Would you like to multiply the number of people serving in your congregation? Here’s a math teaching concept I would like you to consider applying to your church.  The concept is called Low Threshold High Ceiling Tasks. Here’s the teaching definition:

“Low Threshold High Ceiling Tasks are those all students can access but can be extended to high levels. These tasks are important because all classes are heterogeneous or diverse.”

The same is true in your churches.  Every person, young and old, male and female, new Christian and life-long member comes with different gifts and abilities, different passions, and different spiritual maturity levels. The reality is you need to have service opportunities available for all those diverse people!  You want to create a low threshold or entry point and when appropriate, you want to help them grow and mature in their serving right on up to the high ceiling!   

Do Your Church Members Have Easy Access to Involvement?

• Is there a clear and unobstructed path to serving in your church?
• Are people helped in the door and welcomed into service opportunities?
• Perhaps there are controlling people they need to get past in order to be involved?

Once members are involved are there opportunities for next steps? I say opportunities because not everyone wants to “move on to more challenging things” but many do and yet that path may be obstructed or does not even exist.

Are Your Members Encouraged and Provided Opportunities to Reach New Heights in Their Giftedness?

In 1 Corinthians 14:12 God tells us, “Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in the gifts that build up the church.”

The spiritual gift assessment I use has nineteen different gifts identified.

• If someone in your church has the gift of evangelism how does your church help him grow in this area? How is your church utilizing those gifts?
• If someone is gifted musically are there lessons available and opportunities for her to use the gift?
• How about if someone has the gift of leadership? Are there ways for him or her to grow in character and in leadership expertise?
• If a lay member has the gift of teaching is he or she encouraged to teach? Are they offered quality training to be more effective? You get the idea.

The justifications may be rising to the surface. You may be thinking we don’t have time for that. We’re a small church. Or by getting people into the Word we are training them.  The Word is most important but it’s not the only means God has provided to train people.

It’s said that the church is the only place you can volunteer and not get any training to actually complete the role effectively.

 

There Are Numerous Ways to Help Members Grow

Having an Equipping Team at your church can help. (Notice I didn’t say add this to the pastor’s plate!) An Equipping Team can be intentionally looking for ways for your people to grow.  You can host or attend workshops and training events. There are so many gifted men and women who can share their knowledge and wisdom with you members. Utilize them.

Create a mentoring mindset in your church leaders and members. See my article on Who Are Your Twelve.

Ask other church leaders what they have read lately that was really helpful for their congregation- and then read it and share it! There are also numerous things you can find online through videos, books and audiobooks.

When you invest in people you never go wrong. You are equipping them for next steps or higher levels of service moving up toward that ceiling area! More developed Christians can invest in those coming behind them.  The concept of delegate and elevate allows us to multiply the ministry that our churches are able to accomplish.

Are There Challenging and Compelling Next Steps for Your Members?

My twenty-four year old daughter just had an interview for a job at a bank.  The interviewer said he was looking for someone to stay in the position for seven to ten years.  She asked what the opportunities for growth and advancement were and he replied there were none.  She immediately decided the position was not worth her time. Church work and ministry can be the same. People want to make a difference but it needs to be meaningful to them and an efficient use of their time. They also want to grow. What challenging and compelling advancement opportunities do you have for your members?

How can I take this approach to ministry at my congregation?

Having an intentional system for your members to serve and grow needs to be strategic.  If you want your congregation to mature and shine in sharing the Good News of Jesus then you want to be strategic in how you are engaging, equipping and empowering them to live out their faith. I would love to help you grow in your understanding of how to do this and help your church create a sustainable member ministry system where members will actively live out their faith.

May You Serve the Lord with Gladness!