Leadership is important in the church. No one argues this and often when a church has struggles the finger is pointed at the pastor and the talk is about his leadership skills. Sometimes the conversation moves from the pastor to the other staff leaders in a church. Maybe it's the deacon or director of a ministry. This is usually where the conversation ends and we often overlook the importance of 2 other kinds of church leaders. Let's talk about the other leaders.
The Lay Leader
In the church lay people are those who aren't the pastor or part of the staff. They make up the congregation and are the overwhelming bulk of the church. In this group there need to be a lot of leaders. These leaders include choir leaders, small group leaders, mens ministry leaders, womens ministry leaders, leaders of youth groups, Sunday school teachers, outreach ministry leaders, and so many others. You get the point.
The larger the church the more this type of leader is important. We can't and shouldn't rely on the staff leadership for everything. The church isn't a club we pay dues to and have the staff do things for us. It's a community and they are just one element.
So, we need lay leaders to organize people to do Gods work. We need lay leaders to reach out to others and build them up with their God given talents and gifts. And most of all, we need lay leaders for the church to move in doing Gods work rather than just listen to the message.
The Motivator
Have you ever met someone who was exited about something and along with that excitement got others involved. When I was in high school there was a group of guys who were excited about basketball (Big surprise, right). When the cheerleaders couldn't be at the game to cheer these guys would take over. They would get as many people as they could to go to the game and then they would get the crowd cheering and involved. The game wasn't about them and they weren't leading what was going on that night. But, they did lead people to be involved and passionately loving it.
The church needs the same thing. There can be all the organization of people in the world but there also needs to be those who get involved, have a love and passion, and help ignite that in others.
Have you ever been to a church service where it seems the people are just going through the motions? Where there are a lot of people who aren't even singing the songs? I know I have. Half the time we could argue that people are bored and that's a totally separate issue. But, I submit that half the time the issue is fear. No one wants to be one of the first to step up and really sing that song. They fear putting themselves out there with a passionate fervor. They have a little fear of what people will say. This is where that motivator can come into play. They joy and motivation they bring can bring people past that fear.
Or, maybe it's a church group going to go feed the homeless. If you have leaders like this they will help others to do it with a passion. They will call up people and get their friends involved.
One Question
The leaves me with just one question. What kind of leader are you?
Lay Leader is just another
Lay Leader is just another word for a true servant follower.
Those who put others first (anywhere) are "leaders" in the sense of leading humanity away from it's self centered condition, but they are only serving others in response to Christ.
We need more
In any case we need more of them. Any ideas how to raise more leaders up?
Make the "barriers" to
Make the "barriers" to serving lower.
- No strings attached to serving ("you did it last year, can we count on you again?"). Expect that someone has random free time, but they want to serve.
- Make real needs known and provide tangible ideas for helpfulness. For a church, Staff leaders can focus serving towards shared needs of the congregation, and the Lord will provide volunteers. (If He doesn't provide, then maybe that isn't a need your CHURCH is supposed to be helping with).
- Make things 1-on-1 as much as possible
Just some quick thoughts... perhaps divergent to you initial post.
totally different approach
I see it as a totally different approach. You are describing things to lower that threshold to do something. What I see is a lack of people caring to do it.
I think they need to be reminded, encouraged, and inspired to care. It's not about lowering barriers. If they don't care you have to lower that barrier too far and many still won't. If you bring that care level up than barriers that look tough are ones people will try to plow through.
It's not about lowering the barrier but about building people up to go through them.
I see it is a question of
I see it is a question of apathy or ignorance.
Jesus said that his followers who claim "leadership" are in fact the opposite. It's the very humblest people that are the "leaders" in the kingdom of God.
I think in our modern society (and particularly as the dominance of informationism goes mainstream), people are more likely to view life like a TV show and not as something they need to participate in. This is what drives the barriers up and fogs over our responses of the heart.
Lay Leaders shouldn't be as concerned about driving a group of people in some direction, but rather unclogging the eyes and hearts of the needs of people that are overlooked. The harvest is plenty, the workers are few... why? Apathy and ignorance, not "leadership". I also think we have the notion of "needs" really jacked up today, but that I'd save for a different post...
Ah
I see where you are coming from. Maybe it's what I expect leaders to do. I see leadership as people leading others away from apathy and ignorance. It's a matter of people leading people out of the laziness and ignorance they sadly live in and into the life that Christ calls them to. And in this we have leaders from the cheerleaders to the organizers.
Make sense?
Yes and no... the ultimate
Yes and no... the ultimate direction comes from the Holy Spirit moving in individual hearts to serve (leadership).
A paid staff person's primary responsibility then is to be tuned to the Holy Spirit's leading and able to attach a need to individuals in the congregation at large.
A lay leader would be someone who frequently answers the "call", always by what the Spirit is doing in their heart. So I would see 200 "leaders" if you had 200 "volunteers"... a lay leader would not be someone who brings to everyone's attention that a need existed, although that might be a necessary and perhaps Spirit-led action, it does not mean "leadership" per se.
What is leadership?
Well, what is leadership? And what are the different types of leaders?
Many people are fearful and deny what the spirit calls them to do. What are leaders here? People who lead by example and help break down the fear in others. People who do what others are fearful of and by this help others to loose some fear. That is leadership.
Or, we have people who don't get up and do things. That person who organizes a group to go help others is leading them. Putting the opportunities out there, making them easier, and asking people to join them. Someone who does this is a leader.
While the ultimate calling and motivation may come from the Holy Spirit, people can be leaders to other people. Both of the examples I gave are a place where a non-staff member of a church can be a leader and where many people are called to be.