When someone starts a small business, the organizational chart looks a bit like this.
Many church leaders function the same way!
The vast majority of congregational leaders have similar org charts and “me” in boxes where they don’t fit. Too many times we’re “filling slots” because “somebody needs to do it.” And no one has been discipled or developed who could do it…better!
And leaders ultimately ask “Do I Have What it Takes?” and never do the hard work or make the hard decisions to align their lives around…
- What I’m uniquely passionate about…what’s in my core.
- What I’m uniquely good at doing. What I can uniquely contribute in my congregation.
- What is uniquely needed from me as a leader.
Leadership Essentials has helped hundreds and hundreds of women and men find freedom from being squeezed into boxes where they don’t fit so they can flourish.
They…
- are in diverse settings.
- have diverse strengths and passions.
- are flourishing under the blessing of God in their congregations.
They’ve got what it takes.
They have…
- energy for the challenges…sometimes big challenges.
- fulfillment.
- resilience.
They’ve started leading themselves in ways they never had before.
We also see plenty of leaders who are…
- being depleted by the never ending task list labeled “ministry.”
- wondering, “Can I make it to the finish line?”
- promising themselves that when their term is up, they’re not saying “yes” to this again.
I’ve spent way too much time in roles on the org chart where a square “me” was elbowed into round boxes. Because…
- I never prioritized.
- I never created space.
- No one ever showed me how to disciple and mentor a few while hurrying to minister to the crowds.
“When I did PLI the first time, it saved my ministry. This time D2MC transformed my ministry. Absolutely fulfilling.”
a PLI alumn
There’s a parallel problem that goes with this:
To be fair…too many people in too many congregations have been schooled over decades that they could never do [fill in the blank]. And it’s difficult to shift when no one has been discipled or mentored to do it.
The future of the church is not found in the one exceptional superman/superwoman filling “me” boxes. The future is godly women and men continuing to minister to the crowds while they develop the capacity to disciple a few at a time…of other godly women and men.
It’s okay to be superman/superwoman…but I only think of One who had those exceptional credentials. They called Him the Son of God. He ministered to the crowds…discipled the few.
Here are five questions to quickly answer:
- What’s the Organizational Chart look like in your congregation?
- Which boxes have your name in them?
- How many of your boxes match your passions and gifts?
- Are you the best one to fill that box?
- What if you had carved out a small amount of space to slowly learn to disciple a few who can begin to live into what God has designed them to be?
