Scripture: Judges 1
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn that God wants us to have godly servant like leadership qualities in order to lead others and ourselves.
- Students will learn the difference between godly leadership and bossy leadership.
Guiding Question: How do godly leadership qualities make a good leader?
Materials: Anchor chart paper, markers
Procedure: Review the story of What is a Judge/Ehod with the students. Remind the students that that people couldn’t seem to do what God wanted them to do unless they had a Judge to lead them. Explain who a Judge is and why he or she is important in leading others. Tell the students that in between Judges they disobeyed God and were punished. God sent another Judge to get them away from punishment lead them in following God but when that judge died cycle repeated. The people needed to learn to be good servant leaders so they can lead themselves and others in obeying God.
Create small teams of students and have them plan and lead small service projects. Start the process by creating an anchor chart with students – one side for bossy leader and the other side for a godly servant leader. Have the students come up with characteristics of each.
Suggestions for godly servant leader side:puts God first, puts others needs before his/her own, willing to do the humble, thankless tasks, good listener, seeks feedback on ways to improve, encourages others to use their gifts, doesn’t try to control areas outside of personal gifts, but trusts and empowers people with those gifts to do those tasks, doesn’t seek fame or glory, is humble, reliable, has integrity, encourages others, mentors others, makes godly plans with the help of wise advisors.
Bossy leader will have many of the opposites of a godly leader. Ask students why it is important to have godly characteristics as a leader and how they can implement those characteristics in their service project.
Additional Questions: How do godly leaders have a positive impact on our world?
Supplemental Activities: Have the students research and put together a presentation of a godly leader that has done good for others around the world. Have the students focus on that person’s godly leadership qualities and why those were important to have.