I’ve heard it asked, “Have you ever seen a statue of a committee?”
Taking your ministry to the next level will probably begin with you. We must rely on others to accomplish big things, but the seed of change begins with an individual. You, as leader of your church, ministry area, or department, have the opportunity, by God’s grace, to make a difference and help move things forward.
Here are ten ideas that can be a catalyst for growing your worship team, student ministry team, children’s ministry team, or church:
1. Pray Active, Intentional, Desperate Prayers
All great revivals and movements of God’s power have been birthed out of prayer. We can’t say we’re a person of prayer without being a person who prays. We must be intentional as we pray for our ministry, our people, and the tenderness of our own hearts, seeking God’s holiness and power. Do we pray out of desperation or ask God to bless those things we are doing in our own strength? If you’re not in over your head, trusting God to do mighty things despite you, you might need to go deeper in prayer.
2. Be A Leader Of Leaders
People in your church or department can help you lead in ministry. The staff person’s role is to develop leaders and create space for other leaders to thrive. You can never grow and scale your ministry beyond your ability and sheer number of hours in your day unless you begin to focus on leaders who can also shoulder some of the load.
3. Act Twice Your Size
Too often, we feel small and act small in ministry. One way to move to the next level is to begin acting twice your size. What structures would need to be in place if you had twice as many people involved? Begin implementing those structures and plans now. This will help build expectations for those involved in your ministry. Acting twice your size also helps your church prepare for the people God will send. Acting twice your size can apply to worship attendance, hospitality endeavors, follow-up plans, or leadership structure. In other words, start acting like you dream of being a ministry.
4. Think About Your Successor
Every ministry leader is interim. What kind of structure and legacy do you want to leave for the next person who will take your role? Even if it’s not immediate, thinking through this transition helps a leader nail down the most important things to get done. Thinking about who could be a successor (you don’t have to tell them) as you raise up those around you is another way to intentionally plan, structure, and grow your ministry area. What will your ministry be like when you leave the post? Work toward a solid foundation of health, community, love, and mission-filled ministry ready for the next leader to build upon.
5. Work On It, Not Just In It
Spend time working on your ministry. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race, fighting fires, staying above water, or whatever analogy indicates that we are so busy with our noses to the grindstone that we don’t have time to strategize and plan for ministry. Working on your ministry may mean organizing the calendar and goals for a few hours each month. It could be a retreat with your leaders to dream about the future growth of your church. However you do it, taking time to work on the structure and systems will create lasting fruit as you continue working hard in ministry.
6. Document Your Ministry
Invest time writing down precisely what you do in ministry and the roles you want to delegate. Your investment on the front end can pay big dividends. While you don’t have to publish these documents, having them available will help you clarify what you do and will help you lead others to do things well.
Here are a few documents to start with:
- Vision – A vision is simply a snapshot of a preferred future outcome.
- Culture – What core values are you trying to highlight in your organization?
- Process – How do people get involved in your ministry? How do volunteers get connected to a meaningful role? What is the process for planning and preparing each week? Document the steps involved for each process.
- Main Thing – What are the primary things your ministry (or church or department) does? Limit this to three or four items.
- Fully Involved – Document what it looks like for someone to be fully engaged in your ministry area. (For example: Do they attend twice a month? Do they have a regular weekly job?). What does it look like to be a fully engaged volunteer? What are the requirements for leaders?
- What To Delegate – What routine responsibilities could you pass off to others who would enjoy doing them? Create a simple document with numbered steps. Documenting these things could allow you to focus on larger, visionary opportunities.
7. Shift To Friendships
Our world is in dire need of community. Whatever your ministry area, shift from programs to friendships. Connect with your people on a personal level. People have dreams, aspirations, and issues. They have friends, families, and schedules. The more you know your people, the better equipped you will all be to live out big ministry roles together in community.
8. Build a Culture of Invitation
The church is about reaching out to the world. Always model a culture of invitation. Invite new people to be involved and to become a part of your ministry team. Invite others around you into deeper and more meaningful roles. Building a culture of invitation will help grow your ministry.
9. Activate Volunteers
You can’t do ministry alone. Who is your on your team? Help them find a place where they can be active in ministry. As they find their places and become more effective in their work, the ministry will grow. Who needs to be on your team? If you need more volunteers, workers, and leaders in your ministry, start praying and asking (most often this happens simultaneously). Don’t have a scarcity mindset about who in your church can help you. While God has equipped each church with the leaders needed to accomplish the needed ministry for that community, people often need to be asked.
10. Build Expectation
One way to take your ministry to the next level is to expect things to grow and improve. Learn to speak out. Compliment people as things go well and raise the bar on areas that need improvement. As people rise to your expectations, growth will occur naturally.
thanks for sharing!