We need people to volunteer today for the nursery. And we desperately need more volunteers to help with the youth group and seniors transportation ministry," pleaded the desperate pastor.
Get over it, I thought. Begging everyone and anyone for help from the pulpit inevitably produces unqualified helpers. No church profits from hastily recruited, ill-equipped volunteers. Churches prosper from hand-picked, well-trained servants who see what they do in the church as ministry not a job--as a calling not a burden.
Let's sharply delineate between volunteers and servant-ministers in a church:
Volunteers are recruited at large, are burdened by need, are doing a job, are working as a favor and for a favor, expect recognition, have a talent, are high maintenance, burn out quickly, leave a void, work lethargically, look for an out, fill a slot and tread water, and see a task as a stepping-stone.
Servants are hand-picked, are called by God, are ministering, are being a blessing, expect God, have a gifting, offer to help train and equip others, enlist helpers, leave a successor, are excited and enthusiastic, look to grow, grow personally and disciple others, and do a task as unto the Lord.
Volunteers fill a slot and hold down a position until the paid troops come in; servant-ministers refuse positions and titles while fostering new growth and excitement in their areas of ministry. Servants are the troops.
Paul definitively instructs the exemplary servant-leader with these imperatives: (1) "Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top"; (2) "Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead"; (3) "Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage"; (4) "Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand"; and (5) "Agree with one another, love one another, be deep-spirited friends" (adapted from Phil. 2, The Message).
So how does a pastor hand-pick persons to serve in ministry?
1. Know your people.
Develop relationships with your leadership.
2. Talk to your servant-leaders.
Share with them about the ministry needs and ask their input about potential servant-leaders.
3. Train and equip your leaders.
Provide them with the best resources and supporters. Always bring a new servant under a spiritual mentor who will guide, teach and direct the growing servant-leader. Never throw an untested servant into a new ministry without supervision, support and resources.
4. Be a servant.
People in a congregation model their pastor. If he or she expects to be served, then the sheep will develop a self-centered attitude. If, on the other hand, a pastor is always esteeming, affirming and serving others, the sheep will also become servants (see 1 Thess. 5:12).
Following are some of the warning signs servant-leaders begin to exhibit if their heart attitudes start becoming self-centered. They will begin: seeking positions and promotions; expecting recognition; desiring compensation (it's not wrong to pay workers, but servants who only do it for money are motivated by the wrong thing); complaining instead of finding ways to solve problems; criticizing instead of affirming others; becoming lone rangers instead of team players; and refusing to participate in team training and accountability times together.
Servant ministry begins with a heart change effected by the Spirit. And that heart change bears fruit first in the closest relationships a person has--marriage, family, friendships and working relationships. Relationship patterns reveal heart attitudes.
Ready to select and equip some servant-ministers? Pray! Ask God to shape you and your people into the kind of servant Jesus incarnated. Let it be said of all the servant-ministers in a church: "We can see they've been with Jesus."
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Dr. Mark Rutland's
National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)
The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!
FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.
Do you feel stuck? Do you feel like you’re not growing? Do you need help from an expert in leadership? There is no other leadership training like the NICL. Gain the leadership skills and confidence you need to lead your church, business or ministry. Get ready to accomplish all of your God-given dreams. CLICK HERE for NICL training dates and details.The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.
