Ministry happens with or without you. When you and I are gone God will use others to accomplish what he has in mind. I learned early on that I needed to get others on my team or I would burn out really quick. And I worked under a guy that did not believe in ministry burnout. And for good reason. We had a growing ministry and always had stuff to do. There were many times when I did not know how we would get it all done. But it always seemed to happen.
One of the parts of ministry that you need to learn and exercise really well is getting and keeping good leaders. Whether you have a larger or small ministry, whatever the definitions you hold for each of those, you will need them. And then when you get them you have to empower them. We made mistakes early on with letting anyone with a pulse into our ministry team. They were good peeps with great hearts for ministry. But they were not always cut out for youth ministry.
I remember one guy in particular. He came and made a commitment to hang out in our ministry for a season and did not fulfill it. He was just flakey and had tons of other stuff on his plate that took precedence over ministry. That was not bad, it was just the reality. But after he fizzled out of the ministry the first time I did not learn my lesson. The guys in his group would always ask where he was and I found myself making excuses for him. After all, the boys in his group loved him to death; he was a great and likable guy. He was just a flake. So when he came to my office promising the world yet a second time, I gave in. it did not work. Nor did it work the third time either.
After that painful time in my ignorance I learned that I needed to be more selective. Even if I was hurting bad for a leader, I still had to keep in mind that if I got a bad one just to fill a position, I would ultimately regret it in the end. This new philosophy served me well. Sometimes peeps wondered why I was so picky and turned down so many who wanted to work with our kids. But I knew what I wanted for them and what our ministry needed. I had the pulse and stuck with my instinct. It worked well and still does.
What are your standards. Do you take anyone that wants to be a part of your team; only learning that many times you know you are not making the best decision but you do it anyway? Stop it! Take the best and roll with it. It may slow down growth of your ministry, but it will be better in the end. Get good leaders and empower them. The rest... peace 'em out.
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