As the old farmer once said, “The problem with cows is that you have to keep milking them.”
At times, we plan with the “this should do it once and for all” motto. Anyone who has led people for very long knows that is not the case. It takes consistent nurturing to keep things going. There are some things you have to do on a regular basis.
Pray – Prayer will make a difference. Pray for your people. Pray for the work. Pray for the needs. Pray for vision, clarity and resources. Pray for God’s power to be at work in you. Pray for greater things. Every. Day.
Keep Your Leaders Engaged, Thanked, and Happy. In addition to making sure your key players are moving forward and having fun with it, be sure to keep the bench warm. Who is in your network now who will be called up to lead soon? How are you developing them?
Keep the vision in front. – As Bill Hybels says, “vision leaks.” You can’t expect the January newsletter or fall retreat to be enough to keep the vision in front. Talk and dream about it. Embrace it. Incorporate it in your conversations and in your ministry structure. Make vision part of the culture of the church.
Engage WIth People – Lives were changed when Jesus spent time with people. One small example is when he went home with Zacchaeus. It wasn’t planned and wasn’t on the agenda, but it changed his life and everyone’s life who was of his generosity afterwards. Meeting with people typically fuels action. If you haven’t had time to sit down with someone recently, find a time and do it. Additionally, if you’ve been putting off an encounter with someone over an issue, the time is now. Engage. Pounce. Jump in… if something seems funky, find out why. There’s not enough time to dilly dally around with kingdom work.
Read – Don’t set aside reading. Even the tiniest amount will give you new thoughts and ideas. It’s the life blood for a leader who is constantly needing to move people in new directions. I have most recently been reading some books from a box that I am looking through one last time before getting rid of them. Most recent books included “Who Moved My Cheese” and “The Difference Maker (Attitude)” and “With”
Keep Focused On New People – What do they need? How can we serve them? How do they perceive us? Is our mission to them effective? Are we getting opportunities to minister to them? Are we making opportunities for them to connect? Is our ministry structured in such a way that we are attracting and holding on to new people? Are there things in my life or ministry that need to be pruned so that I can spend more time focusing on new people?
Take time to be refreshed, cultivate creativitiy – You need time to be refreshed. Time for reading scripture. Time for soaking in nature and creation. Set aside times for creative planning and dreaming. Take time to enjoy your family without needing to be somewhere else. You can’t put this off until your big trip in a few months. This needs to happen regularly. Find a way, today, to carve out time on your calendar and make a plan for later this week or weekend.
OTHER POSTS…
Prescription for Young Adult Life
Good stuff Tim. I am often blessed by your reflections and pray for you often! A book I read recently that has been a real blessing is “Drive”. I don’t know how I ended up putting it in my pile, but have been encouraged by the affirmation I’ve found there regarding organizational leadership. God bless you!
Thanks, Bill… I’ll have to check that book out. Hope things are going well for you!