Every Thursday night during the warm months of the year cyclists and triathletes from Columbia, Missouri gather on the outskirts of town to do speed intervals. It’s a pretty simple concept, really. Up to as many as fifty cyclists gather in a parking lot, split up according to ability, and then hit the road as three large groups. There’s a quick warm up, and then we’re off for some serious speed!
In order to survive our Thursday night rides you have to be a good shape, but most of all you need to be a good follower and if you find yourself in the lead you better know what you are doing.
Since the pace is nothing short of insanely fast as everyone hammers their way down the road, staying in the draft is essential to staying with the group. A rider saves as much as 33% energy when tucked behind the rider in front of them. If you lose the wheel in front of you there is little hope for catching back up, and as a result everyone behind you is then dropped too. As a follower it’s always important to trust the rider in front of you and to get as close as possible without rubbing wheels.
Leading is always the most difficult. Not only are you the wind breaker, but you are also the pace setter. It’s common to be floating in the draft one second and then suddenly find yourself up front with the responsibility of the whole group behind you in your hands. They all trust you. It’s your job to hold a line and go as fast as possible without burning up.
I see leadership in the church as being no different than in a cycling pace line. There’s always a leader and there are always followers. And it’s important for each individual to commit to their given role. Leaders can come in different shapes and sizes and certainly they come in varying speeds.
As a follower I want someone who can keep me engaged while challenging me to grow. Just like when I’m in the pack on my bike, I want the effort to be challenging, but I don’t want to be left behind. I want to be inspired to keep going, I want to look forward to what is to come, and I want to do things that might take me out of my comfort zone—and I don’t want to do it alone. There is comfort in company and it’s always easier to be together than apart. 33% easier? I’d like to think so. It’s why there’s a church, a body of people who come together with incredible intentionality and purpose. Christ calls us to be with one another, and when are we become Christ in the world. We follow together, and we trust the one we follow.
Just like in cycling, church leadership is not as simple as it looks. It’s tough to gauge the right pace and to pick the right direction to head. We can get hyper and go out to fast, make assumptions that are inaccurate, and we can certainly burn ourselves by exhibiting traits of isolated leadership.
Of course we want to go fast and go big because examples all around us point to extravagant episodes of unrealistic leadership. We’re not parting the Red Sea or walking on water, and most of us don’t possess the prophetic prose to fill thousands, if not millions, with optimistic hope and ecstasy. So trying to go too big can leave us with no followers.
So we meekly lead together at a pace that is suitable for all, yet still challenging. Just as it is when leading a pace line, knowing the right speed and effort in order to engage with followers is key. We as leaders should live in relationship with those who follow us, we should know their needs and wants. We should know how far we can challenge them without challenging them too much. We should strive for the right pace to hold the tension steady and productive.
When forming leaders in community I always look for someone who wants to be in the pace line of leadership. I want someone who is a great follower and an excellent guide. I seek someone who wants to grow and wants to challenge others to do the same. And most of all, I always look for someone who will challenge me.
-The Rev’d Joseph Chambers, Episcopal Campus Ministry in Columbia, MO |
