Every year, my family takes a trip to the beach for a week.  It is a great time.  This year, I decided that I wasn’t going to workout at all.  Usually, I will run or do some bodyweight exercises.  Not this year.  I decided to rest my body and the results were tremendous.  (Another post, another time about rest.)  When I got back to the gym, my first workout was rough.  Resting felt great, but I knew it was time to get back in the game. So, once again…I started.

 

Today is the final installment of my series, “The Hardest Assignment.” Today is the day you get going. If you read the last few weeks, thank you for the compliment of your time and attention. Like me, you can’t let it just end there…in fact, you are just beginning.

 

Here are some principles to get you going:

 

1. Do the things that only you can do.

The sooner you can determine the things that only you can do, the faster you ministry will begin to take flight. There are things you love and dislike doing. You have to cut the ease of doing both type of tasks and really boil it down to essentials. When you are doing those, your ministry will pick up momentum. Others will take things you deemed transferable and run with their strengths. It’s a win-win!

      2.  Determine who is the best suited under your leadership to do the other things.

You have to lead. You have to look through your roster of leaders and decide what to allocate to each of them. This isn’t about personality or likeability. It is about putting the right people, with the right responsibilities in the best position to create the maximum results. Don’t try to be popular – see the win and put your best team together.

       3.  Discuss areas of growth and leadership with those you want to give        responsibilities.

One of my nuggets over the years is “you must be a student of those you lead.” It is the leader’s responsibility to study, observe and leverage the gifts, aptitudes, attitudes and personality of those they lead. Communication with each of your leaders is tremendously important. You must find their “communication style and language” and sync it with yours. Many people object and say, “I am the leader and they should do that to me.” Bottom line, you said it…you are the leader.

 

      4.  Develop a plan.

I worked at UPS when I was in college. Here is the basic process of learning how my supervisor taught me to load three delivery trucks with about 300 hundred addresses each.

1. Me doing – You watch.
2. Me doing – You doing.
3. Me watch – You doing.
4. You doing.

Sounds simple. It is. You as the leader determine the timing and pace.

 

     5.  Dive In!

 

You gotta take the first step. You will have mistakes and bumps along the way. And you will have some fantastic wins and mountain top experiences. I don’t have it all figured out myself. What energizes me is that my realm of ministry is reaching more people than ever!

 

Are you ready for the hardest assignment?  Take the next step!