Leaders: Start with the end in mind

On more than one occasion over the years, I would hear the following from a leader: “I am not going to continue leading our growth group”. After hearing more about it, I would then ask them who will take over the group, to which I might get a reply like “nobody wants to lead.” I would then ask how they presented the situation and the options before the group, and might hear something like this: “well, I threw it out in our discussion time, and nobody responded to it.” Had I bet every leader who did this my life savings before that meeting that I could guess the answer of the group for that night, I’d be a multi-millionaire by now. Many times over.

We as leaders need to start with the end in mind. What do I mean by that? You start your group with the idea that one day, you will not be the leader of the group, and someone else will need to be. The big question you need to ask yourself is “what am I doing to prepare these guys to keep on the journey without me?” You also pray and ask God, “what is it I need to do to help get these guys ready to grow without me?” It sounds like a harsh question, but you are asking the right and best question in terms of their welfare. You are, in effect, preparing to put yourself out of a job by preparing them to grow on their own.

While that may sound silly right now (especially if you’re with a brand new group), the time will come more quickly than you realize. Don’t ignore the need to develop until it’s too late to do anything meaningful besides springing a loaded question in the middle of a discussion time onto an unsuspecting group.

What can you do to begin preparing? Here are some great ideas:

• Pray and ask God to reveal to you someone in the group with potential, even if they are rough around the edges.

• Personally identify someone who has the potential – Are they present at most meetings? Are they dependable with tasks or assignments? Are they willing to learn and showing an interest in growing spiritually? Great, you might see a leader under all that. But YOU need to have a personal conversation with them and share your observations with them and ask them to consider it.

• Give them portions of your meeting to run – icebreakers, discussion, prayer, outreach event, just to name a few.

• Have them go through our training to help them

Look, one day, you will not be the leader of that group. I guarantee you one of three things will happen: your circumstances or personal direction from the Lord will change, you will die, or Jesus will return in glory. The latter two are more permanent issues, so let’s mainly stick with the first one. One day, you will realize that God is calling you into a different direction. That’s great. No complaints here. But when that day comes, is your group ready to continue on without you? If not, then I have to say that you may have failed at preparing them for their next step of faith, even if you’re ready and prepared for yours.

You have probably heard the quote: “Most people don’t plan to fail; they just fail to plan.” Don’t be the leader who failed to plan for their group. Too much is at stake eternally for you to not work towards empowering others with a special privilege to see God do amazing things in their life, with you having a front row seat to witness it.

Plan ahead. Start with the end in mind.

Relationally rich or poor

I may not have much money at all, but I can love.

I may not have a job to produce things, but I can serve.

I may not be blessed with a strong or gregarious personality, be beautiful by our cultural standards, be dashing and daring and creative and excellent in all I do…but if I can love, that is better than all the previous combined could offer.

The currency of Heaven is not in bucks and buildings and programs and classes; it is in the form of blessed moments of love and opportunities to love others lived out in the daily rhythms of a relational life. It is in the what-would-be-natural rhythms of a give and take occuring in relationships that flow as effortlessly as the Gulf Stream does within the larger Atlantic Ocean. As we rub shoulders, roll up the sleeves, or cry on another's shoulder, we are experiencing the heart of the life God has called us to. And in the process, our hearts are filled to capacity with the ability to love more.

Those who practice this way of life are rich by the standards of heaven, and have a treasure trove to share with the world.

Conversely, those who stray or avoid this path eke out an impoverished existence that reflects the shallow and one dimensional aspect of life it brings.

What shape is your account in these days? Too many withdraws? Getting NSF (insufficient funds) messages? Credit card rejections at the checkout lines of relational experiences? See if you can align your heart, energies, and resources to match the rhythm of heaven, and in the process, become wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.