31 Aug Fighting The Blah

Do you ever feel like you are on a losing team?  Taking two steps forward and three steps back? Sometimes, as Small-Group Leaders we get this nasty sickness called ‘Ministry Blah’.  It is a ‘consistent discouragement often accompanied by repetitive complaining’.  It can be further defined as ‘feeling like your ministry is useless’.  I have to admit, I get the ‘blahs’.  I get discouraged and complacent from time to time. There is nothing worse than being in a leadership role and feeling like you’re not getting your point across or no one seems to care anyway or you just don’t have what it takes.

I am here to tell you, what you are doing as a leader is far from useless.  What you have accomplished so far, or if you are new to this small-group leader stuff, what you will accomplish in the months and years to come has eternal value that you cannot discount.  You don’t often see the fruit right away.  Sometimes, it can take years before you see anything at all. Oh, perhaps you won’t get to see it, in this lifetime anyway (remember Moses?).  Ok, so his situation was a little different but he too did not think he was qualified. He wasn’t.  God is.

That is a relief!   The God who called you is qualified and when you invite the Holy Spirit into your personal life and group life, you are allowing Him to work things out for His glory.   I remember one new group member who was so excited to start group.  Week after week him and his wife waited for someone to sign-up.  No one did.  Then, they prayed about it, asked the Holy Spirit to bring those He chose for their group and even if no one signed up, they were going to stay home that particular night every week and commit to this no matter what. The following week someone joined their group and by the end of the month, 7 people had joined their group!

There have been so many transformations, answered prayers, uplifting stories that I can’t tell all of them to you here.  You just have to believe that what you are doing has purpose. There are people who need you; someone to tell them they are not alone.  They need someone to care for them, pray with them and love them.  They need a safe place they can gather with others and be challenged and encouraged.  (Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.)

Don’t let yourself get discouraged.  When this happens, we let the door open for unhealthy leadership.  Personal struggles as well as group struggles can bring us down.  We have a great system in place here.  We have the Coach Team structure.  It is important that when you have an issue and you simply don’t have an answer, go to your coach.  They will encourage you, exhort you, pray with you and help you through.  Also, take time for yourself to be with God.  Read the bible, find quiet place to pray and hear from Him.  This is also a very important part of Small-group leadership.  Healthy leaders produce healthy members which result in more healthy leaders.

We just finished the series ‘Not Yet Here’.  We need to remember that WE ARE HERE FOR THOSE NOT YET HERE. There is someone waiting to meet you.

Thanks for reading!

DON’T FORGET TO VISIT PLANNING CENTER GROUPS TO EDIT YOUR PROFILE, ADD/DELETE MEMBERS AND CHECK OUT YOUR RESOURCES!

https://groups.planningcenteronline.com/groups

PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY PREVIOUS BLOGS BY CLICKING THE LINKS BELOW!

February, 2017

Heart of a Leader: http://waterschurch.org/sgl/2017/08/30/the-heart-of-a-leader/

March, 2017

Leaving a Legacy: http://waterschurch.org/sgl/2017/08/31/leaving-a-legacy/

June/July, 2017

Leading with Joy: http://waterschurch.org/sgl/2017/08/31/leading-with-joy/