This is part of the Beyond The Starting 5 project. A writing safari where I explore the idea of what people-development looks like in the local church. I have no idea what I’m doing, mileage may vary.
“What exactly are you looking for when you look for a great volunteer?”
I think a lot of people set themselves up for failure right out of the gate because they don’t have a good answer to this question. They either expect too little or too much. Both errors are costly.
I just need a warm body. Wrong answer. If you get the wrong person with the wrong gifting with the wrong passion in the wrong place, it is just going to make everyone involved miserable. The worker, the leader, the participants — it will be like poison. Plus, if they don’t know they are the wrong person with the wrong gifting and the wrong passion, it may take years to fix that problem and all of the sudden the collateral damage will be huge. A warm body is expecting WAY too little.
We need Jesus, we’ll settle for Paul. Then there is the other extreme – expecting new volunteers to be mature, gifted, and skilled in leading a bible study with middle school boys their first night. Or being able to deal with a difficult topic the first Life Group. This is the “God knows I need this particular person and He will bring that person to me” mindset. It’s dangerous because disciples are made, leaders are developed. They don’t hatch and miraculously show up.
So what’s the baseline? This is where the RAFT comes in. Responsive (gets things done), Available, Faithful (dedicated), and Teachable.
If a person has those 4 key traits, I’m willing to roll the dice with them. Being teachable is probably the biggest one. If the person can’t or won’t listen to coaching, God will have to break them some more before they are ready for leadership.
I was talking with a bunch of other pastors in town about the baseline of leadership development and the question was asked if the person had to be a believer. For example – could a non-Christian guitarist play on the worship team? For most of the guys, the answer was no. Part of their baseline for serving and being developed — they already had to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. In other words, one would have to belong before they could be invested in and developed.
I disagree. I went back to the RAFT. If a person has those 4 key characteristics and they are willing to take the journey — I am too. Serving and people development then becomes another avenue for people to connect with Jesus and His church. Now, I’m not going to set this person up as a Life Group Leader or a teacher. BUT – not having a relationship with Jesus is not going to be the excluder for being invested in and developed.
I got a little push back on this and I told the guys — In your scenario, the person leaves the church and probably doesn’t come back. In my scenario, they have to spend 1.5 hour ‘band’ practice a week playing songs about Jesus. They have to sit through 2 services on Sunday morning. They have to research and listen to music they probably don’t normally listen to — which will be about Jesus. Then they are going to develop relationships with members of our worship team and figure out they all aren’t crazy. I’ll take my chances that my person is going to meet Jesus before your person does.
But — RAFT will only go so far. Can’t just stay there and that be considered development. More on that later.
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Having been a worship leader in various settings, I disagree for one key reason – worship leaders are like teachers. They are in a highly visible position and should be examples (as best we can do in our imperfect bodies) for those they lead. James 3:1 clearly holds teachers more accountable for their actions, and worship leaders (should!) “teach” us how to worship.
Even someone standing in the back playing guitar is still a worship leader and teacher… and that’s a lot of accountability to lay on someone who doesn’t yet have the foundation to even understand what it is they are supposed to be teaching!
DGM – I agree on ‘being examples’ but it still goes back to the baseline.
What if the non-believer on the team is seeking the scriptures, investigating if Jesus is true and along the way is reading and studying God’s word more than the believers on the team? Could that be an example of seeking God?
What if this same seeker plays alongside another guy who is addicted to porn, problems in marriage and refuses to get help — but he’s ‘saved’?
We may have to agree to disagree! ha ha. I’d take a non-believing RAFT over a believing know-it-all that won’t change.
I agree with your RAFT in most other areas of ministry, it’s just the highly visible aspects like worship that I’m picky about… and as for the example of another believer with some obvious problems, I’d be hesitant about them too… which means I would exclude myself from leading in Christian Challenge some years back, but I’m wiser now…
Just saying, I’d hold James 3:1 up for that role no matter what your salvation status is.
OTOH, there are plenty of other areas of ministry where I’d go with a RAFT unbeliever over a proud believer anytime…
You’re a good man, DGM.
I wonder — do you think we’ve placed too much emphasis on the visible ‘leaders’?
Ah, that probably depends on the church… but in a larger church, I would hope there is enough talent to choose people who can say as Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
1 Timothy lays down quite a few requirements for pastors, elders, and deacons, to be this example. Are worship leaders in that category? I guess that is debatable but I would want to lean more towards it than away from it. Maybe if the culture of your church truly de-emphasized that role, it would be ok…. but if a visitor comes to church, would they not think that the people up front are examples of what this church believes? I fear to allow that to be a stumbling block. (Ouch, that’s a heavy responsibility!)
I had a dear friend remove himself from worship leading for a time due an embarrassing sin … and I praise God for his growth, wisdom, and his eventual restoration to ministry – he still plays guitar in worship to this day I think.
OTOH, we *do* need to have a darn good measure of grace, as we all have our besetting sins, and things that many people call “shocking” are not actually that shocking if you consider the sinful heart of man – and many of us have more insidious flaws such as pride, selfishness, and greed that are no more or less offensive to God.
I think my criteria for such visible leadership roles is to believe on the things we hold most dear, including salvation (hills to die on, as Pastor Al says), and to show a *growing* faith, even if marred by annoying failures. Perfection is not likely this side of heaven, but it should at least be obvious which direction they are facing.
I agree that the direction of our walk may be just as important (if not MORE) as the location of our faith.
And no — I would not put a non-believer in that lead role of worship leading — but I do look at and see the supporting band members differently.
They didn’t sign up to be teachers but to use their gift. They supplement and help the ‘teacher/worship leader.
And you can come play on our worship team any time you want!! ha ha….