One Is The Loneliest Number Part 2

When you delegate it allows you to accomplish more and helps others fulfill the call of God on their lives by using their God-given gifts. One of the reasons our ministries don’t grow the way they should is because we have not made room for others to get involved. Here are ten steps to being a good delegator:

1. Be willing to let someone else help you. The first thing Jesus did when He began His earthly ministry was recruit helpers. If the Son of God needed help, we need a bunch of help!

2. Identify the things you are doing now that others can do. There are people in your congregation that need to be needed more than you need helpers. When you make a list of things you are presently doing that others can do it releases you to do what only you can do. When you are doing in ministry what only you can do is when you will hear, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

3. Organize your ministry. Make job descriptions and flow charts for workers before you even have them.

4. Look within the church for faithful people. If you have workers who have proved themselves faithful turn more over to them. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,” Remember to coach, train, and model to your workers what you want them to do.

5. Identify the abilities and gifts of each person.

6. If you don’t have a volunteer ready to put to work, do what the military does - draft! Look you those who are not involved in any ministry and ask them to help you. Don’t wait for volunteers to come to you, go out and get them. There was not one volunteer among the twelve disciples. If Jesus drafted, why don’t you?

7. Don’t ever do anything by yourself. Train new workers by taking them with you. When they can do the job without you, let ‘em. (Then they can take a new worker with them, and you can find someone else to train.)

8. After you have turned a task over to someone make sure you inspect and evaluate what they’re doing. Remember to be understanding and motivating. Workers do do what you expect they do what you inspect!

9. Don’t forget to check in with each key person. A simple call or memo lets people know that you care about what they’re doing. Be a coach. Help them grow and make improvements. Be an encourager!

10. Tell people how much you appreciate them. Without them you couldn’t be as effective or accomplish the things you are doing for the Lord. Workers who feel good about themselves do a better job. Saying thank you is always the right thing to say.

After you begin to delegate, you’ll have to change your organizational structure. The one thing that I know will never change is that I need to make changes constantly. I realize now that I used to like to be the one who was working harder than everyone else. But I’ve leaned that it’s better to work smarter than to just work harder. Well, what are you waiting for? Start today to build your dream team. You don’t have to minister alone in children’s ministry. Go delegate! 

One Is The Loneliest Number

Have you ever found yourself ministering day after day taking care of routine jobs and doing what you feel God has called you to do, then you look around to discover that you are all alone? You try to cope with the pressures and challenges as best you can, but no matter what you try, you are still by yourself? “If only I had some help,” you say.

Everyone has been in a place where they need more help. There was a time when I felt I was a training camp for other ministries. It seemed like whenever I would have a worker trained so I could turn over responsibility to them, they would get transferred or change churches. Then I’d be right back where I started - all alone.

I had to learn that Jesus meets all my needs according to His riches in glory. Meeting all my needs included my need for workers. Jesus is your source for everything. Jesus told us to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers or workers (Luke 10:2). Jesus wouldn’t tell us to ask if He wasn’t going to send us what we asked for. Even if you don’t have those laborers yet, you must remember that you are never really alone. Jesus is always with you. Jesus promised He would never leave you or forsake you, even if every worker you have quits or moves. Not only is Jesus with you, but He is for you. He wants you to succeed. God’s will for your ministry is growth - spiritually and numerically! If God is for you, who can be against you?

At one time or another, everyone in ministry has felt like they were doing all they could, but there was more that needed to be done. Moses found himself in the same spot. In Exodus 18, he discovered first hand that he couldn’t do what God had called him to do alone. From morning to night, he judged the people, but it was impossible for him to do it all.

Had Jethro not stepped in to give Moses some advice, no doubt Moses would have frustrated himself into an early grave. Jethro taught moses the secret of delegation - Do the things that only you can do, and let others do the things that they can do. If you’re going to be a good delegator, you’re going to have to admit that other people can do a good job too. Oh sure, maybe they can’t do it as good or as fast as you can, but you didn’t always have the experience that you do now. Other people won’t gain that experience if you don’t give them a chance. You have to be willing to let go. Jethro didn’t advise moses to turn the responsibilities over to just anybody. Many churches hold on to the verse, “Whosoever will, let him come.” If they can find someone willing, they’ll dump everything on them. But Moses had to find faithful and able men.

Certain people are capable of handling more than others. Exodus 18:231 says that some could oversee tens, some fifty, some hundreds, some thousands. There are faithful people in your church you are capable of handling different amounts of responsibility. When you find them, ask “What can they handle?” The things? Fifty? Is there just one thing you’re doing that someone else could do? If you allow others to do what they can do, you’ll be free to do what only you can do. The folks Moses needed were already there. If God has called you to do something, He will also provide the help to get it done, but it’s up to you to use it. If you don’t give people something to do they won’t stay around and watch you work.

My first experience with the fruits of doing a job alone came in 1983. My children’s church room had been used for a reception the night before. Everything was in its place except a few eight-foot tables. I thought to myself, Why wait on help? I began to move the tables by myself.
When I went to lift the second table, I lost my grip and dropped it on my foot. As I was hopping around in pain, one of my workers walked in. If only I had waited five minutes. That day as I taught class with my foot in a bucket of ice, I kept thinking how dumb I had been. Later I went for X-rays, and for the next several weeks I had a constant reminder of what happens when you try to be the Lone Ranger.