Church Leadership is Boring (sometimes).
Posted on August 11, 2009
Filed Under change, leadership
I recently sent out a tweet that said “Sometimes, Church leadership is boring”. It got a lot of reactions!
Here’s the deal. Every job is boring on occasion. There are no exceptions. Even when you are serving the most Holy and Awesome God.
When you think about it, you know that it is true. “Bored” is literally a state of mental being. I have been in incredible places with my boys, where opportunity and adventures abound - and I still hear the phrase ” I’m bored.”
I have met with some incredible, cutting edge, type “A” leaders in both the church and business worlds and heard the phrase “I’m bored.”
Bored means that your mind is not being stimulated. It means that you have found ways to do the things that are before you, and that the energy and creativity that was once required is no longer needed. It doesn’t mean that the job is not important, it just means that you have rewired your brain (through repetition) to know how to do the job using less mental resources than were required in the past. Thus - the sense of boredom.
So, what do you do when you find yourself bored in a church leadership position?
1. Rest. This may simply be a short break between times of great demand. Take advantage of it and pick up some hobbies or books to refresh and energize yourself.
2. Reflect. How long has this been going on? If you find yourself getting really anxious to do something new, spend time a lot of time in prayer to consider if God is trying to stir a new work in you or your church. (btw- you’d probably be surprised how often this “bored” stage precedes a really incredible paradigm shift for an individual or a church.)
3. Recommit. Once you figure out if God is or is not calling you to a new thing, then recommit to whatever God has before you. Recommit to the people He has in your life, recommit to the vision He has given you, and recommit to seeking, following and really having a relationship with Him.
One the other side: Do not manufacture a crisis! I have seen many leaders do this - and the results are disastrous. This burns out the people you count on, hurts vital relationships and destroys long term credibility.
Being bored is OK. How you respond to being bored can make or break you as a leader.
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Church has become a major entertainment business. I long for the pure Word of God to come from the pulpit.