Five Steps to Multiply Leaders Without Adding Staff
Originally published on Substack
I’ve never met a pastor who said, “You know what our church needs? Fewer leaders.”
What I have heard, more times than I can count, are things like,
“We just don’t have anyone stepping up.”
“Our volunteers are getting tired.”
“If I get sick, I don’t know who’d fill in.”
Those statements don’t come from a lack of faith. They come from fatigue. From trying to do the work of the church with a shrinking bench. And yet, buried in that frustration is a truth every congregation, no matter how small, needs to hear: you already have the people you need.
They just may not be developed yet.
Leadership Isn’t a Title, It’s a Trajectory
When we talk about “leadership pipelines,” a lot of small church folks picture corporate flowcharts, multi-step programs, or big budgets. That’s not what this is about. A leadership pipeline is simply a pathway that helps people grow from serving faithfully to leading fruitfully.
It’s not about position. It’s about progression.
In the same way a river starts as a trickle and gains strength downstream, leadership begins small, with trust, character, and consistency, and flows outward as a person matures in faith and responsibility.
You don’t need a staff of ten to make that happen. You just need intentionality.
Start Where You Are
If you pastor or serve in a smaller church, you’re not behind. You’re actually in an ideal place to build a leadership culture because you can see people clearly. You know their families, their gifts, their stories. You don’t have to schedule a meeting to learn who’s faithful. You already know who shows up early, stays late, and does the small things no one else notices.
That’s where you start.
Here’s a simple framework that can fit in any church, no matter the size:
1. Identify Faithful People
Look for those who demonstrate three things: faithfulness, availability, and teachability. The “F.A.T.” people, as one pastor put it. They may not see themselves as leaders yet, but they’re already leading by example.
2. Invite Them Personally
Don’t make a blanket announcement from the pulpit. Tap someone on the shoulder. Say, “I see how you serve, and I think God might be growing leadership in you. Would you meet with me to talk about it?” Personal invitation carries weight. Most potential leaders just need someone to see what they can’t see in themselves.
3. Invest in Them Intentionally
You don’t need a twelve-week course. You need conversations. Invite them to ride along on hospital visits. Let them watch you prepare for a sermon or meeting. Debrief on what went well and what didn’t. Leadership is caught more than it’s taught.
4. Include Them in Ministry
Start handing over pieces of responsibility. Not all at once, but gradually. If you lead a prayer meeting, ask them to lead part of it. If you teach a class, let them share a lesson. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s participation.
5. Involve Them in Multiplication
Once they start serving confidently, challenge them to identify someone else to pour into. That’s how a pipeline becomes sustainable. One leader at a time.
The Secret Power of Small Churches
Here’s the thing: large churches often have programs, but small churches have proximity. You get to shape leaders through life, not lectures. That’s the kind of development Jesus modeled.
Think about it. Jesus didn’t gather a crowd and hand out applications for “Disciple Class 101.” He walked with people. He corrected, encouraged, and sent them. The result? A handful of ordinary men and women who changed the world.
Small churches are perfectly positioned for that kind of impact.
A Word to Pastors
If you’re reading this as a pastor or mission leader, I know you’re tired. It’s hard to develop others when you’re running on fumes yourself. But take heart. Leadership development isn’t an extra task. It is the task.
When you invest in others, you multiply your ministry instead of maintaining it. The kingdom grows through shared responsibility, not solo effort.
And when you see someone you’ve mentored stand up to teach, pray, or serve, not because you told them to, but because they’re ready, you’ll realize this is what ministry was always meant to be.
A Closing Thought
Every church can have a leadership pipeline. It doesn’t require a budget line, just a mindset.
Start with one person.
Walk with them.
Release them.
Do that again and again, and you’ll look up one day and realize your little church didn’t just find more volunteers. It found future pastors, teachers, and missionaries.
All because you chose to build a pipeline instead of a bottleneck.
This article first appeared on Chris Reinolds’ Substack publication: Five Steps to Multiply Leaders Without Adding Staff. To subscribe to future reflections on church health, leadership, and mission, visit https://associationmissionstrategist.substack.com/