Question #4 - Ministry

I am continuing to answer the questions that Craig Groeschel posed on 10 questions each leader should ask in several different areas of life. I am tackling the questions on ministry first.

Question #4 - Is there a person who needs to be moved to another role (or removed), and I haven't done it?

These questions don't get any easier, but they really do force leaders to make sure they have the right people on the bus and in the right seats. As Pastor Dave and I shared a couple of weeks ago about the transition of me moving into the lead pastor role for Charter Oak Church, I shared that what moved us from 250 in worship 10 years ago to 750 in worship today isn't the same. We are staffed differently. We are structured differently. The staffing that we have now won't be the same that we will need at 1,000 in worship.

One of the most important parts of my job is to lead the staff of this church, who in turn lead the leaders of ministries that God reveals that He wants accomplished at Charter Oak Church. It is critical that the people leading (especially me) are growing and developing as followers of Jesus. When that isn't happening then we must have the courage to go to that leader and have a spiritual development conversation. It is all too easy to just be "doing" ministry. If that is the case, then, that leader is going to crash and burn eventually.

Sometimes leaders choose to make it all about them. They will say something like "I have a word from God" or "God told me to do this." I think of Miriam in Number 12. This is the attitude that she had. She didn't want to be under the biblical authority that God had set up through Moses. She wanted to be the one through whom God spoke. Because of this attitude in her, the Israelites could not move on in their journey toward the Promised Land. She was even kicked out of the community for a while because of this attitude. When someone who is in leadership chooses to make it about them instead of the vision that God has given, then the momentum of that church is stopped. This is when a leader has to be removed. This is probably one of the most difficult and painful conversations that I have ever had to have with someone. But as God has shown through scripture, it is the right thing to do.

Please pray that the leaders (paid and volunteer) at Charter Oak Church will have humble, servant hearts that do not seek self-promotion, but Kingdom promotion.