The Role of Challenging Assignments
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Malcolm Webber
The Role of Challenging Assignments
1. In pairs, describe at least one challenging assignment you were given in the past that helped you grow as a leader, and its effect on your development. We’ll hear a sample.
2. Read the following:
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According to the academic research, the two things that contribute the most to the formation of emerging leaders are:
Mark 3:14-15 summarizes these two aspects of Jesus’ primary method of building leaders: His own personal relationship with them and challenging assignments.
A “challenging assignment” is one that is a little bit above the emerging leader’s present perceived capacity. Not too far above or else he will fail and be discouraged and give up. But the assignments should not be below or equal to his capacity. Thus, the assignment will stretch him; since it is above his present capacity, he will be forced to look to God for help and to move outside of his normal actions and reactions. As he succeeds in these stretching assignments, he should be given progressively harder ones. This series of successive victories will build his character and his faith in God as well as teach him new capacities.
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3. One by one, call out biblical examples of how God used challenging assignments to build biblical leaders and we’ll write them on the chart:
- a. From the Old Testament
:b. From Jesus’ ministry
:c. From elsewhere in the New Testament
4. In groups of three, please define a “challenging assignment,” differentiating it from a “task.” Give examples of each, demonstrating the difference. If possible, create a metaphor for challenging assignments. We’ll hear them all.
5. In the same groups, generate a list of three specific challenging assignments you can give your emerging leaders to help them grow. Describe why they are challenges. We’ll hear a sample.
6. In the same groups, describe at least one specific way to improve this learning experience (parts 1-5). We’ll hear them all.
