Most Lead Teams are led by, well, leaders, strong leaders. And that usually means someone who has a grand vision and is an expert accomplishing grand things.

So what's the problem?

Often that type of leader jumps right into the battle, tactic ? by - tactic. Tasks get assigned; things get done. While this appears to be successful (and certainly at some levels it is) something important may be missing. Tactics need to flow from strategy. Strategy needs to flow from prayer. Prayer needs to be informed by evaluation and analysis.

Your city movement's Lead Team needs a strong leader but also needs a strategic approach to each meeting, one that begins at the beginning and moves both upward and forward.

Consider using the Lead Team Check-List as you begin to design planning meetings and print out the Lead Team Meeting Template so that everyone at the meeting has a deeper understanding of not merely what you need to discuss but why it needs to be on the agenda.

Lead Team Check-List

1. Purpose: Why do we exist? What is we believe the Lord wants us to do better together than separate?
   1. Use a different LC2C Lead Team tool each meeting
   2. Several will also assist with evaluating progress
2. Prayer: Do we pray for more than the meeting at the beginning of the meeting or do we also pray for the fruit that results from this meeting?
   1. Give at least a tithe of time (9 minutes for a 90 minute meeting)
   2. Ask each person to pray for one item on today's agenda, or
   3. Pray for pastors or marketplace leaders or all who have been loved in the name of Christ that they might respond even as you pray. Pray beyond the meeting ...
3. Past: Report on assignments. Ask for stories. Identify lessons learned. Evaluate progress.
   1. Make sure someone capable is taking notes o discussions and decisions
   2. Forward stories to the LC2Coordinator to inspire and inform others in the learning community
4. Present: Status reports (Task Forces? Congregational involvement? Priority goals?). Decisions we must make today. Finances. Analyze actual progress.
   1. Do not avoid realistic analysis of the success of each event, activity, or goal
   2. Collect relevant statistics as one means of measuring success
5. Possibilities: Discuss new ideas, opportunities, and requests.
   1. A serious city transformation movement catches people's attention which may result in many good offers of program or product. Avoid simply creating an active movement of many good ideas; prayerfully discern the fewer God-ideas that are worthy of complete commitment.
6. Plans: Determine action steps, assignments, deadlines, future meetings.
   1. Be clear as to...
   2. Who is responsible and, if a team is selected, who is at the point
   3. What the assignment entails from start to finish
   4. Where it will take place (sometimes the best locations are not the biggest churches or the easiest to get to)
   5. When it will take place (get feedback on calendar from as many groups as possible before setting dates)
   6. Why the whole Church should see this as an opportunity to show and tell the whole Gospel to the whole city
   7. How this event (training, praying, caring, sharing) will serve the heart and soul of LC2C

Lead Team Meeting Template

• Purpose - a reminder of the why of LC2C
• Prayer - Spirit-led praise and petition
• Past - what did we do and how are we doing?
• Present - what must be discussed, debated, decided today?
• Possibilities - how is God directing us forward?
• Plans - who, what, where, when have we agreed to?