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.

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.

I manage a decent size staff and many different responsibilities between my duties at Gospel Light Baptist Church and Solid Rock Communications. Daily, I have to maintain an active communication channel with my staff as well as a personal to-do list.  I have always been a big Microsoft Office (Outlook) user even while using an Apple Computer. About two years ago, I switched completely over to Entourage (Microsoft’s version of Outlook for MAC). I later switched to Base Camp, an online project management program. However, not too long ago, I came across Action Method.