I’m blessed to be at a church that takes developing leaders seriouslly. We know that we can only do so much and if we aren’t growing leaders we aren’t growing disciples. To develop leaders we take them to conferences, trainings and invest in them constantly. Unfortunately, this type of development can be costly.
In order for your ministry to grow, you need to be able to develop leaders. It’s your leaders that will expand your capacity, that will take care of your weaknesses and reach students you personally could never reach. The challenge is finding the time, energy and resources to develop good leaders. While there is no silver bullet a few simple (And affordable) ways you can develop leaders is by:
- Investing In Them Relationally: Get to know them personally because it shows your leaders you care. They want to know that they are more than a warm body or chaperone. Give them value by learning more about what and whom they love.
- Sharing Your Resources: While you might not have in the budget the resources to take them to an awesome conference, you do have other options. There are books, websites, podcasts, etc. that have helped you grow as a leader, share those with your team. Allow them access to your library. Pass on what you are learning over a cup of coffee.
- Valuing And Challenging Their Limits: Your leaders have busy lives and if you set an unfair expectations they’ll become overburdened. On the other hand if you do not challenge them to work outside their limits, then they may grow apathetic. Live within the tension of managing volunteers by knowing their limits as people. Help them set commitments, and constantly cast them vision.
- Growing Leaders Of Leaders: As you grow leaders you’ll want to challenge them to invest in the other volunteers. As the youth minister you’ll only have capacity for a few people at a time. Make sure that you invest in people who will lead others and share your values.
Developing leaders can be a hefty investment. It can strain your resources, and weigh on you personally. Make it a goal to be a ministry that invest in leader development; however, in the meantime be relational, share what you’ve known and work within the tension.
How are you developing leaders while not breaking the bank?