The Blessed Burden

Eric Geiger: The responsibility of a church leader is to prepare all of God’s people for ministry, to hand ministry over to others, and to engage an army of volunteers in using their gifts to serve others (Eph. 4:11–12). While the mandate is essential, it is not easy. It’s massively challenging to gather a group of volunteers, train them and align them around a shared mission. It takes more than positional authority on an org chart, a paycheck or the promise of a promotion. It takes deep conviction and wisdom from the Holy Spirit. I once heard John Maxwell say, “If you want to test someone’s real leadership, have him lead a team of volunteers.” Church leaders do so daily.

0
98

Outreach Magazine

In the Trenches | Eric Geiger

Eric GeigerMany times, I’ve heard business leaders in churches reference “the real world” as if those on church staff were not living in it. As if we were somehow unaware of what real work looks like, what real pressure feels like and how a real organization is led. I’ve heard comments such as:

“In the real world, we don’t get a day off.”
“In the real world, our office hours are longer.”
“In the real world, we don’t get paid unless …” 

Before becoming the senior pastor of Mariners Church, I spent seven years serving as an executive leader in a publishing company. I have experience in both ministry and marketplace environments, and I confidently insist leading in a church context is much more challenging. More Here

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.