ARE WE A PEOPLE AT HALF TIME? - Leadership Network

Four Key Points, continued from page 2
Then, how are we going to give them the people, what we know in terms of opportuauthority,
training and tools to accomplish nity and what we need to make the
this Once the right team is in place, they connection."
Can look at various models and build thk
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PI^^^^^ for service should not be banchurch-wide
ownership that is needed."
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dled with a "sink or swim" mentali&.
An effective system places within the Members should be given appropriate
church a way to her care for people and .training and tools for success within their
buiId leadership teams. "The system is work. Mallory suggests that lay ministry
designed to continually equip people, so directors ask themselves these questions:
every year you are adding people and "DO we equip them to serve God through
equipping them for new ministries," the Church and the world", "What are we
explained Sue Mallory, director of doing to support that person" and "Do we
Leadership Training Network. After an have the ministry descriptions, definitions
initial interview, members are guided of the job, the tools and the training"
through a holistic gift-discovery process, If people are placed where they are gifted
looking at time, talents and the particular and passionate to serve, they will live out
congregation. Once this information is the ministry more fully. To ensure a solid
gathered, the system links the church fit within these positions, members need to
member with appropriate opportunities for understand how the church functions, eleservice.
"You can do discovery all day ments of the job and where resources are
long," said Mallory, '%but if you don't have located. Periodic follow-ups with members
a logical process by which to follow up on are critical. Ultimately, the success of this
information, you just frustrate the new per- process requires solid continuous planson.
Studies have shown that these mem- ning, a dedicated leader and the ability to
bers often depart from the church feeling look at each member's gifts and desire to
unfulfilled."
serve. "IdealIy," emphasized Mallory, "he
Once a person's gifts are identified, a sys- lay mobilkah system needs to beinvisitern
must be in place to make the connec- ble and seamless."
tional link between their talents and
, what is available in the church.
Often in churches, there is little or
y ilization is implemented by a
no coordination in this area; service
mnortunities are word-of-mouth or I! eship team with a specific point-
Gown by a small portion of the I P 1.
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church staff.
"In Ephesians, we read about the
ligarnknts that connect the body to make it ne of the most important decisions a
whole. I think this is an exquisite anaIogy 0 church will make affecting the future of
for lay mobilization. In our churches, we the lay ministry effort is the selection of the
have all the body parts, but not the liga- team leader or program director. This perments,"
said Mallory. "What a good sys- son's ability to work effmtively with other
tem does is provide the connectional liga- staff and members of the church is critical
ments. It connects what we have, what to the system's success. Identifying leaderwe've
discovered about the richness of our ship and building a strong ministry team
continued on page 4
WHAT3 THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN INNOVATION AND
nnovations are new ideas that ar
lamented into reality. Innova-
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tiveness is the ability of a church to
champion, the :.
ion is short-
lived. The key to innovativeness is a
culture that values many peoples'
diverse gifts, and a system that
empowers them to be involved in
creativity and decisionmmaking at all
levels. If you remove any particular
idea or group of people, new inno-
vations will continue to flow. In
essence, lay mobilization is mom
about innwativeness rather than r
particular program, idea, gimrnicl
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How
do 1 u&rsteod Whet is the Bibid Whet is my unque
md become a pnrt besis fa- senrim & of ggifts and
of the church
incemm
hlt€xt
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Soum: Ths Starkr Kit for Mobilizing Ministry, published by Leadership Training Networli
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