As we have said, building ministry teams is one of the best investments you can make as a pastor. This is especially true when you are just starting out. I still remember the first time I saw — the list. It was a CSV spreadsheet of all the people who had signed up to serve on my family ministry team. There had to be almost fifty names of people I didn’t know on this thing.
Oh. I forgot some important context. I was scanning this list on my laptop in rural Georgia and these people were a few hundred miles north in suburban North Carolina. I didn’t know any of them, because I hadn’t moved there yet. They didn’t know me. We spoke differently, had different backgrounds, and didn’t even share an area code. However, I was tasked with training this team of volunteers at this large church plant. They were eager. They were excited. They deserved the best leader they could get. Then, there was me. I was full of excitement, you bet. However, I was also full of fear.
“What am I supposed to teach them? How do I train them? What do I know that they need to know?” A million thoughts flew through my brain as I stared at this list. These were people expecting me to point them in the right direction and lead. The only problem was I had no idea how to do that. This wasn’t my first ministry leader role, but this was my first time with a group of people ready and eager to serve.
As I grew as a leader, I realized that I didn’t need to impress them. I just needed to empower them and direct them. They were eager, so I just needed to set them free to do. What was my role then? I needed to built relationships with these volunteers. It was pivotal that I learned about them, their families, and their gifting. Why? It allowed me to put them where they needed to be. As I connected with them individually, I started to piece this puzzle together of our ministry collectively.
I had to change the way I saw my role as a pastor. I was not in charge of doing ministry; I was in charge of helping others do ministry. What did that mean though? I had to give away some of the tasks I cherished. We need to give our teams authority to do ministry.
I hear all of your pushback. “What if they do it wrong.” “Isn’t that what they pay me to do?” “What if they are trying to take my job?” (If you thought that last one, let’s talk about that! A paranoid pastor becomes an ex-pastor sadly quickly.) However, if we are going to lead our teams like Jesus, we need to see what He said and did. Then, you better believe it’s time to mimic that. So, let’s take a quick look at Matthew 10:5-10.
Matthew 10:5-10 (NIV)
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts — no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.
Do you want to know one of my favorite parts of this verse? It’s the number. This exchange takes place in Matthew 10. These disciples are still new to the whole Christianity thing. They didn’t even know to call it that yet. That did not stop Jesus from sending them out on miniature missions. He wasn’t going to hold their hands, micromanage, or awkwardly shadow them. Nope. Jesus just sent them with authority.
He then told them a big list of things not to take. They were not supposed to take gold, silver, or copper. Simply put, they didn’t need to take any money at all. God was going to take care of them. Also, they were not supposed to take luggage, extra clothes, shoes, or even a walking stick. Doesn’t all of this seem weird? Why is Jesus telling them all the stuff they shouldn’t take?
It may be because what he’s giving them is so much better. He is giving them authority which comes with His safety. They didn’t need money, a suitcase, or a weapon. They had Jesus. Jesus told them to forget anything they relied on before and simply rely on Him. Why? Because He was giving them so much more than they could ever carry on their own.
What was the main thing Christ gave them? Authority.
Jesus gave the 12 the authority to speak on his behalf. I have had a hard time asking someone to preach one Sunday because they may say something wrong, and Jesus just sends these 12 off to go and do His ministry for Him. We should learn from Jesus. He was literally perfect and still trusted these people.
If we are going to lead like Jesus, we have to loosen our grip on some of our responsibilities. Handing out authority doesn’t mean we just send them on their own and hope for the best. It means a partnership. Do you see that Jesus still gave them clear guidance? He told them where to go and where to avoid. Also, Jesus then listed all the things not to take. While that may seem unsettling, it was also His way of saying, “I got your back. You are safe.”
He wasn’t taking anything from them, he was actually giving them something — authority as Kingdom ambassadors. We need to see our volunteers the same way. Send them out to do ministry with authority. We should provide them with safety and boundaries, you bet. However, let’s just let them lead!
So how do we ensure to do this with in the best way possible? It’s only two steps — show them what to do then let them do things differently than you.
Show Ministry Teams What to Do
Handing off authority is like planting seeds in a garden. We can’t just toss them out and hope they grow on their own. We need to actually do the work to ensure the outcome. Do you want to see a harvest? It’s time to get to work.
We have to put in the work with our teams. We need to place them in the right area. We need to learn their stories. We need to understand what they love doing. We also need to understand what they hate doing. This is like gardening for your teams. Then, put in the work to ensure your ministry bears fruit. Place the right people together, separate the others, and place everyone in just the right spot to flourish. That’s the pinnacle of pastoral leadership.
These volunteers had watched Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and drive out demons. Now he was saying, you’ve seen me do it, you know it can be done, now it’s your turn. I’d assume they didn’t always get it perfectly, but that didn’t stop Jesus from handing out this authority.
Do you want a team that knows how to serve? Show them how to serve.
Do you want a team that knows how to care? Show them how to care.
Do you want a team preaching team that is able to share the Gospel from a stage with compassion and love? Show them how.
This may mean taking time a few times a month to meet with this team and coach them. It may mean serving alongside them as they try this new role for the first time supporting them. The point is that we are equipping them and investing in them by showing them how to do it.
Then Allow Ministry Teams to Do It Differently
“This is the way I would it.” should not equal this is the way it has to be done. Authority is more than giving someone the expectation to reach an outcome, it’s giving them the right tools to understand your vision and then the freedom to figure out how to reach it.
If I need to go to the grocery store, I can simply put the address into my phone and have Siri tell me step-by-step directions the whole way. However, sometimes there may be road construction. Sometimes there is an accident.
You know what I find when I do that? A different way to the same outcome. Did that different way take longer? Maybe. Did I backtrack half of the trip? Perhaps. Did I reach the same destination? Yes.
You know what else I may have done going a different way? I may have seen a landmark I missed before. I may have found a park for my kids. I may even pass a new restaurant to try. Most importantly, I learned to take a breath and enjoy the journey. Going a different route may take longer, may slow them down, and it may seem wrong to us, but our teams can grow and experience new things when they are allowed to try new routes, and we may even learn from them.
As we conclude, let’s remember the implied promise Jesus shared with his twelve. He told them not to take anything extra, because they were safe. Be sure to let safety define your team culture. Allow people to try new things. Allow people to be themselves. Allow people to flex their spiritual gifts.
When we hand out authority, we don’t relinquish ourselves of the responsibility. Our teams should know that we are their biggest support structure. The disciples went with authority because they knew who they had backing them. Our teams should feel that same confidence as we send them to go and do. Show them how then let them accomplish the task how God designed them to do it.
You can listen to the full message here:
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This blog contains leadership material from The Pastor Circle. What is THE PASTOR CIRCLE?
We recently asked ourselves, “how can we serve pastors more personally?” The Pastor Circle is the answer.
It’s a virtual small group community of pastors who understand what you’re going through and want to offer you godly support and guidance. We meet on Zoom once a month to listen to a short devotional and topic introduction, followed by a small group discussion. We hope to see you there next month! Click here to learn more.