The Minister’s Role as an Equipper (by David Vaughan)
Ahoy mateys! Have you ever thought about your church being a ship? It’s not a canoe. It’s not a pirate ship (I hope!) What kind of ship is she? Well, it is a love boat - because we show a lot of love. It is also a fishing boat - because we are always fishing for men (like Jesus did).
However, I think a better analogy might be a battleship. A mighty force moving forward on a mission for God in enemy waters. Battleship churches are designed to recruit all members to find their God-given missions in life, to equip them, and then to send them on missions all around the world to reach and serve those far from Jesus. On a battleship, everyone has a captain, fellow shipmates, and a post/assignment. Unlike the cruise ship where you sit and soak it all in (and eat a lot!), on the battleship you do the serving.
One author said that there are four kinds of passengers aboard every church ship. Passengers to nurture and challenge. Crew members to equip and empower. Stowaways to find and convert. And pirates to confront and eliminate. (Make ’em walk the plank!) What kind of passengers, church members, do you have right now? What kind of mentality do your passengers have? Cruise ship, fishing ship, battleship? People can tell you know!
One author said that people who attend “cruise ship churches,” much like cruise ship passengers, often come to be entertained and catered to by the staff. Very little is expected of these church attendees. In fact, they tend to rate the quality of their experience - the music, the sermon, and the way it made them feel - much as cruise ship passengers rate their satisfaction with various aspects of their trip.
How does a pastor turn that ship mentality around? Vision casting and equipping. The most profound principle I've ever learned in the area of equipping and developing others is one I learned from John Maxwell. He taught me more about leadership than anyone else. Ready for the axiom? Never work alone. (To use our nautical analogy – never sail alone!)
It sounds simple, but it is truly the secret to equipping others. Whenever you do anything, just take someone along with you. It is not about content (the typical American model of learning), it is about connection. It is more of an apprenticeship model where they work alongside you and watches.
The model looks like this:
- I do it.
- I do it - and someone watches.
- They do it - and I watch.
- They do it.
- They do it and someone else watches.
It’s as simple as that, friend. It was Jesus' model and should be ours. It is Ephesians 4:11-13 in action. When you think about it, the church has always been a ship. You have worship, fellowship, stewardship, discipleship, membership, and leadership! You have quite a few ships in your fleet already!
Be bold and invite people on the voyage of a lifetime into uncharted waters for God. Bon voyage!
David Vaughan has been serving Whitewater Crossing Christian Church in Cincinnati, OH, as Senior Minister since June, 2002. Under his leadership, the congregation has changed names and relocated to a new facility where the congregation has grown from 350 to 2500 in size. He grew up in and loves smaller churches though and has a passion for helping develop healthy churches that work right. He was born in Ashland, Kentucky, and graduated from Cincinnati Christian University in 1983. David and his wife Donna have been married 40 years and have two children and two grandchildren.