Tag Archive: stewardship

Pronoun Posturing (for leaders)

It’s been told to me, and I’ve said it. It’s a leadership principle that’s been touted. It’s this, we need to earn our right to lead.

We have to go out and do the hard work, the behind the scenes work, the work that involves leading a couple of people before a couple hundred people. And while there’s some truth in that, the Bible calls us to a different posture.

It’s still about working hard. But what it’s not about is “us”, “me”, or even, “we”.

2 Chronicles records Solomon’s establishment as king and the remarkable conversation where Solomon’s request to God was a request for “wisdom and knowledge.”

But recently, something else stood out to me in that exchange. It’s in the last half of verse eleven. God is speaking and grants Solomon wisdom and knowledge, and then says, “But you have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king.”

Notice the “my” and then “I”?

Whose people will Solomon govern? God’s people.

Who made Solomon king? God did.

It’s as if God was saying, “Look, I’m going to provide you with some exceptional gifts. But remember, I gave those gifts of wisdom and knowledge, and I’m putting you in a place of leadership. And yes, I’m allowing you to lead my people.”

Do we need this same kind of reminder that emphasizes pronouns?

You see, God knows what leader-types are like. We get the opportunity to do something for God’s kingdom and we’re honored. But then all the sudden we either forgot who put us there and/or we begin to think about our newly established leadership opportunity as our own little personal fiefdom.

The church we serve is not ours. The people are not ours. We’re a short-term steward of people and leadership opportunities.

As leaders, our choice of words when describing the who, how and why we lead is important. But even more important, is the heart behind the words. Are we really in a posture that reflects the proper (God-honoring) pronouns?

Here’s to proper pronouns.

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The Church’s Large Donor You Don’t Know About

Do you have a “large donor” in your church? Or as some call them, a “high capacity” giver?

I’d say, “Yes, you absolutely do.” It’s you. It’s the church leadership. The church leadership has the responsibility of stewarding well whatever resources God has brought to the local church. And if you steward well and maximize what you already have, you’ve effectively become a large donor for your church.

Sure, most every church would like to have people who could write a check and end their church’s debt, or help them construct an attractive building, or even replace that 40 year-old carpet.

But first, as church leaders we have to put on the hat of steward. Grade yourself as a steward – currently, how well do you:

– Effectively train your volunteers?

– Handle responsibly the dollars you do have?

– Cast a compelling vision for why people should give their resources (talents, time, and treasure)?

– Connect the dots between vision and practical ways to give their resources?

I think a lot of our churches are not resource-rich for two reasons:

  1. We’re not stewarding well what we already have (so why should there be more given?)
  2. We haven’t compelled our people with a vision or convinced them of a need

God says He loves His church, and the Bible says He has equipped it. As church leaders, we have to see ourselves as stewards. At times, that might requiring active curating, but the people and resources are there – we just have to be intentionally looking.

You might already have a large capacity giver. You might already have a person who’s willing to give 300 man hours in volunteerism. You might have a graphic designer who’s willing to give work in-kind to the church, or a capable handy man who would work at a discount and could lessen your church’s maintenance fees.

God has given us what we need to serve His church, and as stewards, curators, and discerners, we can accomplish His ministry with what He has already given.

Don’t allow yourself a victim mentality… “That church (down the street) has everything.” But instead, know that God may have already given your church what it needs, but it will take some prayerful discerning, curating, and excellent stewardship of those resources.

 

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