Leading Together

Something I read yesterday that I wanted to share:

Leading Together
Larry Shallenberger

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity...From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Ephesians 4:11-13a, 16).

Consider the different spiritual gifts that God places under the hood of the leaders of the church. God doesn't honor one "silver bullet" style of leadership. God didn't intend these leaders to go off into their own corner of the church and do their own thing. Verse 16 paints a picture of the unity that a diverse team of leaders can enjoy. Some leaders provide muscle. Some provide bone. Some supply the ligaments and tendons. All weave themselves together and grow in love until only one things is visible—Jesus.

I can't accomplish that type of beauty all by myself. In all my years of serving, I will never be able to transform my department into the Body of Christ—not by myself. Neither can you.

We desperately need to operate in teams if we ever want the product of our energy to be Jesus. The good people that God has surrounded you with weren't placed there to be extensions of you. And for that they are thankful.

You might very well be the point person. But you aren't the only leader in your ministry. God gives leadership to churches and ministries in sets of two or more. Do you remember when Elijah had his emotional meltdown on Mount Horeb and told God that he was the only one doing the Lord's work. Somehow he'd forgotten his conversation with Obadiah where 100 of God's prophets had been protected. That's 101 leaders (counting Obadiah) with whom Elijah could do ministry. When God ended Elijah's retreat at Camp Prozac, he instructed Elijah to create a mentoring team with Elisha.

God is not so cruel to make you do ministry alone.