|
Symbiosis stands for dissimilar organisms finding a way to live
together and benefit from one another. This life (biotic) principle can
not only be observed in nature but also be applied to the ministry of the
church. Suzie Wiegers, Ministry Coordinator of Bridgeway Community Church
in Haledon, New Jersey (USA), learned in her ministry what it means to
depend on others and benefit from a symbiotic cooperation.
"I had been hired as part-time Ministry Coordinator for less than
a year. Most of this time I had used to study and learn more about my
role. This role, I realized, included: preparing ministry descriptions,
training ministry leaders, recognizing and encouraging both leaders and
ministry helpers, and most of all, promoting the importance of using our
God-given spiritual gifts in service. At that moment, I felt very
overwhelmed and alone with the huge task laid on me. Not only did my paid
10 -12 hours a week fall far short on time, but I was well aware that I
personally did not possess even half of the  gifts or skills needed to work
on all these areas. I would need lots of help.
So I decided to start with a weekend seminar, Network, which
would help others in the congregation to discover their spiritual gifts
and direct them into appropriate areas of service. I began building a
Network Team to "help" me plan and implement this seminar. At the first
meeting, I invited several people to come hear the vision of Network and
the areas of ministry opportunity that were available. To my great
surprise, everyone who came decided to join the team in roles that seemed
to fit them.
That was when my true lesson in leadership started. I had read in
my studies that true leaders equip others to use their gifts and to lead.
These team members weren’t there to "help" me, but for me to empower them
for service and leadership. In serving with these team members over the
next four months, wonderful and exciting evidences of God's sovereignty
began to unfold.
Three of the Network Team members also happened to be involved in
other ministries that coincided with the roles they had chosen on the
Team. Our hospitality team member gathered others in the broader
hospitality ministry to create a welcoming environment with good food for
the seminar and lovely centerpieces for the tables. One promotion team
member recruited her theatrical ministry buddies to practice and perform a
great drama in a worship service that tied in with Network and spiritual
gifts. Furthermore, another promotion team member met with her aesthetics
team to help create a beautiful visual prop that included every spiritual
gift and caught the eye of everyone in the sanctuary. Needless to say,
when these team members were empowered, they drew resources and skills
from other already present ministries to help make the Network seminar a
huge success. But, what was even more exciting to see were the Network
participants who discovered their passions and spiritual gifts and were
encouraged to use these in the various ministries at Bridgeway."
Ministry can really be an overwhelming task if you see only
yourself or gather people around you that are just like you. People with
different personalities, callings, and spiritual gifts can be an asset if
you recognize your own limitations and see the need for others
complementing you. Such an "inclusive mentality" with regard to people
paves the way for a creative interplay between individuals with different
qualities in ways everyone will benefit from. As a leader, how do you
facilitate such a symbiotic cooperation? First of all, empower others by
helping them discover, develop, and use their spiritual gifting in
ministry. Then affirm their distinct qualities and consciously draw on
their resources as you involve them in ministry projects. Symbiotic
cooperation is God's alternative to competition.
Thomas Fode lives in
Germany and serves as NCD Coach and Partner Relationship Manager for NCD
International |
