Recently I was working with a church facing a growth barrier. They have experienced rapid growth and now the staff is stretched beyond what they can do. There are holes of responsibilities not being filled. My opinion—and they agree—is they can't continue growing unless something changes.
The "genius" suggestion I gave them is genius. It's commonsensical. They must raise up new leaders, empower them with authority, and spread the load of responsibility.
Duh! I sometimes (seldom) get paid for this stuff.
Yet, in every church, sometimes finding volunteers feels like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Can I get a witness?
The obvious question: Where do we find these people?
Great question!
I suggested they look for three types of people:
1. People currently "doing" who need to be leading. These are people who are consistently serving. They are the reliable ones you couldn't do without. They have been given responsibility, but never been tapped for authority. Not all "doers" have the capability of being leaders, but many do if given the opportunity. Seek them.
2. People serving in one area who could lead in another area. These are people who are serving in the children's ministry, for example, who could be leading in the parking ministry—or vice-versa. Many times people are serving in one area, because there is a need, but they could easily be stellar leaders in another area. Discern them.
3. People leading outside the church. There are often people in the church who are tremendous leaders in the secular world, but they've never been given an opportunity to lead in the church. Recruit them.
People come to your church and see things working. They don't know you need help, because everything appears to be working. There doesn't seem to be a place for them. In my experience, you'll have to ask the best leaders to join your team.
Be intentional.
How do you find new leaders? What would you add to my list?
Ron Edmondson is the senior pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky. For the original article, visit ronedmondson.com.
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