Kristin Schultz
Maybe you’ve heard it said—or even said it yourself—“Everyone is a leader.” Think about that for a second. Is everyone a leader? Of course not. And we wouldn’t want everyone to be a leader; very little would get done or done well! Everyone can be influential in how they behave and talk to others or in the attitude they bring with them to work, but leadership and influence are different.
In your ministry, you are the leader. You are (probably) paid to lead a group or an effort. You probably have a volunteer or a few volunteers who help you. Even if your ministry is humming along, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for the next person God is calling to leadership among you.
Why look for new leaders?
Having a partner in ministry is a blessing. Additional leaders can lighten your load and serve as people to lean on. Partners pitch in and help with work, and they provide a listening ear. New leaders bring new skills and abilities to the table and improve the quality of your ministry.
It’s easy for churches and ministries to rely on the same people to do the same things. Some people are very reliable, but being dependable isn’t the same as being a leader. Some people don’t know how to ask to leave a position of leadership, and others aren’t sure how to ask to be given a position of leadership.
There is enough action going on in ministry that if something is working well, we don’t want to mess with success. But it is important to make sure current leaders are not getting burned out and new leaders aren’t getting overlooked.
Okay, how do I find them?
Good question. Not every one of the people who volunteer in your ministry is a leader. Don’t assume that the people who are always there are leaders, either.
Look for people who draw in other people. Leaders have followers. Is there someone others seem attracted to or someone who can inspire or encourage others to act? Watch group dynamics during meetings or events. Is there someone the rest of the group defers to or looks to for guidance or an opinion? Is there someone who has shown an amazing ability to help people feel calm in our current environment, who gives them hope?
Ask your volunteers whom they see as a leader. Individuals know who the leaders in their group are. Ask other ministry leaders if there are volunteers they work with who could be raised up into dynamic leadership.
Consider people who come to you with ideas or suggestions. Are they capable of leading a change or a new ministry?
Pray for God to bring strong leaders to you and to give you the wisdom and humility to seek them out. Use this time of working from home to be in conversation with these people and develop a shared ministry perspective.
What do I do after I identify potential leaders?
Before you invite someone to prayerfully consider leadership, take another look at what you’re asking them to lead. Evaluate the position and ask yourself if this is a job that one person can do or if it has become a two-person job. How much time does this position require, and is it fair to ask that time of a lay leader?
Consider asking people to lead projects instead of entire ministries. For example, instead of asking someone to be a community care and outreach leader, ask one person to head the school-supplies drive and another to run the Christmas Adopt-a-Family.
Some positions lend themselves well to term limits or time limits. For example, if you’re asking someone to be the new Sunday school ministry leader, ask them to lead for one school year and then meet back up and discuss if the job was a good fit and if they’d like to continue for another school year. People do not want to let you down, so it’s important to give them an “out” if they don’t feel like a particular leadership role is right for them.
Leaders are likely to stick around if they feel they have the tools they need to be effective. When someone agrees to take on a leadership role, make sure that person has the training and resources needed to be successful. If you’ve asked someone to take on the responsibility of some or all of the physical facilities, make sure that person has the names and numbers for all the repairmen you have used in the past. Let him or her know how to submit invoices for incidentals, and explain any restrictions on who has to approve certain expenditures.
There are indeed many kinds of service but the same Lord. The volunteers in your midst have signed up to serve but some may want or be ready to answer a different calling. Prayerfully raise up leaders who can and will work alongside you to share the Good News of Jesus with the world.
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