Sharpen Your Strengths, Delegate Your Weaknesses
Today’s worship leader faces several challenges. Often we are responsible for so many things, including but not limited to:
- Arranging and producing music every week.
- Spiritually leading our volunteers.
- Scheduling volunteers.
- Planning services.
- Cultivating relationships.
- Practicing our voice or instrument.
- Preparing for services.
- Leading worship in services.
- Finding new music.
- The list goes on.
We often get caught in the trap of thinking that we have to do all these things ourself. While that could be a noble task, I don’t think it’s a wise one. What happens is that you end up putting your strengths on the back burner and not developing them, while doing tasks that are your weaknesses that you don’t really do all that well. I am probably the worst at being a disciplined scheduler. But, instead of working on becoming that, I should find another volunteer who takes joy in making a schedule and let them run with it. Perhaps you have a desire to write songs, but you’re realizing that it isn’t your strength. Someone in your congregation comes along who is a great songwriter. Let your pride go and let them cultivate that gift, while you better cultivate yours.
Let’s always remember to maximize on others’ gifts, while still maximizing on our own.
Same goes for technical directors as well. By title definition they are “directors”. They should be directing or leading. We have a ton of things to get completed every week and, believe it or not, volunteers want to help with preparation during the week as much as operation on Sunday. Great post Ryan!
Comment by Ernie Stevenson — September 21, 2007 @ 8:50 am
We must also “bear with one another’s weaknesses” (Rom 15). It is easy to lose patience, often because we assume that every knows those things that we have learned in the past few months. It’s a common human flaw. Seeing differences as complementary rather than weaknesses will help, too. Sometimes we start saying “why won’t anyone…” and in reality “anyone” is all around us waiting to be engaged and equipped. Thanks for the post.
Comment by Wade Mobley — September 24, 2007 @ 11:09 am