Hey blogland,
Sorry for the month delay in posting! A little bit of life has occurred (grandma passed, kids sick multiple times, i was sick, hectic at work and home etc.) and has kept me away from you all. But now I'm back and ready to begin typing away!
I've often wondered what makes a group leader stay a group leader. When I recruit new leaders I find there are a variety of factors in their decision to serve. Such as work schedule, passion for the ministry and people, clear communication and concise job duties. While they do agree to serve as a shepherd of a flock many leaders eventually experience burnout or boredom.
You might find yourself asking the question "How can they say one month this group has completely revolutionized their approach to faith!" but in the next month say "I really need to focus on my family right now." which is code word for "I cannot find a good reason for wanting to quit so I'm going to use one no one can argue with."
Well, in those situations I've found that there are a few things you can do to prevent leaders from going from champions of group life to overwhelmed leaders.
1. Good Coaching-Ensuring span of care is provided for every group leader is a must. Everyone leader needs a person who can come along side of them to encourage, share the load, and pray for them. Burned out group leaders might possibly be suffering from a lack of coaching.
2. Good Training-Providing quality training for your group leaders is critical. Making sure they possess the skills required to shepherd a flock should be at the top of your to do list if you are a point leader. To borrow a line from the drama West Wing "Many people would love to swim the English Channel but it takes more than jumping off a pier." A common mistake point leaders make is slapping the tag "leader" on someone, helping them set a time and date of a meeting, publicize the group but then doesn't prepare them properly. Don't make this mistake...please!
3. A Bold Challenge-Ask yourself/your leaders if you/they have a balance in their lives of work/family/extra-curricular/church involvement etc. If you/your leader is out of balance, challenge them to step down for a season. This shows your leadership/leader that you care about the flock more than the title. If you feel the flock is being short-changed act swiftly!
Until next time,
Josh
