Question #1: How Do I Manage My Time Wisely?
As a student leader on the campus of Virginia Tech, there was so much to do. There were meetings to run, Bible Studies to lead; praise team rehearsals and community service to plan. Needless to say, this list omits a couple of very important things: my personal devotional time and my academics. Although I knew they were both important, these things began to subconsciously take a back seat as I filled my life with Christian tasks and neglected what was most important.
When it comes to managing our time, we will have many choices. The idea here is that we chose what is best. There are plenty of GOOD things, but what is the GOD thing? We must prioritize the most essential things.
You are in college; you are a student. You are called to please God in that as you are working for the Lord (Col. 3:17). What kind of witness do we set to others when we are so ministry-minded that we are no earthly good? As a ministry leader you must delegate and learn to say “no”.
Many leaders share the common trap of “doing it all because nobody else will do it correctly”. If we are indispensable in ministry then we have missed it as leaders. Proper delegation should spread tasks out to all the leaders in a way that allows each person to have a significant piece of the puzzle. On campuses where the leadership team is small, you must learn to say “no”. Your “yes” and “no” is valuable; stick to them and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you where your time and energy needs to be spent. Busyness does not equal Godliness.
Question #2: How Do I Identify New Leaders in My Chapter?
It is inevitable that we, as leaders, begin to develop and train future leaders that will serve the ministry after we are gone. Even in the secular arena, when I asked a friend who works as a recruiter, what he looks for in recruits, the answer was humility and teachability. The same is true across the board.
When you, as a ministry leader, look for leaders in your ministry it is important not that they can quote the most scripture or can preach the best sermons. Christ modeled it best in Philippians 2:5-8: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And, being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.”
Leaders have to give of themselves to serve others. Even as Jesus hand-picked His disciples, He never called the most qualified. Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit qualifies the called! Your leadership can be found in the “least likely” individuals.
Use wisdom and discernment in making your decisions and when you have found a core group that is willing, pour. Pour your life into them as a drink offering (Phil. 2:17). Train your leaders with all you know and every resource you can find; get them to a place where they can fully function without you being present. The greatest task of your job as a ministry leader happens not when you are there, but even more in your absence, as they will have to carry on the responsibilities with or without you.
Be encouraged by the following quote by an unknown author: “A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves”. Be great; empower others as you are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Please leave a comment with your thoughts on these questions. Any other common questions that chapter leaders have come to mind?
