Leading with Resources

In this series, Effectively Leading in the 21st Century, we are discussing leadership strategies for the church. In the previous two posts, I discussed the importance of leading with purpose and leading the right people. In this post, I want to focus on leading with resources.

A car without gas cannot go anywhere and likewise, neither can a team without resources. For church staff, paid or volunteer, resources are crucial to the overall success of the church’s mission and ministry. Resources come in multiple shapes and sizes and can be used by the church in varying degrees. While there are many resources which can be discussed, I would like to highlight two resources on opposite ends of the spectrum-financial and spiritual.  

Money is something that causes many pastors and church members alike to retreat into their shells as if money is a topic that is taboo in the church. Malphurs (Advanced Strategic Planning, 255) openly admits expenses as well as expectations are up, but finances are on a downward spiral. As often as possible, the pastor or leader of the church or organization should discuss biblical stewardship and its personal and corporate benefits. Each area of ministry needs finances in order to be sustainable, viable, and beneficial to the church and the community. Programs, events, operations, and discipleship all require funds to work and work well. As leaders, it may be tempting to harp on budget line items, but I have found that to be an ineffective means of generating funds for ministry. In the first 7 years at my previous church, our giving increased forty-nine percent in 7 years. God blessed us indeed and in this lies the key. Instead of focusing on the need to pay the light bill and the water bill, I began to highlight the lives our dollars were impacting. By being a part of the Southern Baptist Convention and participating in the Cooperative Program I was able to show how Aunt Jessie’s tithe was helping reach a child in Uganda with the gospel; how cousin Jim’s offering was impacting foster care and adoption in the state of Louisiana; how little Timmy’s dollar in the offering plate helped us to send disaster relief supplies to those affected by the hurricane in North Carolina. Focus on people and not line items. Showing how our God is changing lives is much more encouraging than demonstrating the need to refill the coffee cups in the fellowship hall. 

As leaders, it may be tempting to harp on budget line items, but I have found that to be an ineffective means of generating funds for ministry.

While ministry leaders need financial resources to achieve their goals, they also need spiritual resources. Catron (The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership, 77) correctly observes each person on the team needs to know they are a vital part of the team. Let each team member know they are loved and valued. As a leader, do not only focus on performance goals, but also be concerned about the emotional and spiritual health of your team. View yourself not only as a leader of the church, but as a disciple-maker to your own team. Take time to pray for your team. Pray for them by name. Pray for their families and their ministries. Pray with your team. Don’t allow the crunch of organizational structure to keep you from spending time in prayer with your team. By praying for and with your team you show them you truly value and care for them as persons made in God’s image and not just as employees collecting a paycheck. Another way to provide for your team spiritually is to encourage them in their personal walk with Christ. Provide devotions for your staff. Take time to send an encouraging text, scripture, or prayer to the team. A third way to provide spiritual resources to your staff is to provide them paid time off and means to attend at least one conference per year. I would encourage you to send each staff member to a conference for their position and then if possible, take the entire staff to a conference to refresh spiritually. By investing in the spiritual health of your staff you will not only see tangible benefits in the ministry, you will also be building up treasures in heaven. 

While ministry leaders need financial resources to achieve their goals, they also need spiritual resources.

As you provide financial resources to your staff, you help them to know their ministry is valued by you and the church and through providing spiritual resources you help your staff know you value them as a brother or sister in Christ. 

In His Grace,

Brad Delaughter