How to Properly Raise Up and Prepare Your Backups in Ministry

It never fails. Every single year, a star player will get injured during the season. Even if it isn’t the “star” player, it is someone who is a starter or a key contributor to the team. When that happens everyone wonders how they will get someone to replace that person. Properly train and prepared backups are so important to have ready to go.

Training and preparing backup players is so important for that sports team. But it is also so important for ministry teams. From full-time associate staff positions to volunteers to interns or part-time staffers, there are a variety of backup players in ministry that need to know how to step up when the time is right. Lets look at what ministry leaders can do to properly prepare and raise up backups in ministry

Give them Reps. In the NFL the starters, 1st Team, players get majority of the practice reps while the backup do not get many reps. Even the players on the Practice Squad don’t get a lot of reps as they are simulating the other team’s plays. They aren’t learning their team’s plays. So, if the starter gets injured the backup player will have to get lots of reps to catch up and get up to speed on what the rest of the team is doing.

In the same way with ministry, the main communicator or ministry leader will get lots of reps doing what is at the heart of the mission. While they may have assistants and fellow ministry leaders to help, they often stand at the side when ministry is happening. Fight this dynamic. Empower the other ministry leaders, whether they are volunteers or paid staff, and give them positions of authority while the ministry leader is there so that the ministry leader can coach them up and work with them when they are leading. Give them reps. Give them practice sot that if something happens to the ministry leader they can step in and up with no issues at all.

Bring them Along with You to Do Ministry. Ministry is not a solo project. When you are trying to raise up the next generation of leaders, the backup leaders, bring them along with you when you are doing ministry. Let them learn from you by watching what you do.

Backup players on sports teams don’t get a lot of reps in practice, so when they enter the field for the first time they are not as sharp as they need to be. That is why it is so important for you to bring your ministry backups when you do ministry. Let them see how you do it, and then give them opportunities to support what you are doing. The more they can see you do it and support you, the more likely they are going to be ready to go when the time comes for them to serve and minister.

Expect Mistakes and Offer Constructive Criticism. Whenever a backup comes into to play, they are going to make mistakes. It happens and as minister leads, you need to expect them. But it is just as important to share constructive criticism so that they can learn and grow from the mistakes. The more they can learn and grow from them with valuable feedback from you (or a team), the more prepared they will be for when they have to step into those leadership roles.

Conclusion

It’s not a matter of if, but when. When will the primary ministry lead go down and miss something? That is why it is so important for your ministry team to prepare backup leaders to take over. Give them reps to take. Let them see and support you as you lead. But then, give them constructive criticism so that they can learn from it. The more experience you can give your ministry backups the more they will be equipped and prepared to take over when it is their time.

What do you think? How else can you get your ministry backups ready to play when it is their turn? Share your ideas below or on social media.

Interested in being a Digital Missionary or want to learn digital tools to expand your reach in ministry this year, join the Digital Bootcamp Facebook Group!