We’re looking at key shifts for today’s ministry leaders. Last week I highlighted the shift from Manager to Leader. Today I’m highlighting the shift from Doing to Deploying.
“Come and Watch” the professionals (pastor/staff) DO ministry characterizes the previous ministry paradigm. The non-ordained and non-staff spend most of their time and energy on the sidelines watching the main event.
Develop and DEPLOY characterize the new paradigm. A Spiritual Cape Canaveral is the perfect image. In this paradigm, the sidelines are for equipping and readying for deployment. There’s nothing passive about the sidelines!
Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk express this distinction as follows:
It is as if we are prepared to play baseball and suddenly discover that everyone else is playing basketball. The game has changed and the rules are different. (Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, “The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World.”)
This is why so many of today’s ministry leaders want the coaching skillset. The coaching competencies enable us to do the valuable deployment work.
I’d love to hear how you are doing with deployment.
Oh, one more thing…..next week’s topic: Multiple Paradigm Leadership
“Managers light a fire UNDER people. Leaders light a fire IN people.”
