selflessness | More Than Dodgeball

Chris WesleyMore Posts Get Better At Sharing

The beauty of being a part of a church staff is that you are working to make an impact as a team. The messiness comes when you have to share. Doesn’t matter how old you are, there are certain resources and relationships you refuse to share. Maybe you have a hard time sharing when it comes to:

Space In Your Building
The Time In Your Schedule
A Volunteer In Your Ministry

While you don’t want to completely sacrifice everything you have, it’s important not to hold onto them with a tight grip. It is important not to be walked all over when it comes to sharing your resources. But, if you don’t work on sharing then you’ll struggle to grow as a team, because you’ll miss the importance of selflessness.

So, how do you get better at sharing? It’s starts with:

STEP 1: Checking Your Heart

If you aren’t willing to give up your time or a resource you need to know where the displeasure comes from. Sometimes your reluctance might be fueled by not wanting to be inconvenienced. If this is the case you need to step out of your comfort zone and realize that it will be alright. Cast out those demons of selfishness by being selfless.

STEP 2: Reviewing Your Stuff

The more you hoard the easier it is to become selfish. How many resources are on your shelves? Do you need every single dollar in your budget? There are times when we need to look at our resources and answer the question, “Do I really need that?” If the answer is no, be a wise steward and share it with the coworker, volunteer or neighboring youth minister.

STEP 3 : Seeking Accountability

You might think you are the most selfless giver on staff, when you could be the great grand child of Ebenezer Scrooge. Find someone who you can ask to hold you accountable in how you utilize your resources. Let them tell you when they think you are being selfish. Give them permission to call you out when you hoard up your junk and to give you praise when you do something right. With accountability you can become a better steward.

Sharing isn’t easy. If it was easy toddlers would be doing it and they really stink at it. It takes practice, it takes examination of ones heart and it takes some accountability. Plus sharing is an act of giving that creates a generous heart. A generous heart not only helps others by getting them the resources they need, but it becomes contagious to the people around you.

How do you monitor your use of resources? Share your thoughts.

Chris Wesley @chrisrwesley

3 View Comments November 29, 2012

Josh GriffinMore Posts GUEST POST: How To Define A Leader

If there is no one to lead than you will never get anywhere. Doesn’t matter if your ministry has two volunteers or two hundred, if you are the only leader eventually the burdens and responsibilities will be too much. Chances are there is at least one other leader serving in your ministry the problem is you haven’t found him or her. You might think someone is a leader, and even call him or her one; however, you aren’t completely sure.

The reason your youth ministry needs leaders is so that you can share the burden and expand your capacity. With other leaders more ideas are brought to the table and your ministry teams will start to grow. Every youth ministry needs leaders; however, it isn’t as simple as going out to your volunteers and saying, “You’re a leader, so go lead.” You might call someone a leader because they are a dedicated and committed volunteer; however, they aren’t taking your ministry to new directions. In order to share the burden and build up leaders, you need to know what one looks like. To find these leaders you need to make sure you are on the lookout for.

Selfless Actions – A leader is someone who will serve others. Meaning they are compassionate towards others, willing to put others before themselves. They encourage and empower those beneath and below them, even if it means losing out on the credit. These leaders are the ones who go above and beyond what you’ve asked of them.

Inspirational Communicators – A leader isn’t so much a doer as a motivator. This means laying out a challenge for the team to undertake. It means delegating in a way that empowers the team opposed to demanding. Your leaders are people who can rally the troops and move them towards your mission.

Big Vision Casting – A true leader sees the picture before anyone else. They might not know how or when, but they know what. They aren’t afraid to dream big even if others call them idealistic. They know and understand that God calls us to greater things.

What makes a great leader? Someone willing to step up to the plate to serve alongside of you. Granted you might be a director, pastor or manager; however, you need other leaders to help you mobilize your resources and volunteers. Don’t be afraid to sit with your team and talk about these qualities. Have them help you identify the characteristics and values. When you can build leaders you can serve more teens because they will help you manage the people around you.

What are some other characteristics of a leader?

Chris Wesley is the Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Nativity in Timonium, MD. You can read more great youth ministry articles and thoughts on his exceptional blog Marathon Youth Ministry.