“I don’t know how to tell you this, but my husband was transferred to the California office. We’ll be moving in a few weeks and that means I can’t be T&T director this fall.”
Have you heard something like this as the weeks before your first club night march steadily closer? Or maybe you’ve heard some of the leadership in your church say “We won’t be able to have Awana this year unless someone steps up to be a club director/Awana ministry director.”
In other words, along with the background noise of crickets, the school supply displays at your local discount store and the blooming of late summer flowers, August is often the time when clubs are desperately in need of someone stepping up in a leadership role.
Here’s the question. Could that someone be you?
Remember those verses in Romans 12: For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Before you say “no,” here are two thoughts.
#1 Could you step up to a leadership position to encourage others to follow your example? Personal illustration. A lady who had always done a large women’s event at our church moved and could no longer be in charge. For weeks, church leadership searched for someone to take her place. No one felt capable of stepping in for someone who had done such a fantastic job. Then a lady, who was already very busy, said she would do it (rather than have an outreach event discontinued). She announced that she needed ladies to help with the program, the food, the décor, etc. Immediately several ladies volunteered and carried through with excellence. The lady in charge ended up not having to do much more than overseeing the project. Her team simply needed a leader to give direction.
We all have our God-given gifts. The lady (who did have the gift of leadership) stepped into place and others followed, using their own gifts of service.
#2 Could you step up to the leadership position if you did so with someone else? You could combine your gifts and talents to create a workable dual leadership role.
Our church needed a T&T girls’ director. I loved working with the girls and was comfortable leading the meetings each week. I hesitated, however, because I did not have the time for some of the organizational needs required of the position. My friend, however, did have some extra time and was willing to do the organizational part, but dreaded standing in front of the group. – We combined our gifts and talents and served together in unity for several years.
As followers of Christ, we are members of the same body. But we have different functions, just as parts of the body have different functions. Be creative in figuring out how to use those different talents and gifts to be a profitable member of the body of Christ.
Are you the person who should step up and fill a leadership need? Which “member” are you in the body of Christ?
