Are you surrounded by the right people? I believe that the people that surround your ministry will have a direct impact on your effectiveness as a leader. I know we like to think we can rise above the influences around us but in the long run the voices influence our leadership capability. Depending on who you surround yourself with you will have people pushing you forward or pulling you back. You will find yourself becoming more or less like Christ. You will experience the momentum of teamwork or the loneliness of ministry isolation. People around us influence how we lead so why can’t we seem to be more intentional with who we are partnering with in ministry? Sometimes you have to learn to work with people you don’t connect with but if you choose to stick around for the long term in an organization you can intentionally choose to put key partners around you. If you want the right people around you you have to…
- Stop plugging holes and start recruiting difference makers / when we plug volunteers into open ministry slots we accumulate lots of people serving out of obligation. When you slow down and recruit difference makers with passion you will begin to see a difference in the effort of your team. Difference makers who serve with passion will inspire you to lead on a different level.
- Stop doing things you’re not good at and empower talented people / when you stop trying to do what your not really good at you open up opportunity for talented people to partner with you in ministry. Talented people in roles that fit their gifting make your ministry better and free you to be the leader you are called to be.
- Stop ignoring volunteers who are problems / sometimes you have the wrong people around you because you have a problem volunteer and that causes healthy leaders to leave your team. Dysfunction has to be confronted if you want healthy leaders around your ministry. Stop ignoring the problem and confront it for the health of the entire team.
- Stop settling and start praying / begin to ask God to bring healthy influences around you. God can bring right people around you. When we know the type of leader we need and we start asking God to bring that leader we have a better shot at a healthy team. Seriously, stop settling and start praying. I don’t care what kind of church you are at, God can bring healthy people to you to push your ministry forward.
- Stop living and serving in isolation / you need to live in community if you are going to lead others to be in community. Stop making excuses about how busy you are and arrange your ministry so you can actually connect with adults who will live life with you. Shape a healthy pace and make room for some “outside ministry” relationships!
Think about who around you is breathing life into your soul? Who around you is inspiring you? Who is helping you dream huge dreams for the Kingdom of God?
