How many of us have the attitude that if "people don't like what we do in our church/ministry, then they can just go somewhere else that "fits" them better"...?
The problem with this kind of attitude, that I'm pretty sure all of us have had or might be having or probably will have at some point in ministry, is very dangerous and completely distructive to what God wants to do in your ministry.
Why?
Because we have to stop lumping people in with the idea that if WE like it...they will like it. If you're like me, then you don't always like to do the same things day after day after day right? We all might have a little routine that keeps us on track but most of us value life and we want to live it and not just go through the same exact motions day in and day out right?
The same principle applies to your ministry. The same things don't work for everyone who walks through the door...more importantly...they don't work for the people that GOD sends through the door. Let's let that thought sink in for a moment, because really, that's the principle of this entire issue.
Who exactly is God sending into your ministry and for what purpose? It's not just about what God will use them in but also in what God wants to grow them in. It is OUR job as leaders to find out what makes our ministry....essential to their lives. Here's the cold hard truth.... there are other ministries in town, there are other leaders in town, there are other activities in town, there are other churches in town, there are other opportunities to serve in town, and the list goes on. So if this is in fact the truth, then why your church? why your ministries? why your activities, why your opportunities, and why your leadership for that individual? WHY is what you have to offer...essential to someone's life?
It isn't a mistake when someone walks through the door of your ministry. The mistakes happen after they walk through the door....usually, definitely not always, but even though I humbly hate to say this... it's usually by our mistakes as leaders that people often walk back out the door. I've learned so much from my rearview mirror in the ministry, the things that I overlooked and the opportunities lost by my own ambition to just "do what I do and they can either follow or get out". This is not God's heart on this issue.
God has a specific purpose and plan for EVERY individual that He places in our path. Our job is to reach them where God needs us to reach them. This takes alot of work...because the same everything does not work for every individual in the Body. I can't tell you how many times, I myself, other leaders, and pastors have stood up in front of their people and said these infamous words, "IF you love God, you'll be in church". Problem with this statement...it's not true. It's not true because we use the word "church" to describe our building on Sundays. But we all know, when God told us to not give up meeting together, He wasn't talking about our definition of "church". Now, we are not going to get into a whole other discussion about we don't have to go to church. I believe God wants us in "church", but the correct statement should be..."IF you love God, you'll BE the church" right?
This is why being "essential" is part of God's plan for His people. God, because of who He is, is not going to just tell people to come to your ministry...just because. He's going to direct people to your ministry because He wants to "work" in them and "use" them how He has designed and planned for them. God is not now, nor ever going to lead people to your ministry just to "put butts in the seats". Pretty point blank I know, but this seems to be happening more and more amongst leaders.
You have to provide something of value, something that is "essential" for the life of every individual that sets foot in your ministry. This means work for us, but we either want to lead or we don't right? We have to stop seeing everyone the same. One sermon or message on the basics of Christianity is going to be essential for the life of someone just starting on their faith journey, but it is completely not essential to the life of the individual who has been living out this sermon for the last 20 years. And that's okay to not be able to reach everyone at the exact same time, BUT there needs to be something essential for those who are left out in that portion of your service. Maybe the sermon is not essential for someone but the time of worship with other believers IS something they need in their life that they don't get in their private worship time at home. Essential. Or maybe opportunites to serve according to what God has called them to do is provided during your service... that could be something essential to the one who already lives out the sermon and already has times of worship with other believers during the week but comes because an opportunity to serve is essential to their journey with Christ.
Your entire ministry dear friends, is not about you, or me. It's about what GOD wants to do in them. This is leadership. Not doing things according to our preferences or styles, but doing things because God is telling us step by step...to do what He has called us to do. Embrace the lives of the people He sends us and do our very best to uphold them to God's standards and His calling on their lives. This is our act of service to our King. What an amazing and scary thing, to be entrusted with precious lives that God has placed in our care, to help them discover who He is to them and what the plan is that He has for their lives.
Be essential in your leadership. Be essential in your ministries. Be essential in the lives of the people you've been chosen to lead. Do this....and fewer people will walk back out that door. People really do want what they need.
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