Something Bigger Than Yourself.
One way or another, we all want to establish a legacy in our lifetime. While so many factors contribute to the success of the legacy we establish, the things we do and don't do determine the intensity of that legacy. Legacy is never established without building something bigger than yourself. For those of us who serve in Next Generation Ministry, a huge part of the legacy we collectively establish has to do with building the faith foundation of an entire generation.
“Legacy is never established without building something bigger than yourself. ”
It's a heavy task filled with more questions than answers many days. Yet for some reason we keep showing up. Whether you’re new to this whole ministry thing or if you’ve been in the game for a while, one thing we should never do is attempt to carry out the mission alone. In order to establish something bigger than ourselves, we must have a team. I know that might feel impossible - some people barely show up on time on Sundays, never answer text messages, and can only sometimes be trusted to set the chairs out straight. The thought of working alongside them to build a legacy feels like a “yeah right, let’s move on to read something else” moment. But stick with me here.
“You alone cannot build the legacy God wants to birth through you.”
You alone cannot build the legacy God wants to birth through you. Time and time again, we see in the scriptures that God uses people to lead other people to build something great. One in particular in Exodus 18 is Moses. God used Moses’ father-in-law Jethro to help him establish a better system of leading God’s people. Jethro says to Moses in verse 18, “You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. The task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.” This comes after Jethro witnesses Moses sit from sun up to sun down listening to the Israelites. There were thousands of Israelites and one Moses and everyone came to him any time they had an issue they needed sorting out. Jethro encourages Moses to establish a system of judges to help him oversee the disputes of the people. He was instructed to train them and dispatch them.
Moses established a team of capable, God-fearing, trustworthy people who hated dishonest gain (Exodus 18:21). That is exactly what I’m encouraging you to do. Not everyone who serves with you right now will make the cut of your capable, God-fearing, trustworthy people who hate dishonest gain and that’s cool. Maybe God will shock you by who shows up to serve.
If you want to build a team that helps you to establish a legacy, here are a few essential things to consider:
1. PROPER POSITIONING vs. POOR TRAINING: Hard truth: sometimes it’s our fault when volunteers don’t serve in the way we want them to. The reason could be either poor training or improper positioning (and sometimes both). Some leaders who are serving poorly are only serving poorly because they have not been properly trained. Perhaps they are unclear about what’s expected of them. Others who might be serving poorly are just not properly positioned. Taking the time to learn the gifts and skills of volunteers goes a long way in ensuring people are serving in an area where they can utilize their gifts.
2. SHARE THE VISION: Nothing gets a team moving in the wrong direction like not being clear about where you’re heading. If you want people moving in the same direction at the same pace, you, the leader must be clear about the direction you want the ministry to take. After you’re clear, make sure your team is clear, too. Sharing the vision isn’t something that happens one day once a year. Pieces of the vision are shared every time you gather.
3. DON’T SAY “NO” FOR PEOPLE: If we’re working towards an aggressive mission of doing something like building the faith foundation of the next generation, we can’t be afraid to ask people to commit to something big. It’s easy to recognize a need within the ministry and instantly think, “they’d never do that” and to allow that thought to keep us from asking someone to do something big. Extend the request and let people tell you no. Don’t assume they’ll say no without asking.
Building a volunteer team is not something that happens overnight. It’s done over time and sometimes takes years to establish. Sometimes, when we’re building a legacy, we’re blind to the greatness that’s forming. So don’t give up on the process too soon, you could be in the middle of some of the most impactful ministry years of your life and not even know it!
