It’s not a statement of pride, rather a statement of desperation. Have you been going 100mph on a Sunday morning when that leader or volunteer asks for your help to…

• Fix the sound board.
• Unfreeze the check-in computers.
• Talk to an upset parent.
• Print off small group questions.
• Find that one item that no one can ever find, be it a microphone or speaker cable.

Our people need our help solving problems that seem unsolvable to them, and we need to meet them in that frustration. We have all  found ourselves doing something important and the need went double down, something else needs my attention. The saying goes, “You can’t be in two places at once.” My plea for you and myself in these situations – DUPLICATE YOURSELF.

It would be really nice to step into a futuristic machine and hit a button and two of you come out…actually now that I’m considering it, that might be terrifying. Although, it’s not as easy as hitting a button…it is rather simple, sometimes we just have a hard time carving out the moment to train another person to do what we do, and teach someone to know what we know.

I’ve begun a new approach. Whether it be a student or volunteer, if a need arises I do my best to train on the spot rather than just fix the problem at hand by myself. Now, there is another person with the knowledge to fix that problem should it arise again. If I can’t fix the problem at hand I make it a priority to be a resounding gong to the powers that be and make it their problem until it’s taken care of…if I don’t my leaders and volunteers will naturally loose fervor and trust that I am really for them.

After observing the places I get stuck on Sundays, I now have most of my basis covered, with a few exceptions…so that if a real emergency arises I can be present and fully available to execute the task given to me without worrying about everything else going on.

What obstacles or roadblocks do you seem to encounter rather often? Are you really the only person that can handle it? Who can you entrust this problem to? Look at it this way, you aren’t giving a problem away, you are creating an opportunity for someone else to step in and lead.

Addendum: There will be a few things that ONLY you can fix. Usually this boils down to hard conversations that are only appropriate coming from you, approval of new leaders in your ministry, casting vision for the ministry year, etc.