as Tim Nelson, pastor of families and young adults, and Kenita Harris, pastor of spiritual formation and leadership development. Candidates were recommended who showed God working in their lives and who would benefit from additional training.

Tailored to lead 

Only three of the seven participants grew up in a Reformed church context, and most attend Christ Memorial’s contemporary service, which tends to attract newer church members and visitors.

Harris has led some of the classroom instruction, and both she and Nelson are serving as mentors.

“Being a mentor has been a privilege, making space for the Holy Spirit to work in our conversations,” says Nelson.

“And I’m excited that Mark has helped develop a process that offers structure and resources, yet is built around needs, aspirations, and calling as a leader.”

Program participant Katie Prins says, “I think my favorite part and what has impacted me most is the focus on the creeds and confessions. I find it very interesting to learn what foundation the RCA church bases its beliefs on and why they were written.”

Leno Torres is already serving as a deacon and has a ministry with at-risk teens in the Holland community. He says the course work and mentoring have helped him tremendously.

“I consider myself a baby Christian coming back to the church—I have a history,” he says, referring to his past gang and drug involvement.

“I’ve lived a rough life, but I’m coming back and learning things like the meaning behind the creeds and what God is looking to get through the church in making leaders,” says Torres, 40.

Remaining on point 

As Veldt has worked with this emerging program (he’s also a mentor), he’s been careful to stick to the main goals.

“This is not a church career path,” he says, “but we are focused on developing leadership relating to the church’s call to reach out into the community and bring Jesus to people who don’t know him.”

Veldt restated that the program is still taking shape as it heads into its second year with its first crop of learners.

“It’s certainly not a magic formula or a finished product, but good things are happening. If we do just the things we’re comfortable with, we never break any new ground.”

Ask God to provide wisdom and resources as congregations make every effort to raise up leaders of today and tomorrow.

Wondering how to equip new leaders in your congregation? Email emerging@rca.org to start a conversation.