So we come to our final day of giving away one of Jim Wideman & friends book, KidMin Leadership.
Thanks to all who participated through posting on our Fanpage or Tweeting! Also to those who posted comments on the posts for these giveaways. Today’s winner will be someone who left a comment here on the blog on any of the giveaway posts (including this one).
If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to get the book. Jim has another one coming out, just announced this week, called STRETCH, which I would also encourage you to look for.
We’ve looked at various ideas put forward in this book, but today I want to share some of my own ideas on what, exactly, KidMin Leadership really is. Too many of us who should be leading are either not leading at all, or not leading well. In many cases we’re just managers, and there’s a big difference.
My definition of leadership is this:
Leadership is the capacity to influence others toward the pursuit of a worthy vision.
Let’s break that down a little big:
- the capacity to influence others. Influence, by definition, means “the capacity…to produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions of others.” Basically, it’s the ability to persuade others that they really do want to do something, or that something is good or worthy of investment of their time, resources or energy (or all three).
- toward the pursuit of a worthy vision. Before this can happen you have to have a worthy vision. Too many of the “leaders” in churches we work with are just happy to get through Sunday – that’s pretty much the extent of their vision. Once a worthy vision is present, the leader has the capacity to communicate (cast) that vision to others in a many that influences them to whole-heartedly participate in the pursuit of that vision.
That’s leadership. Does that describe you? If you are a children’s pastor/director, it should. At the very least it should represent who you are becoming. This is why leadership matters in Children’s Ministry. It matters because we need to be pursuing a worthy vision and we, as leaders, need to be able to influence others to join us in that pursuit. It’s why I bought in to what my former boss, John Maxwell, always says: Everything rises and falls on leadership.
So if we are not really leading, what are we doing? Most likely we are managing. Here’s my definition of management:
Management is the ability to coordinate the efforts of those pursuing [what should be] a worthy vision.
Do you see the difference? Basically, the difference is coordinating versus influencing. Many of us who should be influencing spend far too much of our time coordinating. In reality, coordinating usually should be done by somebody else. The main problem? Coordinating is easier. Leading is hard. Coordinating takes less flack. Leaders are targets for criticism. Coordinators have to think less. Leaders have to create. You get the idea.
If God has called you and placed you in a position of KidMin Leadership, then by all means, please LEAD. Take the responsibility to equip yourself, develop leaders around you, and DO that worthy vision that God has placed on your heart!
THAT is KidMin Leadership!
What would you say is the most effective thing you do to equip yourself of your team as KidMin Leaders?
Answer this question with a comment below to enter our drawing for the final copy of KidMin Leadership. For additional entries, tweet about today’s post or leave a comment on our fanpage!
And a special thanks once again to Jim Wideman for providing the books for our giveaways this week!
