Why recruiting leaders in churches does not work

[James Nored]

Most every church I've known has struggle in finding ministry leaders. There are undoubtedly reasons for this that are specific for individual churches, but I want to highlight a few reasons for these struggles that tend to be true in most churches.

Here are the mistakes that churches make in trying to recruit leaders:

1. Recruiting through impersonal means.
The bulletin is a lousy place to recruit. True, it may occassionally catch someone's eye and interest. But most of the time, it doesn't. Same goes for sign-up sheets, unless it is done in the worship assembly, in conjunction with a message on the subject, with time given for people to respond. Even then, one study has shown that personal recruiting is 5 times more effective than impersonal methods.

Reliance on impersonal methods is even less effective in big churches. Why? Everyone assumes that someone else will do the work or task. And in a large group, there is less relational pull. No one will know if you are a spiritual bum and never lift a finger to help. In smaller churches, it is harder to hide.

While I will at times put out invitations to serve in the bulletin and pass around sign-up sheets, I know that this usually at best raises awareness of the ministry. Primarily, the church bulletin is a place to celebrate ministries. A great picture or a powerful testimony of a ministry at work can do more to recruit new people than any generic announcement. (But personal recruiting is still best.)

2. Failing to consider a person's Strengths and Spiritual gifts when recruiting.
The fact is that when a person is given an opportunity to serve in the way that God has made them, rarely do their arms have to be twisted. Churches are horribly guilty of finding people to fit ministries, rather than letting ministry flow out of a person's giftedness and heart's passion.

True, some ministries need better organization and publicity. But much of the time, churches need to let ministries die if there is no one to fill the post. We are in the people business--and so is God--not the program business. A program is a life of its own that continues regards of the people involved. We need to let more things die in churches so that people can be freed to pursue the ministry God has put upon their hearts. At High Pointe, most all of our new ministry leaders have come from people going through a personal strengths and Spiritual gifts assessment.

3. Failing to reach out and make new disciples.

I am finishing up reading Organic Leadership by Neil Cole, a very interesting book. He says the following:

"When churches reach new people, the changed lives infuse the whole congregation with energy . . . . If your ministry is struggling without leaders, do not reevalutate your leadership development program. It is time to reevalulte your disciplemaking system. If you are doing next to nothing to reach lost and broken people, your leadership development system will yield very few resutls." (p. 138-39).

I am very pleased when I go back to Liberty (my previous church where I ministered for six years) and I find new converts serving on the minister search team, serving on outreach teams, and serving as ministry leaders in finance, transportation ministry, and more.

Recently at High Pointe, one of our new converts from Celebrate Recovery said that he wanted to help transport our clothes for our Clothes Closet ministry. (Read his story). And he volunteered to do this even before being baptized! New converts provide passion, energy, and new leadership in all kinds of different ministries. (Of courses, we should not forget that the primary goal is to send them back on mission and not become part of an internal church ministry machine.)

So, if you want to find new leaders, recruit personally, help people discover their strengths and spiritual gifts, and make new disciples of Christ!

What thoughts do you have about recruiting and developing new leaders?

[ndou ambani]

Who stand to Gain?
who stand to gain? The church, Elders, Preachers, church members, or the lost world? Let's face it, over the years the Church of Christ developed millions and millions of pamphlets. The store rooms in the churches with church building their fill with free New testament Bibles, pamphlets(bulletin), hymn books and many other materials.Which we not giving to people. Who stand to gain?
We have churches without hymn books while in other churches they keep on changing them year after year. I wonder if is because of autonomy we preach that we do not think of helping one another.
I went to the Bible college 4 to 5 years ago and my desire was to further my studies. I wanted to go to the Church of Christ university and i did not know any Church of Christ university in Africa, I went to those i who had opportunity to go oversea to further their studies who have degree in Theology. I wanted to be introduced to one of the university but because i was not from their family they could not help me to go to the college. Every year a member of the family go to the Church of Christ university oversea, weather their christian or not. When they come because they have right papers they are expected to lead the Church. The Church in treated like a family business in Africa.
Who stand to gain? We wonder why we do not have good leaders in the Church of Christ. If those who are leaders they only develop talent of those who are their family members, 20 years from now we will be asking the same question of leadership. People does not deserve to serve the Lord they are leading the church today because of the family background.
There is so many good leaders i know, who are opposed because of the congregation and families they come from.
Let's face it. After college in Swaziland i went to SABC (Southern African Bible College). This two colleges their Church of Christ colleges but they do not recognize each other. I went to work at Numbi Bible School as a teacher. The school today is not operating the big building in Mphumalanga province of South Africa today is in the bush, because of people fighting for power and money. Who stand to gain?
Let's face it, today people of the world they have no problem of the colour of the skin but Christians of the Church of Christ they are still finding that as a challenge.
I have worked with more than five different congregation, in efferent provinces and different culture. I know what I'm talking about and is time we address this issues.
May God be praised by the lives of those who are doing every thing they can to proclaim His word. Amen!

[Eric Asante Obeng]

we need change in missions?As he spake these words, many believed on him.
¶ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free John 8 :30-32

[James Nored]

Miguel, you raise an important point. We need to be careful to not just place upon a person our own agenda for how they should serve. This results in guilt and short term service. As much as we can, we need to help them discover what God has already put upon their hearts.

[James Nored]

Peter, glad that you found this helpful and shared it with your elders.

The apprentice setup in ministry is good. Also, making ministry truly team based allows the ministry to survive the loss of a leader.

As to there being a shortage of leaders in a small church, I would again point back to the need to make new disciples.

[Miguel Labrador]

Developing good leaders means identifying and verifying what the Lord has already begun in someone. 1 Tim 3 "if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." If we recruit leaders, we may be planting a false desire in the hearts of men. If we leave it to the man of which the Lord has planted that desire in, then we are not recruiting, but simply confirming.

[Peter Horne]

I appreciate your thoughts. I printed the article and shared it with my elders.

While at times programs need to die. Where a program bears fruit but a leader moves onto something else (or nothing else) it is important to find a replacement. As much as possible we're trying to have every ministry lead by teams of at least 2 (master & apprentice) so that our ministries are not left high and dry. This is difficult in a small church because particular skills sets (giftedness) are in short supply. So if we can recruit a new leader we're much more likely to see "program evolution" (or devolution) than continuation.

[James Nored]

Chris, you make an excellent point. Just because a person has skills in the world, this does not necessarily translate into gifts and passions for ministry. I know of many public school teachers that really do not want to teach in the church, but who like serving in other ways. Your accountant example is a good one as well.

Sometimes skills do overlap with gifts. We should not overlook these, but we should also not assume that they are the same.

I've always liked the spoof that you shared below. Judas had a lot of skills, didn't he?

[Chris Flores]

The gospel's central theme is about a relationship restored. So it is essential that everything that we do in regards to how the body is lead must have an element of a personal feel. One thing I'd like to bring to this discussion is how often I see leadership being sought by what actual gifts they have. For example, you have an accountant, this person went to school to be an accountant, it's his career. So obviously he would fit perfectly in the church's financial team. But is that where this person should be? Is this type of leadership really going to impact on his/her transformation in their own lives or others? My point being is this....having degrees on a particular area, doesn't mean you have the right tools to lead in that area. In my opinion it is always a heart condition. We must not ONLY look at their intellectual gifts, but their heart gifts. This discussion reminds me of a memorandum spoof I read so I'll share it with you....hope it helps you as it has helped me in the area of discipleship and leaderships

http://servant.org/pa_m.htm

Chris

[James Nored]

Bill, are you asking how we recruit more ministers? This is certainly a great need. In a few years when the Baby Boomers start retiring, we will not have enough ministers to fill pulpits. Harding is doing a study on why more young men are not going into ministry.

So, what are your thoughts on this?

[James Nored]

John, I'm happy to share, and I always welcome feedback and new ideas.