Archives

Discovering You’re Dispensable

I knew it based on experience. Multiple times I’d seen it.

A church can get along just fine after losing a key leader.

I’d studied the principle of dispensable and indispensable leaders in our church’s leadership course, Model-Netics. I’d counseled other leaders about the idea that they, like me, we’re replaceable.

But I didn’t fully realize how dispensable I was until I left a church after 13 years and the phone never rang.

Work-related e-mails and texts from my former church were minimal. The church office didn’t fall apart. People were still ministered to. All the so-called Brian-centric things I’d done while serving there—driven by my particular skill-set and gifts—kept happening too.

After 15 months away, I returned to my former church to celebrate the pastor’s 20th anniversary. The connection and relationships to the people there were still as rich as ever. But it was on the trip, this theoretical idea of dispensability became reality for me.

Was it like my friend Stephen puts it? Was I “a legend in my own mind”?

I’ve blogged on self-deprecation before. And although I suggested it can be a good thing, this post isn’t that. This post is about a biblical truth and a leadership principle:

God cares more about His Church than He cares who gets to lead His Church.

God has plans, and they’ll be accomplished whether you or I are driving them or not.

Being dispensable doesn’t mean you’re not valuable to your church. It means God’s plans and where He places value is different–seen from an eternal perspective. We see it throughout the Bible. God continually raises up new leaders to carry out His purposes.

Learning and dealing with your dispensability is difficult on your ego, but good for your leadership acumen.

Once you realize you’re dispensable, it’ll help your leadership in these ways:

You’ll be less concerned with titles and accolades—less entitlement.
You’ll work harder.
You’ll be less likely to build your ministry as a silo in your church.
You’ll be less concerned with your legacy and more concerned with Christ’s legacy.
You’ll focus less on impressing others and more on making an impression on lives.
You’ll set up initiatives and goals that can be realized long after you’re gone.
You’ll be motivated to serve others on your leadership team.
You’ll figure out how to invest in leaders around you, who can lead in your absence.

It’s not that you and I aren’t valuable; it’s that what we do is bigger than us.

The sooner we understand our limits and finiteness, the bigger impact we’ll make in what we currently do.

If you’re working to make yourself dispensable, then you’re likely working at making your church and service to Christ better.

Here’s to celebrating dispensability.

3 Months Blogging and My 3 Most Read Posts

I’ve now been blogging three months, and if you missed them when they were published, here are my three most read posts:

The Humble Brag Among Ministers http://bbapt.us/17wqjA5

How You’re Disrespecting Others http://bbapt.us/19BR5fV

How To Create A Compelling Church Budget http://bbapt.us/14zw2py

And because I’m in a giving mood, here’s #4 and 5 too:

When Success = Lost Focus http://bbapt.us/1fhD4qb

What Lice Taught Me About Evangelism http://bbapt.us/1b0Ma82

Only Promote What You're Passionate About

As 10th grade boys typically did on weekends, my friend Shawn and I were trolling the mall for girls to flirt with. But this particular mall-cruise exhibited another testosterone-induced behavior as well.

My friend and another guy unintentionally bumped into each other near the crowded Cinnabon. An unintentional bump equated to a reason to fight. The intimidating mall police (sarcasm) stepped in and thwarted any fist to cuffs (that day, anyway).

The following Monday, the “other” guy who had bumped into my friend Shawn (who attended a different school than me) said he’d sure like the chance to fight him.

Since I have the spiritual gift of “helps,” and the strength of “connection,” I agreed to arrange for such a meeting.

A few calls on the brick cell phone, and I’d arranged for a 4 p.m. fight at the local fighting grounds. I was quite impressed with my promotional skills. No less than sixty people showed up to watch the fight. I was a mini Don King. My friend dominated for the onlookers.

The next day, I sauntered through my high school with a sense of pride, as I received accolades for the fight set-up. I was living vicariously through Shawn’s victory. But my sauntering only lasted until third-hour English class.

One of the kids who wasn’t fond of me (there was more than one) said to me in front of the whole class: “You were sure good at setting up a fight for your friend, but how ’bout a fight with me?”

Oops.

Lesson learned: only promote what you’re passionate about. And I wasn’t passionate about fighting.

Many times in leadership, I’ve been asked to give my voice and support to something or someone. Typically, I’ve promoted as requested. But often, I haven’t been passionate in my promotion.

Passionless promotion can cause these issues:

People can tell you’re not passionate, and therefore your voice becomes white noise.
For the sake of timely promotion, you don’t vet the thing or person you’re promoting, and the implications of not considering fully can often cause regret.

That was the case in my promotion of the fight. If I’d considered that it might lead to my embarrassment in class, an eventual fight myself, and subsequently a scar about my right eye, I might’ve thought twice before I got my Don King on.

As a leader, you have limited capital to spend. Spend it wisely.

It’s fine to promote, but be careful to only give your promotion to things you have vetted, believe in, and are passionate about. When you can’t do that, find someone who can, or simply say “no” to your public promotion of that event, ministry, or person.

« Previous 1 2 3 Next »