Busy

Was chatting with friend recently about life and how that some churches seem to be having difficulty raising up young leaders. I wonder why that is?

I feel partly it's because we in the west live in a cash rich yet time poor society. Years ago we thought that church wanted our money now they want our time and we don't have a lot of it to spare. Society has moved on, so has the way people outwork their faith. If you have family you need to spend time, with friends you want to hang out with, and everyday life you want to lead, church and the various meetings that happen around it can be a distraction. I am being a little extreme but just trying to make a point.

You have a small group on Wednesday, a worship practice on Tuesday, help at a childrens club or something similar on Friday, go to church on Sunday and you are stretched!!! Throw into the mix a 1990's leadership model and you'll end up having leadership team meetings, pastoral visits and endless emails and phone calls with regards to the finer details of church life! You'll get in from work at 5.30 (if you are lucky and work locally) and be expected to eat tea, talk to the children and be out again for a meeting at 7.30!!! Doesn't sound very life giving does it? By the time you have been doing this for 5 years you will realise that your children have got older and church has robbed them of their father or mother. Not a great advertisement for future leaders.

You then have the other type of leaders who work for christian organisations in various roles. Who over the years have been made to feel so insecure and have had their role questioned so much that they need to keep making constant references to how busy they are, how full their inboxes are, how long their to do lists are and how stretched they are. All born out of pressure put on them by ill informed people to justify their existence. The downside is they put people of wanting to be leaders because no one wants to be under that kind of pressure, they also come across as having a slight martyr complex, we think they are saints but we wouldn't want to do what they do!!

I know how they feel especially if you are on support from a variety of churches and individuals you can get consumed with a false desire to prove to them that their money is being well spent, so you constantly publicise your busy ness. The problem is you make others not want to do what you do....

The reality is you are no busier than anyone else, you need to be happy in your skin and your role. Realise you are loved and respected for who you are not what you do. If you need affirmation or feel under valued then talk to your leaders.

Just thoughts, part of my own journey, hope it's helpful?