In the first couple of years my ministry I was great at recruiting volunteers, but really struggled with expanding my capacity as a leader. I would get frustrated that no one was stepping up to do more than just show up. That’s until I decided to build a brain trust.
A brain trust is a group of people who will expand your leadership by helping you think and lead beyond your capacity. Having one doesn’t mean you are a bad leader, it’s there to make you a better one. Healthy leaders brings in outside perspectives all the time to challenge their thinking and help them avoid the mentality:
“That’s The Way We’ve Always Done It”.
To form that braintrust isn’t as simple as gathering 3-5 people to work with you, it takes knowing who should be a part of that group and how to lead them. To form the group:
Look for recommendations
While you could probably name 2 or 3 people who would be qualified you’ll limit the groups potential if you rely on your own network. Expand it by reaching out to coworkers, parents, teens and key volunteers for referrals. Let them know that you are looking for people who:
- Are creative and can think outside of the box
- Care about the next generation
- Have influence and sway in the community and church
You want people who are going to help you approach building a youth ministry different than what you are used to.
Invite them to a team building session
Before you have them commit to being a part of the group long term you need to feel them out. You want to know what they are like in action and whether or not they’ll be able to really help you. The best way to do this is to invite them to a to a gathering where you can see how they interact and collaborate on ideas. But, before you host the meeting have them take on tasks like:
- Researching the different perspectives that the community and congregation have about youth
- Investigate the current and past strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the youth ministry
- Interview people impacted and invested by the youth ministry
Ask them to bring those findings to the meeting. Evaluate the work they’ve poured into the task, how they present the info and interact with those on your team. If you feel like they add to the conversation and could help you grow the ministry invite them to commit long term.
Give a mission to rally around and get out of the way
You don’t just want a braintrust to come up with ideas and challenge your strategy. It’s important to have people who will take ownership of the ministry and elevate it’s effectiveness. During your meetings you should develop a system for:
- Analyzing and evaluating the ministry
- Recruiting and developing volunteers
- Advocating for the ministry and helping grow awareness
In addition to giving them ownership you need to have them see the greater WHY. That means painting a vision that goes beyond the walls of the parish. It doesn’t mean having all the answers, just clarity that there is so much more your ministry can do.
It takes time to build a brain trust but it’s worth the investment. With a healthy braintrust you are less likely to hit a wall and burn out. You’ll have people who can carry on the mission and vision of your ministry even beyond the years you are there.
What challenges or obstacles are you looking to overcome with a braintrust?
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