Are Your Champions Sitting In A Chair Or Being Challenged? |
Nov 21, 2009 |
When I share on the subject of Coaching Your Champions ministry leaders usually have many questions about applying this material to a variety of situations they face. I am always thrilled to provide guidance that leads these individuals to coming up with the answers they need.
However, there is one question that most all ministries struggle with and are afraid to answer on their own. The question would be asked similar to this, “I have this champion that loves this ministry and is involved in one area (giving, volunteering etc.), but I really would like to see them become involved in another aspect of our work, but I am afraid to ask because I don’t want to offend them."
My answer always is, "If you are afraid of offending, then I suspect that your champions are not being offered opportunities for growth and to be effective in your cause."
In a recent article in Christianity Today (October 2009), Crazy Passion, Francis Chan illustrates this similarly when he is talks about how often the church operates and fails to challenge or potentially offend. He says, “In church, rather than rehab people, we just put them in a wheelchair and say, ‘we will do everything for you.’ You don’t have to witness to your neighbors. We will send out fliers and do TV shows and evangelize for you. You don’t have to counsel your neighbors; just give them the churches’ phone number.” Chan then goes on to say, “Now we are saying, ‘you be the discipler. You have the Holy Spirit in you, and we want to equip you to reach your neighbors.’”
The reality is, if you are truly coaching champions you must understand that you need to build a relationship with your champions. Get to know them, know what makes them tick; understand who they are and what talents and desires God has given them. This isn’t rocket science, but it does take a willingness to spend time with those God has called to mutually connect with the cause you are passionate about. The other aspect is to understand the steps it takes to fully grow a complete owner (your truest champions) in all aspects in relation to the cause.
To be afraid to ask, or offend, then would be the equivalent to pushing your champions around in wheelchairs as you do all the work.
My challenge to today is to remember that God has already given you everyone you need to equip your ministry, and He’s holding you accountable for how you are stewarding them and providing opportunities to grow.
