Have you ever had one of those days that you wish you could just replicate several times over? Enjoying a good reflective day allowed me to understand with deeper understanding why that day was so great.

You have to admit, if there is a company that has become a house-hold name, it’s Apple Computers. Whether you use an iPad, iPhone, iTunes, iMac, iPod, or other Apple products, you have fallen in love with its easy to operate devices, clutter free thinking, and stable operating system which runs efficiently and mindlessly in the background. As we understand the momentum shifts of today’s churchgoers and seekers alike, we must thoroughly understand how to relate.

My unofficial disclaimer, “I know this is a little geeky and nerdy to write such an article. However, my prayer is that you will understand the heart of the matter.” Despite it’s geeky parallel of leadership and Apple Computers, I think that many can still relate.

Are you ever looking for the right “guy?” Those experts in their field to consult, advise, or even potentially hire on your staff? Of the many qualifications that we look for in the church world, this one would be at the top of the list. We are looking for the person (either to join our staff or consult) that can help us to get to the next level. We love looking for this person! It is almost like looking for a hidden treasure. Yes!!! Finally, he is going to rescue us from all of our troubles. He is the solution to all our church problems. He knows everything!

By now, you have figured that there is no such man. Please do not mistake that there truly are men and women who do know what they are doing and have certainly become experts in their particular field. I remember when a few years ago, we hired consultants to assist us in our church stewardship and building program. I must say that it was well worth our investment. These guys have been down this road before; they knew what they were doing.  However, I am challenging church leaders to look up before we look out. In our humanity, we can easily try to figure things out, find the solution, hire the right person, or bring in best consultants, before we even consult with The One who can truly help us the most. You want an expert in His field. You want Someone Who knows what He is doing? No need to hire Him, He will work for Free. He wants us to depend on Him more than we depend on them (experts).

This is a pretty simple quandary. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Should an organization hire someone to help with responsibilities or wait til the responsibilities are too large then hire him? I have seen this mistake happen in many organizations, specifically, churches. A pastor will be the song director, youth director, janitor, etc… He will wait for growth and then hire. Although, not a bad idea, I would dare say, not the best idea. There is not enough vision and growth in this particular planning.

Here is something that I have noticed in explosive church work–there is always someone leading with great passion. A worship service must have a passionate worship leader. A great student ministry must have a passionate leader. A great Sunday school group must have a passionate leader. So the question is then, “How do I find this great passionate leader?” That will solve all the problems right? Sure, but you must be willing to spend resources. You have heard the old cliche, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.” This is true, but it does not exactly mean that you have to spend literal dollars. Notice I said resources. Be willing to spend the resource of investing your time to train someone. Be willing to share your vision and allow someone to grasp it. This is called delegation. Every great leader of yesteryear and today has learned this principle.