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MINISTRY LEADERSHIP
The Ten Commandments for Leadership Teams
(1) Dream big. What do you want your Sunday school to become? Spend time in retreat, prayer, and study, asking God’s guidance. As God directs, gather a sense of how you are to work and move forward in faith. Too often we are just content to maintain the status quo. This building block of leadership for Sunday school growth is not content to maintain "the way we’ve always done it before." Where there is no vision, the people perish. Where there is a little vision, the people become bored! There is nothing worse than a bored congregation (see Rev 3:14-16). Dare to dream so big and bold that you are destined to fail without God’s intervention. Be realistic, be pragmatic, but be filled with a dream worthy of God’s partnership with us.
(2) Balance people and purpose. Too often, leaders are only interested in taking care of the tasks. The tasks are important; there is much to do every week. However, too much emphasis on the tasks may take us away from a sensitivity to ministry. If we focus too heavily on what needs to be done, we may overlook significant opportunities for ministry and fellowship. Too often, leaders are only interested in meeting the needs of the people. The people are important; there are many needs that must be met each week. However, too much emphasis on ministry needs may take us away from an attention to action. If we focus too heavily on the ministry needs of people, we may overlook significant activities for supporting the work each week.
(3) Respond quickly to church guests and prospects. Part of the impression we make on those who visit our church is based on how we respond to them after they leave. A call or card to all who visit each week speaks volumes about how much we care for the unchurched and prospects. Most churches in a plateaued or decreasing situation are not interested in evangelism or even hospitality. Growing churches take the initiative to make members, prospective members, and church guests feel welcomed. As we contact quickly, we communicate that we care. We will not have everyone who visits join our church or attend our Sunday school, but we will have an opportunity to minister to all whom we contact. Growth rarely comes when we ignore others. Growth usually happens when we pay attention to the needs to others.
(4) Remember that staff is important. One person cannot adequately minister to more than 100 people. Church growth specialists emphasize the importance of expanding the ministry staff to respond to growing congregations. The ministry staff is charged with equipping the membership and leading in outreach and inreach. If leaders are spread too thin, they quickly become ineffective and inattentive. Burnout is quick to occur. Just as we must provide adequate staff ministers for the congregation, we must also allow adequate lay leadership. The ratio for volunteer leadership is one leader for every 25–50 people. The volunteer leader will not have a dedicated amount of time to invest. The Sunday school teacher will not have an overabundance of time for leading a class. Assigning the Sunday school leadership team to care for too many people discourages their leadership.
When we program with adequate professional staff and volunteer leaders, we allow each minister and volunteer leader to lead from their strengths and stay energized. As we keep leaders energized, enthused, and motivated, their effectiveness, creativity, and length of service increases. As tenure increases, ministry abounds through trust, vision, and deeper relationships.
(5) Empower others to do their work. There is nothing more defeating than a leader who will not share. As we enlist others to work with us, we must give them the opportunity and the authority to make decisions. As we empower others, we communicate trust and confidence in their leadership. Empowerment may mean that you give resources, materials, and opportunities for others to lead. Empowerment may mean that we move out of the way and let others make mistakes. But above all, empowerment communicates trust and confidence in those who serve on our leadership team. Let your teachers teach, and let your class leaders lead. The effective leader will set the vision, provide the resources, and turn their leaders loose!
(6) Be passionate and inspire others to work hard. Effective leaders inspire others to participate and to perform at levels that are above average. Effective leaders have a definite passion for what needs to be done and for those with whom they work. Too often, leaders are content to sit back and just get the work done. They can be aloof and uninvolved with their team members. But the more effective leaders have a contagious passion for the tasks of ministry. If Sunday school and church growth are important, then be passionate about Sunday school and church growth. A passionate leader inspires others to join in and do the extraordinary.
(7) Stay put and set up shop. Most ministers change location within two to five years of beginning a ministry. This quick tenure does not build trust or equity with the membership. Some ministers pay half-hearted attention to their jobs while hoping/praying with the other half of their hearts for a better situation. These ministers will always be distracted. They will never be totally emotionally invested with the people they serve. Ministers who are never totally emotionally invested will have a difficult time leading the people to do the ordinary aspects of ministry. They will have an almost impossible time leading others to reach extraordinary heights of ministry. Stay put! Set up shop! Develop a passionate vision! Love the people! Lead them to do extraordinary things! The same is true for Sunday school leadership. Consistent leaders and teachers inspire confidence and trust. As we lead with passion, people respond.
(8) Major on the main things. This is the ability of "focus." Leaders who focus are rarely discouraged and disheartened. As we focus, we fire the passion that drives us. Focus on the one event each year that is your main priority. Focus on two to five events that need 50 percent improvement. Focus on 100 things that need 1 percent improvement. Too often, ministers try to reinvent everything in their churches. But everything does not need a complete overhaul. Focus on what really needs your main energies. Give main energy, main resources, and main prayer time to this one priority. Then go to work. Along the way, make partial improvements in the other areas. Every improvement will bring energy to your leadership. As you begin to make "minor" gains in many areas, soon you have made major gains in almost every area. And even better, you have done this with intentional leadership and vision. Intentional leaders instill trust in those with whom they work. Intentional leaders make little changes and inspire confidence.
(9) Pray, pray, pray! Nothing great was ever accomplished without a strong base of prayer. Daily prayer keeps us in tune with God. Daily prayer keeps God in tune with us. Spend time daily in prayer for your vision, for your leadership team, for the work to be done, and for your own spirit. Prayer and devotion will develop a strong discipline within you and give you strength for doing the work. Pray without ceasing, stay in tune with God, and let the Spirit guide you.
(10) Visualize growth and success. Vision and focus are important. As you visualize what you are going to do, visualize success too. As you visualize growth and success, you will also develop an attitude of embracing change. The reason most of us resist growth is that we are afraid of what we will have to give up. If we visualize growth and success, we will see that what we may have to give up is worth the victory we will gain. People will follow a leader who models positive guidance and successful accomplishment. Grow for it!
An excerpt from Building Blocks for Sunday School Growth, by Bo Prosser, Michael McCullar, and Charles Qualls
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