According to the Apostle Paul, the church is like a body. This body has many different parts, each part is different, and yet all the body parts are interdependent. Every part of the body is unique, but no body part operates in isolation of the entire body. It’s a beautifully odd picture.
This teaching has significantly impacted how we lead our teams—teams of volunteer as well as paid staff. The body metaphor influences our thinking, guides our decisions, and has often exposed our mistakes as leaders.
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The Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2012 in Louisville, KY…
Come Join us for some Fried Chicken and Refreshment!
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As Matt and I (Doug) have talked about this reality, we’ve discovered that we get into trouble with leaders when we try to make them become a different body part than what God wired them to be. Good ministry doesn’t just appear when we try to force a “foot” to act like an “eye”. Of course, this sounds so obvious, but it has been one of our reoccurring leadership blunders that we’re trying to avoid repeating.
The symptoms of this type of easy-fix “force fit” are subtle and difficult to accurately discern. On many leadership teams, the “force-fits” can go unnoticed, but as time passes, the chance for harm to your ministry increases.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN A LEADER ISN’T EFFECTIVE?
I (Matt) typically respond with a “diagnosis” of their ministry behaviors and assumptions. I’ll ask all kinds of questions and soak up the stories and information. As soon as I see something that needs correcting, I quickly jump-in and give the “correct” answer.
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The Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2012 in Louisville, KY…
Come Join us for some Fried Chicken and Refreshment!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My fault is usually with the “quickly” part of the action. Most of the time, when I move too quick it’s not a good move. But, the “jumping-in” part can be good leadership. People need help in developing their skills and I think I can guide them toward being more effective. One of the reasons that we write these daily emails is to help people grow—we all need prodding and encouragement. It’s better for a leader to jump-in and coach someone to growth rather than stay away and hope the problem fixes itself.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE “FIXING” DOESN’T WORK?
The typical reaction is to respond with more fixing, more training, or more books. But, trying to improve a leader’s weak skills won’t help them perform their best if they are being forced to play the wrong position or be a different body part. Good leaders learn to detect the “force-fits” and make tender and wise adjustments. They help these people discover their unique identity within the body and move into a position (or body part) where they can faithfully serve Christ. (We’ll write more specifically about that action tomorrow.)