Servant Leadership

 

Many people have a misconception of what ministry really is. Ephesians 4:11-12 says, “Now these gifts Christ gave to the church the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, their responsibility is to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” The word “ministry” in that passage simply means to serve, run errands, to assist, to be a waiter, to do the little things that others overlook. Ministry is simply doing what is needed when it’s needed. Ministry doesn’t start in the pulpit. At A Church Called Home, we often say that church doesn’t begin in the auditorium. Church begins in the parking lot, at the front door, at kid’s check-in, and so on. Ministry is so much more than a microphone and a platform.

 

If our focus is a platform, we will never be satisfied. A platform focused life is a life of frustration. Nowhere in the Gospels can we find Jesus placing an emphasis on platforms. He called us to serve. When I keep serving as my focus, I can then be content, satisfied, and fulfilled. So what is servant leadership? A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the cause to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the exercise of power, servant leadership is different. The servant-leader puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and achieve as highly as possible. If you are serving on a team and would like to assist in the leadership process, let your team leader know.