We All Are Managers

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As we begin the fresh new year of 2009 it’s a good time to review our congregation’s mission and what our responsibilities as leaders are all about. So many times we wind up repeating what we did the year before, just because we haven’t really thought through what our commitments as Christians really are and what we need to do to accomplish those things even better this year.

For the people in the pews, our members and friends, they also need to reexamine what it means to be a part of our congregation and the responsibilities that go with it. Everyone in the congregation has responsibilities --- but unfortunately only a few realize what those responsibilities really are. They don’t fully understand their lives are a gift from God that requires that they manage those lives in a way that they achieve God’s Great Commandment Loving Him with all their hearts and loving their neighbors as themselves! The concept of them being a manager with responsibilities, even though it involves their own lives --- seems to be something they can’t fully understand.

In their work environment it is made perfectly clear what their responsibilities are and they accept them as being “part of the workforce”. It becomes “the rules of the game” at work and they happily accept them as being the guidelines for their employment and subsequent paycheck. They manage their jobs the best they can because they understand that is the standard for their reward at the end of the week or month. The company trusts them to follow those policies and guidelines of their responsibilities and entrusts them with taking care of their job area so that it furthers the company’s goals.

In a similar way, God’s purposes apply to you and I and all people in the congregation. He has, in essence, made us all managers. Managers of our lives and all the things that we come into contact with, where we can help further His purposes. Just as with our positions at work, He gives us freedom to carry out those responsibilities in the way we feel will achieve the things He has shown us to be His goals for each of us. In both cases the goals and purposes shape and mold our opinions, our attitudes and our decision making.

You see, stewardship is just that! To be a steward is to be good manager of our lives and our possessions and the world around us. Unfortunately, most people when they hear that word immediately think of money. And of course, that’s an important part of it but there are many other responsibilities we as Christians have in our congregation besides putting an envelope in the offering plate.

But how are our people going to know what their responsibilities are if we don’t tell them? Outside of coming to church regularly and giving generously what else have we asked them to do? Yes, we ask them to volunteer, but mostly in a half hearted way like “you wouldn’t want to help us out would you?” As any sales person will tell you that’s just an invitation to say, No!

So many people complain about what’s not happening at the church but rarely take the time to try to do anything about it. But, then again, we don’t lay out what the responsibilities are either and if you don’t tell them what you want to happen, you had better not be surprised that it doesn’t get done!

Make the people in your congregation each a manager and ask them to start by managing their time to help the congregation. That’s a step forward --- and it’s just good stewardship!