Raising Dreamers

At Movements this month we're studying various metaphors that the Bible uses to describe the local church.  Yesterday afternoon Christy led us in a great discussion centered around church as family.  There are so many good parallels to consider.

Church as family should really impact our leadership paradigm as pastors.  I think that one temptation in church leadership is to begin viewing people in the church as a means to an end.  Because we're consumed with the corporate dream, we forget that within each of our leaders are unique, personalized dreams that God has planned for them.  It's good for us to call people to rally around the corporate dream.  But isn't our responsibility also to lead our people down the road of dream discovery, releasing them along the way to become as unique as God's fingerprint on their lives?

There's so much I appreciate about my dad.  At the top of the list is the fact that he never tried to live his dreams through me.  He allowed me to experiment and become.  He did things he didn't personally enjoy just because I wanted to try them out.  And in the end a funny thing happened.  I ended up loving most of the same things he loves:)

Here's my question for all the church leaders out there.  Do you see people primarily for what they can add to your dream, or as potential dreamers themselves?  When you sit down for lunch with a prospective member are you thinking only about selling them on your vision or are you also concerned with asking questions that might allow them to discover something about themselves?  Are you most concerned with recruiting a nursery director or raising a dreamer? 

Trust me.  I understand the fear.  What if one of my high capacity leaders discovers a dream that leads him out of my church?  But as long as we're most afraid of losing people we're least likely to develop people.

When I graduated from high school my parents let me go.  But do you know what I've realized?  I keep coming back home:)

I encourage you to see potential in your people this week.  Set them free to chase their dreams.  And don't be surprised when your own start coming true:)

Comments

[Nick]

great post brad!!

[kim]

thanks, Pastor:) i like this.