the    sides

I started reading this blog about customer service and business leadership a month ago - thanks to Rob (I think…it’s all hazy now). While cleaning out my inbox, I ran across the following picture on this post. It still floors me.

It reminded me of a painful but much needed conversation I had with a volunteer early in my life. Cindy Rhudy was her name - she had 3 teenagers of her own but I think half the town of Emporia stayed at her house at one time or another.

She grabbed me for lunch and told me that I was a good youth pastor but I could be great. I needed to get over one thing.

I sat with baited breath. I mean - who doesn’t want to be great??

She leaned over and smiled.

“Yourself.”

She told me all the things she loved about me then said - it wasn’t enough. I was going to have to broaden my reach to be great. And to do that I was going to have to release the greatest asset to ministries around the world. Volunteers. Recruit ‘em, love ‘em, befriend ‘em, equip ‘em then trust ‘em.

Basically - get out of the way and let others follow them as they follow God.

Paul’s been writing about similiar stuff this past week on his blog. If we “professionals” could infuse that kind of DNA in ‘our’ ministries (instead of the star mentality), it’d change everything, don’t you think?