Fit to Size
In formatting documents, text and images can be resized to fit available space. Similarly, daunting tasks can be “fit to size” for smaller churches.
To cite one instance, New Beginnings Church in Ephrata (Pa.) is introducing a creative way to leverage the close-knit relationships in a smaller church to identify, equip, and deploy new workers and leaders.
First, current leaders take time each year to identify potential workers. With church directories in hand, they share insights into the gifts, skills, and interests of every person in the directory. The observations are recorded and—voila!—without expense or fuss, they have identified prospective new workers!
Second, the direction (i.e., governing) team adjusts 2-3 leadership roles and assignments for the coming year. Not wanting to rely on the same leaders year after year, these leaders make yearly adjustments to create movement and open opportunities for new workers and leaders.
This two-step strategy enables people who are weary to rest. It provides for cross-training as proven leaders swap assignments. It opens an exit door for people who are not able to fulfill expectations. It creates space for new workers and leaders. And it provides for on-the-job learning in close proximity with seasoned leaders already in place.
New Beginnings is no longer striving for a “perfect” organizational chart. The goal now is to create dynamic and flexible leadership roles and assignments as an approach to ongoing leadership development that, for this smaller church, is fit to size.
