Your Ministry's Hidden Treasures: No Get Rich Quick Schemes

April 21, 2008

By Jeff Tracy

(Editor's Note: Part One of this series covered the strategic ideas of a genuine ministry, while Part Two dealt with developing a leadership team.)

The Big Question: What does your ministry produce--a program or people?

The Site Plan: Tactical Ideas

Tools of the Trade

Hard Hat--A hard head not a hard heart. Protect you heart with your head. Protect your staff and your people. You are the head of the ministry. Don't let the rest of the body attack your youth/Sunday school/ministry/church. Take responsibility as the head for their mistakes. Shield them. Be loyal. Keep them saved. Focus on them. Put on the helmet of salvation. Keep the cross and Christ before yourself and them. It's all about Him.

Clothing--Put on Christ; care and compassion; His righteousness (breastplate); truth, honesty; be real; peaceable.

Pick-axe--Provide strong clear goals and leadership. Make sure you have good job descriptions. It's one-on-one time: focus on them, dig them out.

Shovel--Lift them up. Carry them. Believe in them. Trust them. Give them ownership. Guide them.

Wheelbarrow--Provide a specific theme and vision for each year. Give them a unified goal to achieve. Promote unity. Reward team players.

Celebrate the Discovery

Rest--Take a break from the work. Holiday (holy day). Set aside a service once in a while to brag on your staff. Ask your pastor (if you need to) for a few minutes during a service to share with the church who and what is happening.

Rejoice with those that rejoice.

Reinforce their importance both privately (e-mail, cards) and publicly. They cannot get that just anywhere. Give them significance: “People making a difference.” As a youth pastor, I sent a December calendar with a personal note. Once in a while, a fun card of appreciation with specifics. Honor who they are and what they have done. They deserve to be paid for the work they have done. We pay them with thanks and honor: with significance.

Real Rewards--Honor them with a certificate and gift in front of their peers. For example, a yearly award to one of your group members in honor of your founding pastor; have the most influential or significant person they know present the award in front of the entire church. If appropriate, have your department heads choose the best among them that year--peers honoring peers.

Practical Tips

Plan--Start by finding God's vision and plan for you in this group of people. What is your philosophy for this ministry? Leaders must lead.

Evaluate--Evaluate what you already have. Think outside the box. Move people around if necessary. Get input from former leaders, current leaders, and your pastor/mentors. Look for commitment before looking for talent.

Staff--If you're part of a ministry larger than three people develop a staff first. Their main purpose is to provide spiritual leadership, service leading, and essential basics. Initially they will also be involved in events and ministries to the others. As a youth pastor, I suggest starting with just three or four elected youth staff members. Have term limits (we had a six month term with a two-consecutive-terms limit). Then you can add to this. One married couple with a heart for youth, a permanent youth secretary, two or three permanent youth staff members (add them as you have them and don't want to lose them). The concept of developing and growing from within is vital for any healthy ministry.

Staff Qualifications:

A walk with God: prayerful and committed
Represent God, the pastor, the immediate ministry leader, and ministry well.
Is willing to work in this ministry.

Ministries--If you are heading up a larger ministry then create multiple departments. In a youth ministry, I suggest single youth who are willing and able to head up a department. They will head up teams over various departments: prayer, outreach, music, activities, servanthood, mentoring, and any others you find necessary.

Sponsors--This is a support group. In a youth program, these are young married couples that want to support the youth program. They may speak once in a while, advise and assist ministry heads, all while providing stability and a listening ear. Be careful that they do not end up running the entire ministry. It's about discovering and developing your hidden treasures, not burying them under an avalanche of known talent. Make room for new growth. Note: I believe this is true no matter what kind or level of ministry you lead.

Ministry Speculator or Developer?

So, are you a “get rich quicker” kind of leader or a responsible developer of the most valuable resource any leader has--people? If you use them and abuse them you will lose them. Will you put on His yoke and work with Him in discovering the hidden treasure of those in your circle of influence? Will you do the hard work that produces a treasure trove of souls today, tomorrow, and forever? Will you believe in those around you and serve them until they shine brighter and better than you? Only then will you be like Him.

Think about what would happen if every ministry leader was more interested in discovering and developing the hidden treasures in his area of influence. Every department would produce leaders and ministers that would go on to disciple and develop the gifts and abilities of those around them in an ever widening circle.

Will you be the one to raise a Titanic from the depths in the ocean of souls? If you do, He has promised to create an ever widening wave, a growing circle of souls impacted by your sacrifice. He will be well pleased.

ninetyandnine.com

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Jeff Tracy, residing in St. Louis is husband of one, father of two, servant of many, and lover of One. His not-so-secret fatal weakness is a love of all things chocolate, especially the deep dark kind, which weight he daily chooses not to lay aside.