What is the value of a brother or sister, mom or dad? What is the value of a faithful friend? Our society has a habit of placing value on that which is self-serving (cars, phones, houses, etc.) and downplaying relationships. Last night I was challenged with a thought, "How much value does our church leadership place on volunteers?" The measuring stick for this proposition is found in our attitude toward those we work with directly in ministry.
Allen Newell, author of a training ministry called "High Impact Volunteers," suggests that too many church leaders see volunteers as second class ministers. We either look at others as "spectators" of our show or assistants that should serve us and help us reach our goals. Newell even coins a term, "the priesthood of SOME believers."
This is a dangerous mentality for church leadership. First, it devalues the work of God within a believer. Second, it exalts oneself at the expense of others (people don't typically like being "used" for someone else's glory). Third, this method fails to make disciples. For a brief time, it may produce some workers, but people are less likely to excel when they fail to see the positive results of their labor.
Newell is right when he uses the word "partnerships" as a description of the relationship between believers. The work of God's Kingdom is assigned to all who have trusted in Jesus for salvation. Each has a part to play. We are called to serve one another, not to enlist people to serve us.
Give me your thoughts and be sure to check out www.SpiritLedConnecting.com.
