Working Through Leaders
Don Cousins
The seeming drawback of too little time to train others is actually more of a mental block than a true drawback.
—Don Cousins
Growth inevitably leads to chaos.
I don't mean the kind of chaos caused by weak administration or poor planning. I mean the turmoil that accompanies action, the disruption that results from change, and the problems that surface from incorporating new workers into a ministry. An organization without this kind of chaos probably isn't making much of a mark. I'll take chaos—with impact—any time over a calm lack of fruitfulness.
While chaos may not be a comfortable state, the inconveniences it brings are a small price to pay for the thrill of knowing one's ministry is making a difference. And when great things are happening in a ministry, people tend to step forward and ask, "How can I help?" They want to be part of the activity—even somewhat chaotic activity—when they see the fruit it bears.
The man who runs our small-group ministry owned a real estate company before he joined our staff. A year or so before he came on staff, he said to me, "I can tell my passion is changing. I used to want to pour all my time into the marketplace. Now I've tasted what it is to be used by God, and I want to invest myself more fully in things that really matter."
People like this, who arise from congregations as volunteers or paid staff, can lighten the load that active ministry creates. They can be channels through which we accomplish the work of the ministry. The only catch is that they have to be properly managed.
Overcoming the Drawbacks
The pastor overloaded with demands may cringe at the prospect of recruiting and supervising other workers. If he has insufficient time to do immediate tasks, how will he ever find time to ...
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