Heath Lewis

“Can you find babysitters for the women’s event on Saturday?”

“Will you organize the Wednesday night meal in two weeks?”

“Are you open to teaching pre-school Sunday school next fall?”

“Will you head up our trip to Minneapolis for the next National Youth Gathering?”

Life in the church is filled with requests like the ones listed above. Whether you are working in a congregation or volunteering in your local parish, not a week goes by without inquiries from staff, congregational members, and people in the community. Some of those requests sound very appealing and inspire you to a quick response of yes. Some, however, are requests you feel less inclined to accept.

We are entering a busy time in the Church Year.

Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be upon us, followed rapidly by the Advent and Christmas celebrations—and, in the blink of an eye, the new year will be here! Christmas programs and parties, special worship services, and many more special events will soon dominate the calendar. And that does not account for the regular ministries already taking place in your congregation.

If your congregation is like most, you ask a lot of your volunteers during times like this. It can be very easy for volunteer leaders to feel worn down and even burned out during this season of ministry. So how can we help volunteers stay refreshed and energized, even when things seem crazy?

If you ask 50 people in your congregation, “What one attribute matters most for a leader in the church?” you will likely get a wide variety of responses. The truth is, even though the responses may vary, they would likely fit into one overarching theme: a leader’s credibility. Credibility is the differentiating factor between good and great leaders—including leaders in ministry. A leader may have all the skills and knowledge in his or her area of expertise, but will continually struggle if credibility is lacking.