February 18, 2014

Cocky Driver Syndrome and How it Can Put Your Ministry in the Ditch

I grew up in the Northeast, completely comfortable driving in any weather. In order to better equip me as a good driver, my parents would accompany me to empty parking lots to do donuts in the snow before plows had come through after large winter storms. I loved it, and I became pretty good at handling my vehicle in all sorts of compromising conditions. Yes, I’ll admit it: I had Cocky Driver Syndrome.

The winter of ’97 pounded the cockiness right out of me, though. Young, engaged, and working through college, I wasn’t very diligent in maintaining my vehicle. I was broke. So when the first snowstorm of the season hit, I headed out like it was nothing. There was a mere four inches of snow on the ground, and two miles into my commute, I nearly went off the road three different times.

I gave up, turned around and went home, appalled at my inability to control my car. What the heck was wrong with me? Four inches were nothing. I was a good driver, darn it! And I was. I was experienced and well trained.

Little did I know, my driving skills had nothing to do with why my car nearly went off the road—my tires did. They were nearly bald with no tread. In other words, I hadn’t maintained a healthy system. I let it go, and despite my skills, I could only perform as good as my car was capable of performing.

I see this truth paralleled in so many churches. They have a skilled and experienced leader at the steering wheel, but because the ministry hasn’t maintained a healthy system and sound structures, church members often wonder why the guy or gal in charge can’t “get it done.”

The reality is, no matter how experienced a person is, they will only be able to perform at the level in which the system is equipped to function.

Does your ministry have a vision, and does that vision include goals? If not, you’ll have no traction in getting to where you want to go. Is your ministry supported by an engine of well-trained volunteers? If not, you’ll be running on overdrive.

Maintenance of our leadership systems is critical, and too often, it’s overlooked in the ministry world. How do you maintain healthy systems in your ministry? What sort of tools do you use to ensure your ministry is functioning at its optimal level?