BiblicalLeadership.com writer profile: Kris Eldridge
Tell us a little about you personally (family, church, hobbies).
My bride Kimberly and I have been married for 18 years. We have two boys, Zachariah (15) and Nathaniel (12). I am on staff at Christ Community Church in St. Charles, IL (a Northwest suburb of Chicago) as their Community Impact Pastor. I love to read, watch movies with my wife and kids, and I absolutely love endurance bicycling. I have ridden across a couple of different states and dream of one day riding across the United States.
Describe what kind of work you do, and what you've done in the past.
We are a multi-site campus with five locations. My job is to help each of our campuses determine what community outreach looks like for them. Each campus is different in size (ranging from 100 to close to 3,000) and has very different communities and congregations. I also founded, on the side, a consulting practice: Community Outreach Solutions. My goal through this consulting practice is to help churches reach their communities. My ministry career is close to two decades long. I have spent that entire time leading community outreach and mission ministries.
What was your first-ever leadership role?
My first leadership position was as a resort missionary in Surf City, NC, located on Topsail Island. Yes, Surf City is a real place. This was a summer-long role that I did between college and seminary. In this role, I facilitated various ministry programming for a large RV park; I also assisted in a beach-side church plant.
How has God grown you as a leader over the years?
That's a great question! God has grown me in multiple ways. One way is that He has helped me see that my primary purpose is to equip and release others to the work of ministry and not "do" ministry as a lone ranger.
What's the hardest leadership lesson you've ever learned?
I learned not to put someone in a leadership position because they were a willing warm body. That decision had a terrible outcome.
What advice would you give to Christian leaders?
Model the destination! Live out the values you preach and teach. For instance, if we teach on evangelism but aren't involved in evangelism, we shouldn't be surprised that our people aren't involved in it.
Most meaningful Scripture:
Two verses guide my life and ministry. In Romans 10:1, Paul demonstrates a heart after the Father, for the lost. Isaiah 58:12 challenges Christians to be the "repairers of broken walls" in our communities.
Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
—Rom. 10:1 (NIV)
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
—Isaiah 58:12 (NIV)
 | Kris Eldridge lives in Louisville, Kentucky and is the Local Outreach Pastor at Northeast Christian Church. He is also the founder of Outreach Ministry Solutions, where his focus is consulting with churches to help them reach their communities. Learn More » |
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