11. Is there a vision God has laid on your heart but that you need to lay aside to wait for His timing? Turn it back over to Him and have confidence in the implementation schedule He has in mind.

12. Are there potential leaders in your church whose legitimate desire for a position of leadership—whether lay or full-time—needs encouragement? Make a list of those you think should be feeling a desire to lead and find a time to explore the potential with them.

13. Is there someone you know who has been where you want to go and could help you get there? Ask that person to mentor you in how to negotiate the road ahead.

14. Do you take joy in keeping your church looking its best, or does facility maintenance feel like a necessary evil? While you probably shouldn't be doing all the work yourself, you should be making sure it gets done.

15. Can you find what you need quickly on your computer, or do you spend as much time clicking through documents and emails as you do working on them? Organizing your computer may be easier than you think if you find the right person to help. Most every church has at least a computer geek or two who can help.

16. Are you spending enough time in the community? Consider the possibility that you should get involved in an outside organization or take some other initiative to reach beyond the walls of your church.

17. Do you have a specific mechanism in place by which you can get genuine feedback on how your ministry is being received by the congregation? Get regular input from your board, and if you don't have a church-wide feedback loop in place, you might want to consider implementing one like the pastor vote procedure described in this chapter.

18. What kind of shape is your church accounting system in? You don't have to be the one in charge of it (in fact, you probably shouldn't be), but you need to have a reliable person in place and maintain a sound financial system for your church on a computer.

19. Is your selection process for lay leaders effective? It is if it:

• Allows for pastoral oversight and guidance
• Assures that new leaders are routinely selected
• Provides for rotation of leaders so that no one overstays his or her welcome.

20. Do you allow your lay leaders to participate in solving meaningful problems—even theological ones? Church members often have godly insights that may surprise you and that can serve you and the church well if they are allowed into a problem-solving situation.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

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