The Central District leadership development toolkit is a practical resource designed to equip pastors and ministry leaders with tools to grow healthy, thriving leaders at every stage. Here, you’ll find frameworks, training guides, conversation tools and development pathways to help identify, mentor and multiply leaders within your local context. Whether you’re investing in emerging leaders or strengthening seasoned ones, this toolkit provides clear next steps to build sustainable, Spirit-led leadership across the Central District.
Central District training – The multiplication effect
Recorded Seminar: The multiplication effect: building a leadership development pathway in your church with Beth Hackbarth
Discover a practical, people-centered approach to developing a leadership pathway that spans every generation in your church. This seminar will equip you to identify, train and empower emerging leaders—from youth to adults—through an intentional, church-wide strategy.
Tools to build development pathways in your church
Book: Discipling and Multiplying Leaders (Stage 2) – John L. Amstutz – This book equips church leaders to intentionally develop and reproduce mature disciples. It emphasizes mentoring relationships, character formation, spiritual disciplines and leadership skills necessary for multiplication. The book provides practical tools for guiding emerging leaders toward greater responsibility, mission focus and sustainable kingdom impact. Learn More.
Book: Hero Maker by Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird – Drawing on five powerful practices found in the ministry of Jesus, Hero Maker presents the key steps of apprenticeship that will build up other leaders and provide strategies for how you can activate the gifts of those around you, help others take ownership of their mission and develop a simple scorecard for measuring your kingdom-building progress. Learn more.
Book: The Multiplication Effect by Mac Lake – This book challenges leaders to shift from addition to multiplication by developing other leaders. Lake outlines five levels of leadership—from self to movement—and emphasizes intentional investment, reproducible systems and empowering others to lead. The book provides practical strategies for building leadership pipelines that create lasting, exponential impact. Learn more.
Book: The Leadership Pipeline by Charan, Drotter, Noel – This work explains how leaders must transition through six passages—from managing self to enterprise leadership—by shifting skills, time application and work values at each level. Charan, Drotter and Noel provide a framework for identifying, developing and promoting leaders to ensure organizational health, continuity and long-term performance. Learn more.
Article: What Is Leadership Pipeline? by Todd Adkins. Read here.
Course: Leadership Pipeline Training. To access this, you will need a subscription to MinistryGrid.com. Learn more.
Tools to level up your church
Understanding how the church may need to grow and adapt to support team-based leadership.
Guided experiences
STEP ONE: Church Unique. Who are we? (identity + strategy)
The Church Unique Guided Experience helps your leadership team discover your church’s unique DNA and build a ministry model around who God has actually called you to be — not what worked somewhere else. Through a proven process, your team will: clarify your mission, values and strategy, define your disciple-making pathway, align ministries, staffing and resources, eliminate unnecessary complexity and build a clear framework that guides decisions and fuels momentum.
Church Unique Guide: Ryan Coffey. Reach out to Ryan to schedule a call and learn more about bringing the Church Unique Guided Experience to your leadership team. Email Ryan.
STEP TWO: God Dreams. Where are we going? (future + long-range vision)
Many churches have a mission statement. Few have a shared dream. The God Dreams Guided Experience helps your leadership team discover and articulate God’s next big dream for your church — and build a practical roadmap to pursue it. You’ll define a compelling 5–10 year picture of success, align your team around one clear future, connect today’s actions to long-term impact and lead with renewed confidence, unity and energy
God Dreams Guides: Ben Hackbarth + Ryan Coffey. Reach out to Ben or Ryan to schedule a call and learn more about bringing the God Dreams Guided Experience to your leadership team. Email Ben. Email Ryan.
Recommended Books
7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner and Lane Jones – This book outlines a practical framework for helping churches create ministries that truly make disciples. Rather than adding more programs, the authors encourage leaders to clarify their mission, focus on a few key strategies, align all efforts around a clear pathway and evaluate progress honestly. Built on seven core practices, the book offers simple, actionable guidance to help churches move people from where they are to where God wants them to be—resulting in greater impact, alignment and effectiveness.
Church Unique by Will Mancini – This work is designed to help churches discover and live out their distinct calling. Rather than relying on more programs or borrowed strategies, church leaders can uncover their church’s unique DNA—its values, culture and God-given potential—and shape a ministry model that fuels redemptive impact in their community. Church Unique equips churches of all sizes and traditions to move beyond institutional habits and lead with a clear, compelling and uniquely tailored strategy for growth.
God Dreams by Will Mancini and Warren Bird – This book challenges churches to move beyond generic mission statements and unclear ministry efforts toward a specific, shared vision of God’s next big dream for their church. The book provides 12 vision templates to help leaders define a compelling long-range vision and introduces the “horizon storyline” tool to connect short-term actions with that bigger dream. The result is a focused, inspiring roadmap that aligns teams, mobilizes resources and leads churches toward meaningful gospel impact.
Future Church: 7 Laws of Real Church Growth by Will Mancini – Future Church confronts the shortcomings of modern church growth models that prioritize attendance over authentic disciple-making. The book presents seven transformative laws for achieving real, lasting growth. Through practical insight and compelling stories, pastors and leaders are called to refocus on faithful, joyful obedience to the Great Commission—shaping a healthier and more mission-driven future for the church.
Tools to level up your leadership
Understanding how the Senior Pastor and core leadership team may need to grow and adapt in order to effectively release and empower leaders.
Leading at the Speed of Growth by Katherine Caitlin and Jana B. Matthews – This work offers a practical roadmap for leaders navigating the challenging leadership shifts needed as your organization grows. It highlights the mindset shifts, leadership structures and healthy systems required to steward a growing congregation. From building a strong leadership team and clarifying mission to creating accountability and sustainable rhythms, this book helps church leaders grow in capacity so their ministries can expand with clarity, health and long-term impact.
Multipliers by Liz Wiseman – This book explorers why some leaders amplify the intelligence and capability of those around them while others unintentionally diminish it. Through research and stories, Wiseman shows how “multipliers” attract talent, foster debate, set bold challenges and create ownership—unlocking people’s full potential and driving extraordinary results throughout their organizations.
Essentialism by Greg McKeown – Greg McKeown challenges the idea that we can do it all. Instead, he argues for the disciplined pursuit of less—focusing only on what truly matters. By eliminating the trivial and prioritizing the vital few, “essentialists” gain clarity, control and effectiveness, making their highest contribution without burnout or distraction.
The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders by John Maxwell – A leader’s highest return on investment is developing other leaders. Maxwell outlines practical principles for attracting, equipping, empowering and multiplying leaders within an organization. By prioritizing people development, leaders create lasting impact, increase organizational effectiveness and build a culture of growth and leadership multiplication.
The 5 Levels of Leadership – John Maxwell outlines a progression of influence, from positional authority to people development and legacy impact. Maxwell explains how leaders grow from gaining permission and producing results to developing others and building lasting respect, ultimately creating organizations that thrive beyond their personal leadership.
Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory by Tod Bolsinger – Tod Bolsinger uses the story of Lewis and Clark to illustrate how leaders must adapt when facing uncharted territory. When old maps no longer work, leaders must innovate, empower others and embrace adaptive change. The book challenges organizations to lead courageously beyond familiar strategies and into the unknown.
Tempered Resilience by Tod Bolsinger – This book explores how leaders develop deep, steady strength through adversity. Rather than avoiding difficulty, resilient leaders allow hardship to refine them. By embracing vulnerability, staying anchored in purpose and leading through loss and uncertainty, they cultivate the character and courage needed for lasting, transformative leadership.
The Resilient Pastor: Leading Your church in a Rapidly Changing World by Glen Packiam – Glen Packiam encourages church leaders to cultivate durable spiritual and emotional health in a rapidly shifting culture. Rather than chasing trends or clinging to the past, resilient pastors stay rooted in identity, presence and mission—leading with steadiness, depth and hope through uncertainty and change.
Education
Courses designed to help you and your team develop in your ministry competencies.
Life Pacific University (in-person or online) – Life Pacific University (LPU) is a WSCUC and ABHE-accredited institution of biblical higher education existing for the transformational development of students into leaders prepared to serve God in the church, the workplace and the world. The university is affiliated with The Foursquare Church and is committed to an enduring pentecostal mission. Since its founding in 1923, LPU has offered high-quality Christian education to learners who seek to be equipped in their vocation and their spiritual journey. Learn more.
Certificates at LPU – Certificates offer a self-paced program for individuals or can be facilitated for groups in both English and Spanish. LPU offers multiple certificates including: Biblical Foundations Certificate, NextGen Certificate, Reconciliation Certificate and a Chaplaincy Certificate. Learn more.
Recommended assessments
Tools to help you and your team better understand individual strengths and unique contributions.
APEST – A personal vocational ministry assessment available for $10 in multiple languages. APEST stands for the Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic, Shepherding and Teaching intelligence that Jesus gifted to his body (as named in Ephesians 4, and seen through scripture).
StrengthsFinder 2.0 – In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes and much more.
Myers-Briggs personality test (free tests can be found online) – The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment builds an understanding of strengths and blind spots. It also helps people understand how they might differ from one another. It is valuable for individuals and teams as they tackle such challenges as communication, handling conflict, managing change, making decisions, being a leader or changing careers.
Core Values Index – A simple, accurate tool to improve self-awareness and align assignments with innate nature. This is a helpful assessment for individuals and teams who want to learn more about their core values and how these impact how team members can best serve one another. Comprehensive report available for $49.95.
Working Genius – Online assessment for discovering your gifts. Available for $25. Based on the bestseller by Patrick Lencioni, “The 6 types of Working Genius” is a model that helps people discover their natural gifts and thrive in their work and life. This 10-minute assessment and custom report provides detailed insights along with an easy-to-use application section that will help you leverage this information in your work, on your team and in your life.
Licensing + ordination
A credentialed minister is trusted and approved by our board of directors to perform the tasks of a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ in a particular ministry assignment. Credentialed ministers who have been serving for two years have the opportunity to become ordained. Learn more.
Preparing for deployment
Foursquare training designed to help leaders develop and deploy into specific assignments.
Senior pastors – Central District senior pastor residency – A 12-month “farm system” designed to develop leaders for senior pastoral roles. Through immersive, hands-on ministry, intentional mentoring and oversight, residents gain meaningful leadership experience. Each local church tailors the program to its context and the resident’s development goals. Reach out to Beth Hackbarth at bhackbarth@foursquare.org for more info.
Church planting – Multiply rraining – Foursquare Multiply provides church planters with a robust 2-year contextual training. Planters will be led through personal leadership development, team dynamics, community engagement, team gathering and support through public launch. Training is completed through a combination of online learning and two in-person retreats a year. Learn more.
Missions workers – Foursquare Missions International (FMI) training – From day one, Foursquare has been sending courageous people to create biblically based, culturally immersive, indigenously driven movements of the gospel to every tongue, tribe and nation. Take advantage of the world-class training, a global network of leaders and churches and long-term care for the entire life of your mission. Wherever God is leading you, and for however long, get ready to go! Learn more.
Chaplains – Chaplaincy training – The Foursquare Chaplain’s goal is to be the presence of Christ in the midst of life’s crises, living the gospel in diverse environments and sacrificially helping those in need to find wholeness, hope and healing. Institutional/industrial Chaplains work in the following environments: Fire/EMS, law enforcement, assisted living facilities, hospices, hospitals, prisons/jails and specialized assignments. Connect with Foursquare Chaplains for more information, training and the support you need to pursue your call in chaplaincy. Learn more.
FDR workers – Foursquare Disaster Relief training – Foursquare Disaster Relief Training is vital for anyone interested in assisting in a local, regional or large-scale disaster, including serving with FEMA, State, County and local disaster response teams. Learn more.
