Everyone wants to be number 1, top dog, head honcho. We are supposed to climb the corporate ladder. We are not to be satisfied being…
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Fan of Bruce Springsteen, the New York Mets, and The Simpsons... not necessarily in that order.
As an associate it is tempting to become a “doer of ministry.” We can see the lead pastor as the visionary for the congregation/ministry and our role in Christian Education, Youth Ministry, Visitation, etc. as where that vision gets carried out. We have been hired to do youth ministry, we think, so we had better do the youth ministry. Whenever someone volunteers to help us, we say, “No thanks,” because we view the assistance as a veiled condemnation of our inability to do our jobs. We do a disservice to our congregation when we become the professional experts who do everything in our ministry area.
The Apostle Paul intentionally brought others around him. We read of Luke, Mark, Timothy, and others joining him on his missionary journeys (e.g. 2 Timothy 4:11). He wrote of those whom he sent to be with the churches in his absence. He appointed leaders to the congregations he had raised up and worked with other leaders who were also about building up the churches with whom he had relationships. As you read the New Testament letters you get the sense Paul was managing a network of church leaders.  I would argue this is one of the major reasons Christianity grew under Paul’s leadership. He wasn’t trying to do it all on his own.
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Kurt Madden, in his book The Synergetic Follower: Changing Our World Without Being the Leader introduced me to the phrase “managing up.” When an employee – the “follower” – notices when the leader is about to make a bad decision, is in need of information, or is struggling with a project outside his or her skill set. The wise follower will offer their opinion, gather the necessary information, or offer to take on part of the project. This is “managing up,” taking the initiative to assist the leader do their job more successfully.
Most of us think a good follower is a yes-man or yes-woman. But in the words of Madden, “Good leaders know they don’t have all the wisdom and knowledge, so finding followers, who complement their own strengths, is a top priority” (Madden 142). Business leaders need staff-people who are willing to take a risk to assist them, care for them, and help them, and the company, be successful. The same is true of our church leaders.
Leave a CommentTexts:Â Ecclesiastes 4:7-12 &Â Hebrews 10:19-25 Many of us were watching last week as Hurricane Isaac took a familiar path – across Florida, into the Gulf of…
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Tour guides have difficult, albeit enviable, jobs. They spend most of the day walking backwards, facing the group they are leading, talking about what they just passed. They have to know the route so well they can complete a tour without bumping into anything. If they lose their focus, or do not know the way themselves, I imagine it could be quite a scene. Leaders in the church do much the same thing. We face our congregation while we try to lead them on their lives’ spiritual journeys.
We pastor-types tend to be technique-junkies. We read books on how to build our congregations, blogs on how to preach, and magazine articles on how to be more effective in our specific ministries. If not too expensive, we will even take a retreat to a remote location to hear from an “expert” about a way to do ministry. We might invest hours looking for the next big program for our congregation, our tour group, often at the expense of our own spiritual journeys.
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Faith & Leadership recently interviewed John Wesley scholar Randy Maddox about Wesley’s emphasis on physical health throughout his ministry. “Of all Wesley’s books,” Maddox states, “the one that stayed in print the longest and went through the most editions wasn’t his sermons or hymns. It was ‘Primitive Physick,’ a book on medical advice. It was central to his work” (Randy Maddox: John Wesley says, ‘Take care of yourself’). It would be odd in the 21st century for a clergy person to give medical advice, but not so in the 18th century. Maddox does a great job explaining practical reasons why, but also shares how this practice of caring for the body also grew out of Wesley’s theology.
Leave a CommentText: Revelation 21:1-5 (Msg) Listen to the sermon: Restoration Project In the past several months I have become a fan of the History Channel, but…
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When the Olympics started, I was on a youth mission trip. I missed the opening ceremonies and most of the first weekend of competition as we were traveling home. I thought I would not be as engaged in the Olympics as others, but I find that I am. Gymnastics, swimming, track & field. I’ve even watched some archery, water polo, soccer, and read about the badminton controversy.
I find the dedication of Olympic athletes inspiring. Then the recognition comes of just how young they are. Gabby Douglas, a 16-year-old American gymnast, won the women’s all-around gold medal. Colorado high school senior, Missy Franklin has won 4 medals – 3 of them gold – and set a new world record in swimming.
While I am a sports fan, I also enjoy the Olympics because the television coverage often shares a glimpse into the lives of the athletes and the people surrounding them. Michael Phelps’ mom is almost as recognizable to me as he is. I like learning how they started in their sport, what else they do, and how much time and effort they put in to becoming Olympic medalists.
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