A Letter to Lay Leaders

Dear Lay Leader:
We at Convergence want to encourage you. With so many current pressures and more to come, the church -- your church -- is under tremendous strain. You are the link between the present and the future. You are the hope of future impact.

Over the last 25 years of serving as a lay leader in various churches, I’ve seen the tremendous movement that the church can undertake when fueled by lay leader participation. Lay leaders are at the crossroads. Lay leaders, however, are not all created equally.

I prefer to make the distinction between lay leader (a term that has become generic in some churches for a warm body that is willing to serve on a committee) and that of ministry champion. A champion is a non-staff leader in the congregation that shares the pastor’s passion for reaching their community with the life-changing message lived and taught by Christ. As a champion, you should “own” the movement. You are the defender of the faith in literal terms. You stand as a constant support to your pastor and their vision. We need more champions and fewer committee members.

My encouragement to you is to thoughtfully consider God’s leadership calling in your life. You have an important calling. You have a purpose to which you are specifically called. There is a place within your congregation for you to display the champion effort. We encourage you to find that place and fully engage your life in that cause.

In some cases, the very survival of your church could be in your hands. As we encounter churches in distress in the U.S. it almost always involves an adversarial relationship between pastor’s and those in lay leadership positions. There are levels of distrust that permeate the entire organization that eventually become distractions from the ultimate purpose. In other cases, lay leaders have “checked out” spiritually, emotionally and physically leaving the pastoral staff to fend for themselves against those members stuck in that dreaded no-impact zone. It is a loss. It only takes a handful of champions to stand up for what is relevant and right. It can be the spark that resuscitates your local impact.

We, the church, need you. Our hope is that you will be energized to do a few important things that we believe will be beneficial to your church and your pastor.

1. Meet with your senior pastor and ask them to share with you their frustrations. Listen carefully. Take notes.

2. Spend a week praying over those notes asking God to prompt you to action.

3. Meet again with your senior pastor to discuss God’s prompting and to get their feedback on what God has revealed as your role.

4. Set out to serve with excellence and determination, the role to which you are called.

By joining with your pastor, you will serve as a role model for others who have the heart of a champion. The journey begins today. The journey begins with you.