This morning Amy and I met with a Lutheran Pastor to talk about ministry. She had invited Amy and I to talk about what ministry looks like in our world and how we grow leaders; and what that entails. It was a very good time of thought for myself on if we are even growing people into leadership the right way. So I went to my favorite apostle for some answers. Paul surrounded himself with people who were willing to lay down their lives for him (Romans 16:34). Some of them are virtually unknown. Ever heard of Tertius? He recorded Paul's thoughts so we could read them. We all know about Timothy, but do you know about Gaius? '...He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church...' (Romans 16:23 NLT) Many served in the shadows so Paul could work in the limelight. Sadly, when some leaders arrive at the top, they spend their time trying to push others off it. They play 'king of the hill' because of immaturity, insecurity and competitiveness. That may work for a while, but it doesn't last long. It was a hard lesson for me to learn as a young pastor that we need everyone to help in the ministry. We need everyone to be leaders and to be ministers. Jules Ormont said, 'A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibilities.' So today I want to challenge you to think and build another paradigm in your thought process about being the men and women God wants you to be. How do you go about that? Build relationships. Win people over. Love them were they are. When you don't love people, you're only a few steps away from manipulating them. We have some amazing things happening here at CFW. We will need many leaders and hands to do the work. I read an article a few years ago about the three great tenors - José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti. They were performing together a concert. When a reporter tried to find out if there was any rivalry among the superstars, Domingo said, 'No, you can't be rivals when you're together making music.' I'm' looking forward to making amazing music together as we trust God in changing hearts and souls for His kingdom...you are loved!
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