Growing your ministry is challenging. Often, we want a quick fix – the big event, or the big recruiting push, or…or…or. But quick fixes don’t work any more than a kid trying to be an adult simply by eating a big meal.
What does work? The number one way to grow your ministry to reach any of your “big” children’s ministry goals is:
Develop leaders around you.
But this does not happen overnight. It takes a commitment to the process. It takes dogged determination. It takes overcoming setbacks & disappointments. It takes a lot of hard work.
Few are willing to do the work.
For those who are, here’s a simple outline of how to develop great leaders in your ministry:
1. Grow yourself as a leader.
You can only pass on to others what you already possess yourself. In order to develop great leaders, you need to be a great leader.
What are you doing to develop and grow yourself as a leader – what is your daily plan?
2. Communicate what leadership looks like.
Model leadership. Talk leadership. Teach leadership. Mentor. Coach. Train.
How are you being intentional about passing what you are learning about leadership on to your team?
3. Create leadership labs.
People will learn leadership best in safe environments – leadership labs. Assign low-risk responsibility, with close oversight & continued mentoring, to allow leaders to “practice” leading.
What responsibilities are you currently managing that can be passed on to others in order to allow them to practice their leadership skills?
4. Let leaders lead.
Once your leaders have proven a level of proficiency, let go and let them lead. They may will not do everything the way you would, but that’s OK. Let them lead. Be available & attentive to guide & instruct, but . . . let them lead.
What do you need to let go of and let someone else lead?
5. Repeat.
How committed are you to actually developing leaders around you?
Take the leap and change your ministry forever!
How do you develop leaders around you?
(please share in comments below)
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I serve as the Vice President of Global Resources in the Global Mission department at David C. Cook.
I love what I do as it is the outflow of 25 years of ministry experience as Children’s, Family & Administrative Pastor, consultant, trainer, speaker and short-term missions leader.
