Many new church plants fall apart before the end of their 3rd year. We aren't out of the woods yet but are more stable than many seem to be. The problem is that I can't settle for 'better than others'. I have to lead in such a way that we are giving God our best. I can't compare myself with Fellowship (Shouts to Mitch and Steve and Mark), Miami Lakes (Hey Bob), History (Hola Ben) or Ridge Stone (go Gary!) or the dying congregations and "national averages". I'm charged with leading this church to 'Encourage and Equip people to Know God'.
One of my personal leadership challenges for 2005 has been to begin duplicating myself in other lay-leaders within our church. In our first ministry year I didn't 'do everything' but I didn't reproduce myself either. I set up leaders over ministry areas and let them go. That's fine to get the ball moving when you have no money and 'need' the basics (music, nursery, children) but it is most definately NOT the way to grow a healthy ministry for the long-haul. As we approached our second year (we're now in our 15th month), I knew that I needed to spend this year INTENTIONALLY reproducing myself as a leader (think Mitosis).
Currently I am working with 3 guys at different places in their leadership development. My passion is to have each of them leading major areas within our church by next year (if they are up for it at that time). Each of them are already leading some area but I want to invest in them and develop such deep relationships that I begin to view them the way I would view anyone I hired to fulfill these ministry areas. Each of these guys are leaders in their professions. I view my role less about teaching them nuts and bolts of doing a ministry as much as my role is to model the discipleship and ministry aspects of leadership within the context of the local church.
Yes it takes time but the way I see it, I can pay now or I'll pay later. On top of everything else I truly appreciate these guys and know that we're building a great foundation to a preferred future.
We aren't a thousand member church but there is no reason that we cannot groom future leaders today so that our church doesn't experience the bottleneck because of me trying to play Superman. I'm sure we'll hire from the outside at some point but I'm certain that the average local church would be in better shape if we (staff Pastors) invested in those who already invest in the ministry.
So, the question remains for us each day... Who ARE you leading?
3 comments:
Awesome post. As always, your evaluation of what God is doing and your role in it - is great.
It sounds like you are definitely on the right track. I'm watching a new church right now that is making what I think is a huge mistake that will hurt them down the road. They're growing, but holding off developing and involving others on their core team until "we get a little bigger."
One of the big stories we tell around FC is that we've always done the same things - we just do them now a little bigger than we started out doing. Intentionality and strategy aren’t just for big churches. I think some of the most successful ministries in the emergent generation will happen in groups around 300-400 (but that’s a different topic…).
Press on.
Great thoughs. Great. We MUST develop leaders. I do a bad job but I am working on it. My problem is they don't do it like I would. So what? I have heard that if someone can do it at 80% of what you can, then give it to them. I am trying.
I started with two staff that were friends. That turned out good. I hired another guy. That turned out bad. I then hired another guy from the outside, it could end up being bad.
I have another hire from within that is GREAT because they were already sold out to the vision. I have had to spend more time with this person developing them but it has been worth it and they will be here forever probably.
Tally - great stuff. It's so easy to fill slots, even when our identifying, recruiting and empowering are off the chart. It's a bold discipline to invest ourselves as Paul did with the Thessalonians.
Around Granger Community Church we often ask, "who are you grooming to take your place?". Few of us have our roles narrowly focused to our refined sweet spot - we only get there by strategically following the advice you've written about here.
Keep leading.
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