Struggle #1

As I have spent the last few days in Kenya, I am becoming increasingly aware that all churches face the same problems. It really doesn’t matter the location of your church (or even the time zone you find yourself in), it comes down to a few basic struggles that we all face.

Struggle #1 Volunteers- I have yet to find a church that has every volunteer it could possibly need. I have found a few that think they do, but that illusion is usually dissolved rather quickly when you begin digging deeper into their situation. On the surface, it is easy to appear to have it all together, but most of the time there is more than “meets the eye”!

I have been spending time with the leadership team of a church here in Nairobi called ICC (International Christian Centre). Their leadership is struggling to develop teams of volunteers, and I have been helping to guide them through some discussions on how they can better minister through teams.

Jesus worked on a team. He knew that nothing great is ever sustainable if it is built on the shoulders of one individual. Think about it, not even Michael Jordan ever won an NBA Championship without the help of an incredible supporting cast. Too often in ministry we see people with the “Lone Ranger” approach. They think that a ministry built on them will serve them best, but who wants to see years of hard work crumble when they leave for another ministry opportunity? Does that bring honor to God? Or would God receive greater honor from a ministry that doesn’t skip a beat when a key leader steps aside?

I know that God has called me to lead teams. It is part of who I am and it is what I love to do. I pray that my passion for teams will spread through ICC and churches around the world so that we can reach even more kids and families with the love of God through teams of people who are committed to serve!