Four Stages I’ve Gone Through As A Leader…
Someone asked me on Twitter what are some transitions I’ve gone through as a leader…and so I sat down and jotted the following out.
#1 – I Want To See God Do Something Great.
When we first began NewSpring Church…I really did believe in my heart that God wanted to do something amazing in Anderson. (Greenville, Florence and Columbia weren’t on my mind at all…His plans are MUCH larger – I Corinthians 2:9!)
SO…I began to pray, to beg God to do some great things. I really did believe that if anything significant was going to happen then He was going to do it and that all I had to do was pray really hard.
#2 – I Want To Do Something Great.
One of the most dangerous things God can give someone is success…I found that out the hard way.
When we first began NewSpring…I did it all–leading worship, membership class, follow up, powerpoint–EVERYTHING. (Except for writing the checks!)
And…as the church began to experience some growth I began to depend less on God and more on myself. I actually began thinking that God needed me…and that without me the church simply would not be successful.
SO…in 2005 God allowed me to nearly die to prove to me that I just wasn’t that good!!! Thus leading to the third transition…
#3 – I Want Us To Do Something Great.
I am all about the team…and I LOVE the team of people I work with. Over time I have learned (and am still learning) to delegate tasks that I used to be really involved in and watch people who are way more skilled than me take ministry to levels that they never could have achieved under my leadership.
BUT…once again this was not the picture of what God wanted our church to become. YES…teamwork does make the dream work. YES…a healthy team IS essential to a healthy church. YES…God has surrounded me with incredible people…
BUT…at the end of the day II Corinthians 4:1 is true of every one of us…and we can do some great things…but if we focus on making plans minus the power of God…then all we do is make a bunch of noise that doesn’t really amount to anything for the next generation.
#4 – I Want God To Do Something Great Through Us.
This ministry isn’t about me…it’s about Jesus!
This ministry isn’t about our staff…it’s about Jesus!
John 3:30 is our obsession.
We know that if God isn’t involved in this church…we’re screwed! We can’t accomplish ANYTHING of eternal significance without Him!
We are more desperate for HIS PRESENCE than we are CULTURAL RELEVANCE!
And we would much rather see REPENTANCE from our people rather than RECOGNITION from other churches.
AND we know that those things ONLY happen through the power of God.
BUT…we also know that God’s power isn’t an excuse for laziness. God gave Nehemiah a vision to build the wall…but Nehemiah actually had to get his hands dirty to accomplish the work. YES…God did it…THROUGH the willingness of Nehemiah.
God told Joshua that he was going to posses the land…but then Joshua had to go and fight for it. God “didn’t do it all,” but rather worked through a man who believed God was big enough to fulfill His promises through the faithfulness of effort and hard work.
We want to see God work…we beg Him for it…but then we are passionate enough about it to NOT be passive and let things happen…but rather to move in obedience as He leads, knowing that as long as we listen to Him we can NEVER go wrong!
Mt. Ararat has greatly impacted my life, before I came to Mt. Ararat, i had never been involved in any sort of small group, no real sunday school, not even youth group. I would come to church on sundays and walk away with a heavy heart thinking, “Wow that church needs work!” “That is not how church is supposed to be”. Then slowly last year I began realizing that the church wasn’t made for me, I was made for the Church, and that I needed to be a part of that body of Christ. Through the 40 days of community, I got involved in small groups, and sunday school, I experienced true fellowship, and the care and concern I recieved from my new friends only stirred my passion to show that care and concern to others. I now love being a part of the church rather than the church being a small part of what I thought was me.
GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME!
Wow, how has Mt.Ararat impacted my life; where do I begin? In hindsight I see that the Lord placed me here for a purpose. I have so many wonderful people in my life thanks to Mt. Ararat; that I may not have known otherwise. I have grown closer to the Father through the sermons and Bible studies. I have learned to forgive completely and what an awesome feeling. I have learned to love which is more than a feeling. I have learned that there is so much much the Father wants to teach me, in His time. I love hearing the stories of the Bible in a new light. The Father reveals new lessons all the time. I am so grateful for the our pastors and their willingness to be His hands and feet. I am grateful for the church that does the same. I grew up being taught that Christian’s were a bunch of hypocrites; I’m grateful for our Father not giving up on me and allowing me to see and learn the Truth. Yes, sometimes we may be hypocritical when we go along with the flesh, but when we walk in the Spirit and allow the Father to do His work we become great tools for Him. I am grateful and humbled to be a part of Mt Ararat and look forward to whatever the Father is going to reveal next. Life is very difficult at times; but I have found that Mt Ararat is a great place to work through it because we use God’s Word. Let’s face it, that’s where you’ll find the answers. Hopefully I haven’t rambled too much; but I love Mt Ararat because I am closer to God and continue my lifelong journey with Him through the church.
Thank you and have a blessed week! Angie
There are so many ways that Mt.Ararat has impacted me and my kids. It will be 8 years this comming October that we have been part of Mt. Ararat Family. God has blessed me and the kids. The first Sunday I walked into the church and sat in the service they announced that they were starting a Divorce Care class that night. I joined the class that night.
I did everything I could do from to keep from just bursting in tears. Because I just felt God’s love and arms wraping around me that day. I was just starting to pick myself up from Troy(former husband deciding he was going to start a new life without me and the kids). The kids were excited that they saw many kids that they new in thier schools. I knew when I left that day I was where God wanted us to be.
I loved the fact that for the first time after traveling all over the country and living at many military bases that we were living only 5 minutes from our church. Mt. Ararat has been a wonderful place for my four children to grow up. There have been so many people at Mt. Ararat that God has brought into my life and the kids that have stood in the gap that was there after thier Dad left. I have folks tell me how great your kids have turned out. I know it is nothing I have done but what God has done and the many folks at Mt.Ararat that have influenced thier lives. Todd, Zac, Katie, Dawn, and Deb and many more that have worked with the youth have meant so much to me and the kids. I am greatful for each of you.
With growing up in East Texas I never thought I would end up in VA but this is where God has planted me for now. And at Mt. Ararat there are so many trans planted Texans it is just one more blessing. There is a bonus when your pastor went to Stephen F Austin the same college I attended.
I have learned so much through my small groups and my women’s bible studies. God has taught me so much and the ladies and men that have lead these classes are such a blessing.
The fact that the leadership in the church are so in love with God and are seeking him in each step they take in making decisions for the church is a blessing too. God has used Todd with him preaching God’s word to teach me and confict me when I needed to be disciplined and needed to change things in my life.
I don’t know what God has instore for me but for now I am greatful that he has planted me here in the Mt. Ararat family to serve him and be part of this time in the growing and building of the future.
God is an Awsome God!
Tamara Krause