HEALTHY CHURCH: Equipping God's People

      What emotion or reaction do you have when you think about the people God has given your church? Does it bring you great joy or cause you to struggle? Have you ever done the parking lot test on a Sunday morning? Stand where you can see the cars and families as they drive into the parking lot. When you know who it is, does it cause you to want to run to or from them? Moving your church forward on the path to church health involves ministering to wonderful believers but also some who can be quite difficult. Biblically resolving conflict by getting everyone on the same page is a challenge.

      In The Church Revitalization Checklist, Sam Rainer correctly stated, “Maybe you know what needs to be done, but getting others to implement it is what separates leaders from dreamers.” He also reminded us that congregational expectations rarely align with leadership expectations. On the road to individual spiritual health and the church’s health, you must address priorities, discerning the most urgent item you must tackle first. Then, you will have to consider how quickly you can move forward with changing what needs to be changed. You also must align everyone’s expectations with God’s agenda.

      How do you do that? Here is a template from Jesus on Leadership by C. Gene Wilkes that may help and give you some ideas on how the people God has given you can SERVE, EQUIP and be a better TEAM. A leader’s role and responsibility is not to do all the work yourself but God’s plan for you, according to Eph. 4:12 (HCSB), is “for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ.” How will you accomplish that, and do you have a system in place for the next steps people are expected to take as they become the servants God has called them to be?

SERVE

      First, consider how disciples can SERVE:

         • The “S” stands for Spiritual gifts. God has given every born-again believer a spiritual gift to be used for His honor and glory. Consider having all your people take a spiritual gifts inventory test (email us, and we would love to send you one).

         • The “E” stands for Experiences. Everyone brings their past experiences to the table, whether bad or good. There are certain things God has taken all of us through that purify us and make us better servants if we have learned what He is trying to teach us.

         • The “R” stands for Relational style. You must know yourself to lead yourself. You serve better when you use your strengths, spiritual gifts and experiences, with a focus on building strong relationships.

         • The “V” stands for Vocational skills. The people God has given you have skill sets that can be a tremendous blessing to your congregation when they are discovered, developed and implemented.

         • The “E” stands for Enthusiasm. When someone serves in an area they are passionate about, it is a bigger blessing to those they serve and to them. That is referred to as finding your sweet spot — where your passion, ability and context converge.

      How do you determine passion? What causes their eyes to tear up as they talk about it? What causes their voice to rise and become stronger when they discuss it? What causes them to pound their fists on the table as they plan? When you are passionate about something, it fuels and energizes you. Passion is a conviction that becomes contagious because it withstands the test of time. A conviction is not something you hold; it is something that holds you. Colossians 3:23 speaks about passion, “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.”

EQUIP

      Developing a training system will ensure you will EQUIP those who have a desire and willingness to SERVE better.

         • The “E” here stands for Encourage them to serve. They do not know what they do not know, so a leader must cast the vision for their service and the “why” of serving. When people understand the why, they are usually far less concerned about the what.

         • The “Q” stands for how you will Qualify them for service. There is a call here for “upfront” training, providing them with the expectations and responsibilities of what you are asking them to do. There is also the need for “on-the-job” training.

         • The “U” stands for the need to Understand their needs. Always be asking yourself and them, “How can I help you? What do they need from me? What resources do I need to provide?” There is a third type of training to remember, “just-in-time” training, when they reach critical moments.

         • The “I” stands for how you will Instruct them with a commitment to ongoing training. No one likes feeling abandoned and forgotten.

         • The “P” stands for how you must continually commit to Praying for them. You most likely prayed for God to provide the person to fill your need, so don’t stop praying after God provides workers.

TEAM

      Paul rejoiced in the epistles for the TEAM (Togetherness, Empowerment, Accountability and Mentoring) God had provided him and the churches. In Col. 1:3, he stated, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” Then, in verse 7, he mentions one of the primary workers there who knew what it meant to SERVE because he had been EQUIPped: “You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf.” It appears that Paul had never been to Colossae, but he had equipped Epaphras.

      Who has God given you to train and equip so they will serve enthusiastically on your team? How will you train them, and what will that process look like? How could you do a better job of up-front, on-the-job and just-in-time training to ensure you provide the best resources you can for your TEAM to be successful?