Aug

25

Lead Where You Are

August 25, 2007 |

Mary Schaller at SeekerMinistries.com has a great post today. She attended the Willow Creek Leadership Seminar, and discusses Bill Hybels’ challenge that we as leaders (and I would add, everyone else) are responsible for inspiring ourselves as opposed to expecting someone to do it for us.

This is such a great point. How often have you, or a member of your group, blamed someone—everyone—else for your or their lack of growth? The worship isn’t stirring enough. The preaching isn’t challenging enough. No one is ministering to you. The job keeps you too busy. The kids are driving you crazy.

OK, here’s your whack on the side of the head. You are responsible for staying on track, and so are the members of your group. Yes, the Body of Christ is essential. I don’t want to negate that. But bottom line, I am responsible for putting myself in a place where I can grow.

I had to do that several years ago. I was in a church that, for whatever reason, wouldn’t allow me to use my gifts. I wasn’t growing and I wasn’t serving, so I was dying on the vine. I began attending a Friday evening worship service at another local church. It was an amazing environment where the focus was on becoming a safe place to experiment using your spiritual gifts in the context of worship. I learned so much there, and became so much more comfortable with who God had created me to be. As I got to know people there, I was invited into more aspects of the church. Soon I was teaching evening and weekend classes there, using my gifts. I continued to attend our church on Sunday morning because my husband wasn’t willing to move at that point. But I grew in the other church. Yes, it was inconvenient. But bottom line, I knew that only I could make sure that I kept growing and developing.

At the end of Mary’s post, she lists the ten ways Bill Hybels suggests to stay inspired as a leader. Which of them will you try this week?


Comments

Name (required)

Email (required)

Website

Speak your mind