General framework

As mentioned earlier^[1], holistic development involves spiritual, social-emotional, cognitive and physical development. This section presents, through the table below, the human development indicators and expected results for each of the aspects.

Approaches to spiritual development

A plan for spiritual development must include the presentation of the gospel and training toward spiritual maturity.

Presentation of the Gospel

The presentation of the gospel is an invitation to the individual to acknowledge his or her sin, accept the salvation offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and join a local church to serve and worship God. This process includes: preparing leaders, choosing content, determining teaching methods, and evaluating learning.

Leader Preparation

The effectiveness of a spiritual development program depends on the preparation of leaders. Hence the need for ongoing training for leaders involved in Christian education work.

Choice of content

The uniqueness and exclusiveness of faith in Christ is important. No one can serve two masters at the same time: God and Satan. One must love the one and hate the other. Therefore, two principles should guide the development and presentation of the content:

1. Balance – The presentation of the gospel must be balanced. It must emphasize sin and its consequences; the sacrifice of Christ, the rewards and satisfactions as well as the constraints of the Christian life.
2. Application – The application of faith in daily life must be strongly emphasized. The Christian faith should not be presented in abstract terms, but in principles that require a change in behaviour and attitudes.

Teaching method

Several working methods can be proposed:

• Age-appropriate activities – The church needs to recognize that people’s problems, interests, and abilities change as they grow and develop. Therefore, activities should be considered that are age-appropriate and reflect the preferences and interests of each age group.
• Active participation – The active involvement of church members in choosing and planning activities is an important characteristic of an effective method. Church members as well as children can make choices that support their spiritual development.

Assessment of learning

Several types of evaluations are possible:

• Regular Evaluation – The effectiveness of spiritual development activities should be evaluated regularly. The content and materials used should be evaluated for effectiveness.
• Systematic – The church should establish a system to assess the spiritual level of each of its members. For example, the experience of conversion, including the date, place and circumstances that led to the decision, etc., should be evaluated.

Formation towards spirituel maturity

The Holy Scriptures invite Christians to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). The spiritual responsibility of the church does not end with the conversion of people, just as a pastor’s duty does not end with an evangelistic service or a worship service. The pastor’s responsibility is to bring souls under his charge into the image of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Therefore, believers must become disciples of Jesus Christ in the manner of Philip and Nathaniel. This process includes: preparing leaders, choosing content, determining teaching methods, and evaluating learning.

Leader Preparation

The ongoing training of leaders is important insofar as they themselves are responsible for guiding the faithful towards spiritual maturity. This requires a structured training plan that can take the form of a training day every three months and a week’s training once a year during the summer holidays.

Choice of content

The following two principles can guide the choice of content for the training of leaders towards spiritual maturity:

1. Balance – Teaching should cover themes that aim at spiritual development rather than focusing on certain theological and doctrinal points.
2. Practical – Teaching must address practical problems that people will have faced. They must learn to apply biblical truths in their personal, family, professional, ministerial and social lives.

Teaching methods

Several teaching methods are therefore proposed:

• Systematic – Teaching should cover the content proposed in the church’s Christian education curriculum.
• Active – Leaders engaged in the process should use active methods of teaching rather than traditional methods that make people passive when conducting a lesson.
• Adapted – The teaching method used should be appropriate to the age, gender, grade level and learning pace of each individual.

Assessment of learning

Assessment of learning must be systematic. Leaders must create a file that tracks the specific progress of each individual. Below is a sheet to ensure systematic monitoring of the spiritual development of each church member:

The table below summarizes the themes, biblical principles and concrete applications that the faithful are called to show in their personal, family, professional, ministerial and social lives:

The following table presents principles and appropriate verses for the preparation of the Bible lessons:

Biblical truths in action

Salvation: Principle of separation

Salvation comes from God’s direct intervention in the life of the believer. It is God’s precious gift to sinful man. Man does not deserve this gift from God and he cannot obtain it through his own personal effort. The Christian’s reaction in accepting salvation in Jesus Christ is to separate himself from the world in order to come closer to God. This implies :

• The knowledge of sin (Rom 3:23; 6:23; Eph 2:1; 1 Cor 6:14-18) – Sin is doing something, or having thoughts that are not pleasing to God. God hates sin, we too must hate sin.
• The knowledge of Jesus (Matt 3:17; 16:16, 1 Cor 15:3, 4 Phil 2:9-11) – Jesus is the Son of God. He came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. He was buried. But on the third day He rose again.
• Repentance and Faith (Luke 13:3, Isaiah 57:7; Acts 5:30-31; Heb 11:6; Acts 16:31) – If we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we can accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord. We must regret our sins, confess them and forsake them. Also, we must believe that God will forgive us.
• Separation from the world (Jn 17:6; 11, 14, 18; 2 Cor 6:14-18; 1 Jn 2:15-16; James 4:4; Romans 16:17-18, 2 John 10 and 11) – After being saved, we must live a new life. We must strive to be like Christ and thus differentiate ourselves from non-Christians.
• Membership in a local church (John 17:21; Eph 2:19-22, 5:23-32; 2 Thess. 3:6, 14:15) – Once we have received salvation, we become a member of God’s family. We should unite with others to worship God and grow in Christian faith. Christ is the Head of His Church. The local church is the community of believers, the saved people. He wants us to work together as members of His Church to spread the message of salvation.

Adoption: Service Principle

Only the intervention of God Himself can transform the sinful man into a son of God. The Christian must realize that he has been redeemed at a great price. Consequently, he becomes a servant of God by adoption. This implies several things:

• Submission to authority (Rom 13:7; 1 Pet 2:13-19; 1 Tim 6:1-5; Heb 13:17; Mat 21-22; 1 Thes 5:12-13) – As it says in Romans 13, we must submit to higher authorities.
• Service to God (Phil 2:7-8, Eph 6:5-8) – As Christ has so well demonstrated, we must behave as humble servants.
• Faithfulness (1 Cor 4:2; Mat 25:23; Luke 9:62) – We must act so that Christ and those who work with us can rely on us.
• Setting personal goals (Prov 13:12-19; Phil 3:13; Col 3:2; 1 Cor 9:24) – To be a faithful servant, we need to set goals and objectives for the future and for the work we do. We also need to set new goals once the first ones are achieved.
• Work (Eph 4:8; 2 Thes 3:10-12; Mat 25:14-30) – God did not honor the lazy servant. He wants us to be self-reliant, faithful and productive servants.
• Enthusiasm (Col 3:23; Rom 12:11) – Everything we do must be done with all our heart as for the Lord and not for men. By doing it for the Lord, man will be blessed and we will also be appreciated by men.

God’s Will: Principle of Submission

God created each person uniquely. He has a plan of salvation for mankind. Therefore, the Christian must submit to God’s will for his life. This implies several things:

• Self-esteem (Ps 8:3-8; 139; 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:10; 4:1-3; 2 Peter 1:10) – We are a special creature in God’s plan. He has made us such a wonderful creature. He has given us all abilities to work for Him.
• Thought and understanding (Phil 2:5; 4:8; 2 Cor 10-17; Luke 6:45; Prov 4:23-25; Dan 1:8; Jas 1:8) – We must turn our thoughts and minds to God. What we say and do comes from the heart. Therefore, we must cultivate a pure and humble heart.
• Emotion Control (Gal 5:24; Prov 16:32; 25:28; 2 Tim 1-7; Acts 20:24) – With the help of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to control our emotions so we don’t act unreasonably.
• Body as temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19-20) – We must remember that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must lead a healthy, honest life subject to God’s will.

Holiness: Principle of Sanctification

Believers are declared holy by the action of Jesus Christ on the cross. A life of holiness is the result of good spiritual habits. The Christian is called to set good examples. He must develop good spiritual habits such as for example :

• Sowing and reaping (Gal 6:7-8; Hos 8:7; Matt 1:22) – We are rewarded according to the work we do for the Lord. We will be rewarded in proportion to our faithfulness. In his omnipresence, God sees all things. Therefore, we cannot deceive Him.
• Purity (1 Thes 4:1-7; 1 Pet 1:22) – We should strive through prayer and meditation of God’s Word to free ourselves from sin. Our thoughts, words and actions must be pure.
• Honesty (2 Cor 8:21; Rom 12-17; Prov 16:8; Eph 4:25) – The Christian should never practice lying. We should strive to be honest in everything even when we could gain much by dishonest maneuvers. But God sees everything. The Christian must strive to be a man or woman of the word.
• Victory (1 Cor 10:13; Rom 8:37; 1 Jn 16:33) – If we try to be pure and honest like Christ, with God’s help, we can overcome spiritual temptations and attacks.

The Others: Principle of Love

We love God because he loved us before. God manifested His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Since then, God has been proving His love for us in many different ways. The believer has to imitate God, which means:

• Love (1 Jn 3:11; 16-18; 4:7-21; Eph 5:2; 1 Cor 13; Jn 15-17) – The love of God manifested in Jesus Christ shows that we must exercise this love towards others in return. We must witness this love by our words and actions.
• Sharing (2 Cor 9:6-8; Prov 3:9-10; Luke 6:38) – We must deliberately give God the first part of what we have. We must give and share with others equally without constraint.
• Evangelism (Ps 126:5-6; Matt 28:8-20; Rom 1:16-17; 2 Cor 5:11-21) – We must do our best to teach others about God’s love and his plan of salvation. We can do this at home, in our neighbourhood, at school, on trips and in social networks.
• Communication (Eph 4:22-29; Col 4:6; Jn 3:2-13; Isa 50:4) – We must control our tongue against words that do not please God. Through our words, we must encourage others to practice courtesy.
• Friendship (Prov 18:24; Ps 119:63) – We must be loyal and friendly to others. We must also be especially loyal to those who love and serve the Lord.

Consecration: Principle of Communion

Sin separates man from God. All fellowship between man and God must be the direct work of God by which He cleanses us from our sins. Once communion is established, the duty of the believer is to maintain a sensitivity to sin and to lead a life consecrated to the Lord. This implies:

• Meditation on the Word (1 Pet 2:2-3; 2 Tim 2:15) – To grow as Christians, we need to spend a lot of time reading and meditating on the Word of God following the example of Ezra who applied his heart to study, practice and teach the Word of God.
• Prayer (1 Chr 16:11; 1 Tim 5:17; Job 15:7; 16:16-24; Ps 145:18; Rom 8:26-27) – We must lay our petitions before God and trust that he will answer in his way and in his time.
• Control of the Spirit (Gal 5:16; 22-23; Rom 8:13-14; II John 1:7-9) – We must let the Spirit direct our lives. We should not simply act and speak according to what we like. The Christian must first seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• Clear conscience (2 Tim 1:19; Acts 24:16) – The Christian should not tolerate evil deeds and thoughts that harm his conscience. He should have a clear conscience. If we sin, we must confess our sins to God. We must also forgive those who have offended us. It is impossible to have a good relationship with God with a troubled conscience.
• Forgiveness (Eph 4:30-32; Luke 17:3-4; Col 3:13; Matt 18:15; Mark 1:25-16) – We need God’s forgiveness for our sins. Just as God forgives us our sins, we must also forgive others when they offend us.

Grace : Principle of Gratitude

Grace is an undeserved favor. Man does not deserve God’s grace. However, when God manifests his grace, the Christian must respond to it with an attitude of gratitude.

• Grace (1 Cor 15:10; Eph 2:8-9) – Without God’s grace, we would all be lost in our sins. It was out of love that He prepared the way of salvation for us by sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross for us.
• Exaltation of Christ (Col 1:12-21; Eph 1:17-23) – We must be continually aware of God’s power, holiness, majesty and perfection by giving Him glory for all that He accomplishes in us.
• Praise (Ps 107:8; Heb 13:15; I Peter 2:9; Eph 1:17-23) – The Christian must remember God’s love and goodness towards him. We owe him continuous praise.
• Contentment (Phil 4:11; Tim 6:6-8; Ps 77:3; Prov 15:16; Heb 13:5) – Money and material goods are transient. They last only for a moment. God has given us exactly what He desires to give us to live. We must be satisfied with what we have knowing that God will provide for all our needs. We must also be satisfied with our situation.
• Humility (I Pet 5:5-6; Phil 2:3-4) – Let us not swell with pride, but on the contrary, let us remain in humility. Let us remember that our reward will come from God on the day of judgment. The glory we reap from man will then be of no importance. Christ was humble when He was on earth. We must also be like Him.

Power in Christ: Principle of Victory

The Christian can overcome sin in Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God is the source of our power to fight the good fight of faith.” This implies:

• Faith in God’s promises (II Peter 1:4; Phil 4:6; Rom 4:16-21; I Thes 5:18; Rom 8:28; I Pius 5:7; Heb 3:18; 4:11) – God always remains faithful to his promises. Through faith in God’s promises, we must be very determined to persevere in the Lord.
• Faith in the Word of God (Heb 4:12; Jer 23:29; Ps 119:9-11; I Peter 1:23-25) – The Word of God is powerful and endures forever. The world and everything in it will pass away. But the Word of God lives forever.
• Fighting for faith (Eph 6:11-18; 2 Tim 4:7-8; 1 Tim 6:12; I Pet 5:8-9) – God never uses the lazy. We must fight against sin by using God’s Word as an effective weapon. What we do for God determines the reward we will have in heaven.
• Courage (1 Chr 28:20; Joshua 1:9; Heb 13:6; Eph 3:11-12) – God promises us that he will never abandon us. So we should not be afraid to speak out against sin. We have God’s weapons for this fight.

Approaches to socio-emotional development

Believers need to be prepared for leadership roles in their families, churches and communities. Therefore, a plan for social and emotional development is necessary. This plan should address the following areas: courtesy, leadership skills development, and community service.

Courtesy (Good manners)

Leaders should strive to help believers acquire and practice courtesy in their family, school and church environments. As Christians, we represent the Lord Jesus Christ on earth and primarily in our sphere of influence. Therefore, our actions should reflect ethics, beauty, order and discipline. This involves the preparation of leaders, the choice of appropriate content, effective teaching methods and the evaluation of learning.

Leader Preparation

The continuing education of leaders is of the utmost importance in the area of courtesy inasmuch as they themselves are responsible for guiding believers towards the practice of social decorum. This requires a structured training plan which can take the form of a training day every three months and a training week once a year during the summer holidays.

Choice of content

Two elements can guide the choice of content:

1. Practical – The themes developed must address practical and real needs according to the morals and values of Haitian culture and the evangelical world in particular. Christians, as salt and light, must learn to behave appropriately in society.
2. Balanced – Teaching should cover different topics of the culture of God’s people and Haitian mores.

Teaching methods

Several teaching methods are therefore proposed:

• Adapted activities – Activities should be adapted to the different age groups in the church. For example, believers can be grouped together for a topic that is relevant and meaningful to them.
• Active – Believers should be encouraged to express their thoughts on a topic under discussion. They should be led to compare the principles imparted with their home manners and habits. Finally, they should be encouraged to apply these principles in their lives.
• Respect for participants – Life-skills lessons should not be used as a platform to criticize and embarrass believers during exchanges and discussions.
• Practical application – The church will provide opportunities for believers to apply the notions of good manners that are instilled in them. Example: showing “fair play” during a football game, showing courtesy to their fellow man.

Assessment of learning

Systematic – The church will record the life skills lessons already presented and the progress made in this area. Such information may be recorded in the individual file of each church member.

Lifestyle development plan

The following table presents a social development plan as well as concrete applications related to courtesy.

Development of leadership skills

Leaders should develop activities to help believers acquire and develop planning and organizational skills. This involves the training of leaders, the choice of content, teaching methods and the evaluation of the learning done by the children.

Leadership Development

Training Plan – The church will develop a training plan for leaders who are responsible for the social development of church members. This training should focus on techniques and strategies for leadership development in the believer.

Choice of content

Planning and organization – Believers should be responsible for planning and organizing the activities offered to them. They must assume certain responsibilities within the church itself.

Responsibility – Believers must learn to be responsible. The excuse “Se pa fòt mwen” is not acceptable for one who aspires to a position of leadership.

Evaluation of activities – Believers must learn to monitor and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the activities they have planned and organized.

Teaching methods

Planned Activities – Church leaders are responsible for accompanying believers in planning activities where they can develop their leadership skills.

Assessment of learning

Adapted activities – Responsibilities will be assigned according to the age, academic level, maturity and abilities of the leader. The activities for the development of leadership skills must take into account the level of development of each believer.

Systematic – Church leaders should make a written record of the leadership development opportunities available to each believer and the leadership skills acquired from these activities.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The following table presents a social development plan as well as concrete applications related to leadership development.

Examples of activities likely to produce the skills listed above :

1. Assign small tasks to each believer in turn and make them responsible for these tasks. For example, at the time of a summer camp: organize games, close the gate, etc.
2. Give responsibility for organizing a party to a group of people: ask them to plan, organize or evaluate the activity.

Service to the Community

The church should offer activities that can in still in believers a sense of responsibility to their community, to their brothers and sisters who are in need. These activities should be oriented towards others. This implies the training of leaders, the choice of content, teaching methods and the evaluation of learning.

Leadership Development

Training Plan – The church will develop a training plan for leaders who can develop their capacity to encourage its believers in the area of community service.

Choice of content

Community Problems – The problems and the mentality of the people in the community will be analysed. Believers must learn how to contribute to the improvement of their community in order to make it more attractive and liveable (Jeremiah 29:7).

Teaching methods

The teaching methods proposed are multiple:

• Adapted activities – The proposed activities must take into account the abilities and interests of each age group. Younger children, for example, will be supervised more closely than older children.
• Active participation – The church should encourage or even require active participation of believers in projects that address real problems in the community such as reforestation, cleanliness, etc.
• Real problems – The church should invite believers to address the real problems of the community instead of debating theoretical and abstract topics that do not make sense to them.

Assessment of learning

Systematic – The church should regularly and systematically observe the ability of Christians in the social field and especially in community service.

The following table presents a social development plan as well as concrete applications related to community service.

Examples of activities likely to produce the attitudes listed above:

1. Reforestation Day every May 1st and on other special occasions
2. Regular street cleaning
3. Helping clean a widow’s house
4. Supply of water to an elderly person

Approaches to physical development

Jesus, through the Holy Scriptures, gives great importance to the physical development of man. Consequently, church members must be equipped to take care of their own bodies. A good plan for physical development should include: proper health control, appropriate treatment for diseases, and health education to deal with possible contagious diseases.

Health Examination

Each person must be examined at least two times a year. A health professional, licensed by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP), will perform the medical examination. The health professional will compile a file for each patient. The information contained in the file will be kept confidential in a secure location.

Appropriate medical treatment/care

The church pastor or physical development leader ensures that each member of the congregation receives appropriate medical care or treatment. In this case, a systematic follow-up must be ensured in the case of the faithful whose physical conditions require the intervention of a specialized medical professional.

Appropriate training

Training is appropriate when it addresses the health needs of each individual, and when it promotes preventive measures, especially in the case of contagious diseases. A health education plan must take into account the training of leaders, the choice of content, teaching methods and the evaluation of learning.

Leadership Development

Continuing education. The Pastor of the church encourages the leader in charge of physical development to participate in continuing education seminars empowering him/her to better serve in this area.

Choice of content

Adapted. The content of health education should be adapted to the most common health problems in the church and community. The content should be practical. For example, people will learn “how to brush their teeth” instead of learning categories of dental diseases.

Teaching methods

Activate. The leader responsible for health education in the church can use active methods that encourage people to take responsibility for their health themselves.

Assessment of learning

Systematic. The effectiveness of the health education programme must be systematic. The leader responsible for physical development must ensure that the training produces the desired result: attitudinal change and improved health.

Guidance for cognitive (economic) development

The church’s faithful must acquire knowledge that will enable them to support themselves and their families. A good economic development plan addresses the formal and informal education needs of children and church members.

Formal education

The Haitian constitution recognizes formal education as an economic advantage. This form of education is free and is guaranteed by the State. Unfortunately, national schools cannot accommodate the influx of school-age children. However, many churches work in partnership with an international organization that provides school fees for children. Nevertheless, a pastor who wishes to found a classical or vocational school must first take into account the training of teachers and the establishment of a psycho-pedagogical infrastructure according to the standards of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP).

Teacher training

The Directorate of Training and Development (DFP) of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) sets the terms and conditions for the in-service training of teachers. The Church wishing to found a school may request the pedagogical service of an institution (Training Operator) authorized to implement the Ministry of National Education’s National Training Plan for Basic School Employees (PNFAEF).

Choice of content

Adapted: At school, children must acquire the basic notions of knowledge, skills and attitudes that will enable them to play an effective role as citizens in the future of their country.

Recognized by the State: The content of the child’s formal education must be in accordance with the detailed curriculum for pre-school education, basic school, secondary education or vocational education of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP). However, the school principal and teachers may integrate Christian values into their teaching and pedagogical practices.

Teaching methods

Active: The student must actively participate in class activities. The teaching methods used should lead the student towards the discovery and application of the concepts learned in concrete reality.

Regularity: The school operates regularly and the teachers are always on duty. The number of hours allocated for teaching is respected.

Assessment of learning

Student Academic Record: The school must maintain a record for each student of academic performance and cognitive changes in the student’s life.

Evaluation: The evaluation of learning is periodic and takes into account the prescriptions of the detailed program proposed by the MENFP curriculum directorate.

Informal education

The Ministry of National Education encourages school principals to organize informal activities to enable students to complete their education. With this in mind, an informal education plan should consider teacher training, choice of content, teaching methods and assessment of learning.

Choice of content

Income-generating activities: The school should help the student to discover personal skills and to acquire skills that will enable him/her to earn a living.

Entrepreneurial skills: Informal education activities should encourage students to develop their own sources of income rather than expecting someone to feed them.

Teaching methods

Practice: Teaching methods should be practice-oriented, giving students the opportunity to get their hands dirty.

Student-oriented: Informal education activities should be oriented towards the needs of students and the economic market.

Assessment of learning

Systematic monitoring: The school principal ensures systematic monitoring of informal education activities. The school must establish a file for each student that records changes in the development of entrepreneurial skills.

Approaches to leadership development

Leadership can be defined as the ability of an individual to influence others in order to accomplish a specific goal. It is also the ability to lead others to take an action or adopt an attitude beneficial to themselves and the church. In this perspective, it is important to highlight three categories of people:

1. People who don’t know what’s going on in the church (indifferent ones)
2. People watching the events (spectators)
3. People who take the initiative to lead events (leaders)

The Christian who aspires to become a leader must operate from a certain authority. Without authority, it will be difficult to function. From this perspective, there are two forms of authority: positional authority and competent authority.

Position authority – This form of authority (which is reminiscent of the charisma of function in the sense of Max Weber) is considered the most common. It is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to leadership. It is the most valued form of authority in the secular world. However, the one who hides behind his position to lead can be considered a weak leader, without competence and skills.

Competent Authority – The competence of a leader ensures his or her performance and respect in the exercise of his or her duties. He is the one who is listened to when he speaks, the one who can influence others through his words and knowledge. He is capable of influencing others through effective communication, especially when he has mastered his work well. Thus, in the Art poétique in 1674, Nicolas Boileau said: “What is well conceived is clearly stated. And the words to say it come easily.” The authority of competence demonstrates the importance of education, training, culture and school in general. This form of authority gives more results than the exercise of formal authority separate from competence.

On balance, effective leadership requires other forms of competence such as informational, transversal, social and relational skills. Ultimately, these skills can be learned in church, school or university and in the workplace. The aspiring leader will need to cultivate character traits that are likely to facilitate his or her effectiveness in leadership.

The leader who shows a Christian character in the exercise of his duties will be much more respected among his collaborators. Christian character confers a form of authority on the leader that empowers him or her to lead people towards change and progress. Character is the leader’s ability to think and act according to biblical principles and not according to emotions or carnal desires. Character is what the leader represents when no one is looking at him or her. He is the real person. It is also his private life.

This explains the importance of teaching Christian values through the different activities of the church and the school. A man of character is worthy of the esteem and respect of others. A man’s character is rooted in the fear of God. The leader who aspires to labor in the work of God must first seek to develop the character of Christ in himself in order to be able to develop the character of the people under his leadership.

Qualifications and skills of leaders working in the church

The disciple is not greater than the master, but every accomplished disciple will be like his master (Luke 6:40). It is difficult to lead church believers to integral development if leaders have not experienced this in their own lives. Leaders will not be able to lead the people to this level of development if they have not reached this level: you give what you have. Therefore, not every adult can hold a position in the church. Leaders must be chosen according to their level of spiritual, social, intellectual and ministerial development.

An integral development ministry seeks to transform the lives of believers on these four levels: spiritual, social, cognitive/economic and physical. Thus, pastoral ministry should be carried out by someone who has already reached a certain level of maturity in these different areas. Otherwise, believers will easily realize that the teaching of leaders does not correspond with their conduct or conviction. The effects of such a practice will negatively influence the process of church development. They will soon practice falsehood, duplicity and reject the notions of development being taught. Since unprepared leaders can be an obstacle to the development of believers and church work, it is necessary to establish basic conditions for becoming a leader. Consequently, the qualifications of leaders must be conceived around the four axes of holistic development: spiritual, social, economic (intellectual/cognitive) and physical.

Spiritual qualifications

In order to be able to accomplish spiritual development in the lives of believers, leaders need to show their Christian faith in conviction and action. They must be at the top of the ladder of spiritual maturity in order to show the way to believers. Their lives must reflect their teaching. Specifically, leaders must:

1. Be Christians of conviction who have professed Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
2. Have received, subsequently, the baptism of water.
3. Be Christians guided by God’s Spirit and sensitive to God’s guidance in their lives.
4. Have felt a burden, a call and a desire to work in the ministry of the church.
5. Have a vision for the spiritual development of the church.
6. Be able to develop or execute a plan of spiritual development for the believers entrusted to them.

Social qualifications

Leaders aspiring to work in the church’s ministry must be responsible and accomplished adults with the ability to manage their personal and family lives. Specifically, leaders must:

1. Be good fathers to their children (Titus 1:6).
2. Be respected in the community (Titus 1:7; Acts 4:36-37).
3. Demonstrate leadership skills to be able to lead (Mark 1:17).
4. Cultivate the servant leadership style in working with believers (Phil 2:5-8).
5. Be able to control their personal and family life.
6. Have a vision for the social-emotional development of the church’s believers.
7. Be able to develop or execute a social development plan for the church’s believers.

Intellectual, cognitive and economic qualifications

Leaders must be able to provide for their own needs so as not to live in begging, scarcity and shame. Specifically, leaders must:

1. Have certified knowledge in at least one of the four levels of human development: spiritual, social, economic (education), physical (health).
2. Have a broad vision in terms of opportunities to improve the living conditions of their families and communities.
3. Be able to counsel, guide, and lead believers towards a professional career.
4. Know how to manage their personal finances.
5. Have a vision for the intellectual/economic development of believers.
6. Be able to develop or execute an economic development plan for the believers of the church.

Physical qualifications

Leaders need to be healthy to also be able to ensure the physical and mental health of their families. Specifically, there are some important characteristics of leaders at the physical level. They must:

1. Demonstrate good hygienic habits.
2. Be able to protect themselves from contagious diseases.
3. Have a vision for the physical development of believers in the church.
4. Be able to develop or execute a physical development plan for the believers in the church.

Implementation Strategies

The holistic development model is not easy to implement. It is only possible for those who are willing to do so. The process of implementation, in addition to this, requires the development of a socio-spiritual infrastructure on the part of church leaders. The following table proposes the model used by the Church of the Good News for the past ten years.

All in all, apart from the human resources listed above, the implementation of this model requires time, material, financial and informational resources. The wise pastor will call upon the collaboration of church and non-governmental entities to provide resources for his collaborators. Otherwise, it will be theory without practice.