Summary: There are people who find JOY to do that which you AVOID doing. Give away your “Red Light” tasks, and focus on doing what you love to do.

Read Article

It is hard work to multiply ministry. It is often even hardest to know where to begin. What would be a good starting place to multiply yourself? Where should you start multiplying? Here is a great starting place: “What is the area you like the least in your ministry?”

Let’s get real. There are areas of the ministry that I simply do not like. When you are a solo leader with no team, you have to do it all. However, the goal is to enlist people who would find JOY to do that which you AVOID doing. This next exercise is what I call, “RED Light, YELLOW Light and GREEN Light.”

First, take an honest assessment of all the items for which you are responsible. Write them all down. Second, put the word RED next to items that slow you down, items you tend to avoid or items you outright hate to do. Red light activities SUCK energy from you. Next, place the word GREEN next to items that you absolutely love to do. Green Light activities GIVE you energy. Finally, place the word YELLOW next to those items that remain or those items that could go either way.

You now know which areas to find someone else to do. Give away your “Red Light” tasks. Bottom line: What is your least favorite thing could be someone else’s greatest joy. Find them.

Summary: As you decide where to start multiplying ministry, consider what area of your ministry has the greatest need. Get back some time by cleaning up the worst area and give it away first!

Read Article

Where should you start multiplying ministry? Let’s get super practical, can we? I want you to examine all the areas over which you have responsibility. I want you to stand back and look at the different areas you oversee. Ask this one simple question: “What area needs the most attention in your ministry?”

A great place to start is often with the area with the greatest need. Which area is struggling? What ministry is suffering and anemic? Placing your attention in a hurting area is always a great investment. Why start with a struggling area? Typically, struggling ministries can drain the most time, energy and resources. Moving forward, you want that time, energy and those resources BACK in your life! Shoring up a challenged area can provide untold time to start appearing back into your world.

In order to get this area handed off to a fully trained leader, you will likely have to jump in yourself to assess, evaluate and make decisions. This takes time, yet with the right person, you can effectively duplicate yourself and have someone trained to run point on a previously challenged area. Get back some time by cleaning up the worst area and give it away first!

Summary: You are not being a burden to a volunteer by allowing them to spread their wings and discover who God made them to be. Be a multiplier. Build the church for the longest term win. Stop robbing people from an opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven and start sharing opportunities to serve.

Read Article

Many leaders short circuit the blessing of ministry multiplication when they believe the following lie: “I do not want to burden volunteers.” You are not being a burden to a volunteer by allowing them to spread their wings and discover who God made them to be. You are not a burden to them; you are being a blessing to them.

You are also a blessing to the long term health of the church. The plan of the church is to have leaders with enough humility and insight to see the fullest use of the gifts of others IS the way the church grows. The healthiest future church is a church with leaders who build the body. Think with me for a moment of the ripple effect if one leader poured into three, who, in turn, poured into three other leaders who poured into more. A multiplying church is the healthiest church of tomorrow.

Not only are you a blessing to that volunteer leader and a blessing to the big picture church, you are a blessing to yourself. Sure it is double the work to duplicate yourself. But there are several things that personally benefit you. First, you will have more margin in the long run. Second, and most important, you will grow exponentially yourself through the process.

Be a leader. Be a multiplier. Build the church for the longest term win. Stop robbing people from an opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven and start sharing opportunities to serve.

Summary: Find others with raw and unrefined abilities and work tirelessly to hone THEIR gifts so they can the best they can be, maybe even better than you. Build others to be better than you.

Read Article

Some people are afraid to multiply themselves in ministry. Some people are afraid and sabotage the whole system by thinking, “What if they outshine me? What if they become better than me?”

Honestly, I hope they DO outshine you! I hope you discover a diamond in the rough. I hope you care for that hidden treasure, polish it and set that stone in the best possible place for all to benefit.

Bad leaders seek to sabotage the opportunities of others so they can be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. Some people just gotta be the center of it all. Selfish and small leaders are threatened by the building of other gifted leaders. It would be like the quarterback not throwing the ball to the best receiver for fear they might get better press. Yet in doing so, shortcuts the possibility of every team member getting a Super Bowl ring.

Find others with raw and unrefined abilities and work tirelessly to hone THEIR gifts so they can the best they can be, maybe even better than you. Build others to be better than you.

Multiplying ministry seeks to bring out the best in others. People in your orbit should be so happy YOU are in their life. They should be so happy that you are SO generous with providing opportunities for growth. Can you celebrate the victories and growth of another? Always remember, this is the kingdom. This is not your kingdom.

Summary: You will grow exponentially yourself through the process of developing another. And others get better at ministry when you multiply yourself. Ministry multiplication is truly a win-win.

Read Article

While I might sound like I am beating a dead horse, I think it is important to continue to say the same thing over and over. Ministry multiplication IS the biggest win. We have talked about obstacles and even objections. Now that I think about it more, maybe obstacles and objections are not the right words. I think we could substitute the word “EXCUSES” for why people do not assertively seek to multiply their efforts in a ministry context.

You might say to yourself, “I am better at it than those under me. I am the best _____ .” You probably are the best at something in your church. Likely, that is why you were hired. Certainly, I came in as a better teacher than those I was mentoring. However, after training them to be great teachers for 18 months, I was now a better teacher than my previous self a year and a half earlier. I get better by multiplying myself. I must know my stuff in order to impart it to another. The teacher is always the greatest student.

However, others also get better when I multiply myself. Ministry multiplication is truly a win-win.

You will grow exponentially yourself through the process of developing another. In order to pass on something of value to another, you must first possess it yourself. Beyond that, the very act of multiplying yourself causes you to reflect, refine and even rediscover what it is that you actually do! You grow. Others grow. The kingdom wins.