resource

One of my biggest desires in life is to help, to be a resource for people, to offer insight, especially to people in ministry. I don't know why, but I love this stuff.  I have always loved to ask questions, to get feedback from others, to hear how to make things better.  And for some reason, I want to offer the same to others.  I cherish opportunities to be a resource for other people. 

A week ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with a team of folks on staff at a local church plant.  I had attended this church once, got only a quick look at their kids ministry, and didn't know much about the congregation or the church's history except what friends had shared.  I was humbled to get the opportunity to be a resource for these folks -- to talk about increasing volunteers, kids ministry strategy, events, and problem solving.  IT WAS SO FUN!  I will always worry about whether I really have something good to say, but I got to share from my experience working in a portable church, the people who influenced me there, the great volunteers that I only wished I could duplicate and bring to Nashville, and the journey God took me on!

After this meeting, questioning whether I said anything they didn't already know, I began to think about the take-aways. Two things came to mind about why this type of conversation is good for ministry:

1. When a person doesn't do what you do every week, or know you well, or know your people, they are a lot less likely to have preconceived notions about what you're doing -- good OR bad!  They can give honest feedback. In this case, I had no idea who their volunteers were. I had no ideas how many hours this #kidmin leader put in each week. I only knew that I wanted to help her delegate more responsibilities, help her keep volunteers engaged, keep from burning herself out, and learn from some of the things that helped me in church ministry.

2. Talking with someone outside your ministry (who's been in that same place or had those questions before) can help you see if your fears are irrational. I had previously shared many of the fears this #kidmin had...until I lived through them, and saw what life was like on the other side of those fears, having overcome them!

What do you love about having someone be a resource for you? Other great takeaways? I know there are many more!