4. DELEGATING TASKS INSTEAD OF RESPONSIBILITY.  In my humble opinion, the most overused and overrated buzzword in
ministry today is “excellence.” As a pastor
of a thriving urban church, I am committed to excellence in my life and the
life of Mars Hill.

Because of my commitment to excellence, I can become obsessed about every
detail.  I’ve noticed how I’ve made my expectations clear to our team and now they tend to obsess about every detail. However, it
didn’t take long for the team to realize that their interpretation of
excellence might not be the same as mine. Consequently, the team began to bring every decision about every detail
to me, their leader. They didn’t want to run the risk that they might not “get
it right.”  Over time, I found myself in a challenging predicament. I became overwhelmed
because I had to touch everything. Furthermore, what’s frustrating is how I
became responsible for generating every new idea.

"If you try to control things, that’s self-limiting,” said Michael
Dell, chief executive officer of Dell. “The easiest way to think about this is
that if all the decisions inside an organization had to roll up to the center
of the company or to one person, it’s a massive bottleneck to progress.” (Check
out the
rest of the interview.)

In the end, I learned that sometimes values collide.  My commitment to excellence wasn’t the
problem. Control was the problem.  My obsession
with getting it right became a roadblock to progress.  I discovered the need to empower the team with
broad responsibilities to fulfill Mars Hill’s mission while still holding them
accountable to the overall vision and values.  I needed to let the team take risks…and
sometimes fail.

5. ASSUMING THINGS ARE EITHER BLACK OR WHITE.  According to Wikipedia, a grey area is a term for a border in-between two or more things
that is unclearly defined, a border that is hard to define or even
impossible to define, or a definition where the distinction border
tends to move. 
Wow, that’s a mouthful isn’t it!

I often say when I’m preaching, "let me give you the Stowers translation:"  A grey area is a subject or problem that people do not know how to deal with because there are no clear rules.  Yea, I like that definition!!!

For those involved ministry, experience has taught us that grey areas exist!  Following rules is
easier than the messiness of relationships.  Following rules is easier than
discerning God’s will. The policies or guidelines we establish should actually
remove barriers and allow more freedom within our organizations. Moreover, innovative organizations don’t value the rules over relationships, they don’t value rules over people, and they don’t value rules over the mission.

As we seek to minister to God’s people, remember black and white are not the only colors in the box…

6. NOT FOLLOWING THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.  The Spirit’s presence within us enables us to understand and interpret the Word.  Jesus told His disciples “when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).  He reveals to our minds the whole counsel of God as it relates to worship, doctrine, and Christian living.  He is the ultimate guide, going before, leading the way, removing obstructions, opening the understanding, and making all things plain and clear. He leads in the way we should go in all spiritual things.  Without such a guide, we would be apt to fall into error. 

Sometimes when I’m facing a big decision, I try to acquire more information rather than seek God’s direction.  Here’s a fundamental principle to ponder: When we stop listening to God, He stops talking to us.  God stopped talking to Abraham for 13 years between the last verse of Genesis 16 and the first chapter of 17.  Sometimes, God requires us to take a step, in faith, before he reveals his plan.  Check out Joshua 3.