Throughout all of history, people have always held the propensity to lose focus. Unfortunately, God’s people are not exempt from this. Last month I wrote a blog dealing with replenishing yourself as the leader with living water and the dangers of drying up spiritually. You can read it HERE. Today, I want to deal with how to lead your teams in some practical ways to keep them on track.
If you think about it, the average person in your church and under your influence has as much pressure and stress, certainly busyness, than ever before. These demands continue pulling them away from the things that are most important. So how can we best lead our teams to keep their focus and stay on track on their journey?
HELP THEM REMEMBER
Remembering is a powerful tool. In Exodus 12 we see Moses building a stone altar to remember God’s covenant with Israel. Why? Because people are inclined to forget. So keep your team focused by helping your people remember.
Remind your team who God is. (Creator, Sustainer, attributes of God)
Remind your team what He has done. (Rescued us, salvation, provision)
Remind your team of the pure and simple gospel
Have them name ways they have seen God at work in the past week
Help them look back and see God’s glory on display situation by situation. Hindsight is 20/20, right? So it’s going to be much easier for them to think back and see the fingerprints of God touching all kinds of moments over the past few weeks.
SHARE THEIR PRESENT
A few years ago I passed a coworker in the hallway. The conversation went something like this…
Me: Good morning. How are you?
Person: Fine, and you?
Me: I’m fine, how about you?
Person: …(strange look)
Our conversation went in circles with neither person really paying attention to what was going on. It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of ministry and superficially interacting with our people without being invested in their lives. God hasn’t placed you where you are to miss this. Without people there is no ministry. If you have too much going on to do this well, then you have too much going on. Know that I’m speaking to myself as much as anyone and have to constantly check myself in this area.
Take the time to ask questions. Invest the extra time to hear the answer.
The questions don’t have to be extravagant, complicated, or deeply personal. For example, ask them how are you doing today? When they answer, ask them to tell you more. Or maybe ask them what God is teaching them or what’s the toughest thing about their week right now? When they answer, again, ask them to tell you more. It’s these shared experiences that create bonds and strengthen relationships.
LEAD THEM TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS
Years ago I had the privilege to dive into the world of life coaching. It fascinated me and has proven to be a great value in ministry. Believe it or not, you can play a major role in moving your people forward by simply helping your people get traction. We all have areas of our lives where we get stuck, and the people you lead are no different. Help them set goals. Even if they are small goals, help them envision a place they want to go and help them get there. Ask them if you could go for anything and you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do? Or ask them what’s an area of their spiritual life that they want to see improve in the next six months? Their answer to these questions are going to be potential open doors to helping them bear fruit in their Christian walks.
As God’s appointed leaders, we are in the business of guiding people to realizing God’s purpose and plan for their lives. I think deep down we all want to be that kind of leader. So what’s your biggest obstacle in becoming that type of role in the lives of the teams you lead?
If you help them remember, share in their present, and lead them to reach new heights, you will be taking some pivotal steps in helping your people focus. You will be helping them keep their eyes on what’s most important, and lead them well. Be encouraged, this will enable you to see your ministry bear fruit for years to come.
