3 Facets of Christian Ministry and Leadership
I have been involved in Christian leadership and ministry in one way or another for about thirty years. This includes both as a pastor of a church and a military chaplain. I have spent a lot of time observing leaders, pastors, and chaplains.
What I have noticed is that there are three facets of ministry and leadership that we can apply to any leader. They include caregiving, vision, and administration.
Caregiving
There are some leaders who excel in caregiving. They love their people. This may be fellow team members or the people they are employed to care for. Hopefully every pastor or chaplain is involved in caregiving but there are some people who are passionate about it.
They cannot pass a person in need without stopping to help. They will put aside any other tasks to provide care. Caregiving is as natural as breathing.
Vision
There are other leaders who excel at vision. They do not just see what is but what could be. They look for the big picture and how to transform beyond just individuals.
These are the dreamers who are excited about all of the possibilities open to them. Every challenge is another open door for a new project.
Administration
Some are excellent at administration. You can count on them to respond to emails promptly and to compile very useful reports. Their desks are organized and they have everything together. Nothing gets lost.
The Challenge
Ideally, a pastor or chaplain would be very good at all three of these facets. In my experience, both personally and by observation, this is rarely the case.
Frequently, a leader will excel in one of these, be competent in a second one, and struggle with a third. Some very good leaders may excel in two almost equally.
Not being good at all three does not make us failures as leaders. But we should be aware of where are strengths and weaknesses are.
We need to lean into our strength and compensate for our weakness. We can build supports where we need help, creating a team where members compliment each other.
Where do you excel? Where do you struggle?
