In ministry we often hear the phrase, "Life is not a sprint, it's a marathon." We want to finish well and pace ourselves for the long haul. However, we must realize that life is also a relay race. We deeply desire our work to still be in motion long after we have completed our portion of the race. This requires a skillful and effective hand-off of the baton.
In Women of Grace we seek to cultivate an environment that will train and reproduce leaders by identifying, developing and utilizing women's gifts. Our investment in helping future leaders with spiritual formation and practical guidance is worthwhile and necessary. Each new leader will learn by watching, doing, reflecting and, yes, making mistakes. Sure, there's a risk of dropping the baton. A proficient hand-off requires significant training and practice.The fresh runner begins to move, eyes ahead, hand extended back and open, ready to receive the baton. The transfer requires a lot of trust, for both runners, but it's a key element to a successful race.
To really pass the baton, we have to let go. We have to release others to take things further than we can take them ourselves. We need to let God work through them.
"To the degree we are unwilling to give up control, we will be unable to develop leaders. We'll be reduced to hoping ready-made leaders (people who have already tried, failed, and learned at other churches) will decide to switch to our church. Not a very productive place to be. . . . And to the degree that we can show grace, we have tremendous opportunity to impact people's lives." (Robert Logan and Tara Miller in From Followers to Leaders)
To find new leaders we also must keep our eyes up, looking at the harvest, not just in the church. God can capture the heart of a person who already has leadership skills and spiritually transform the person for the advancement of His Kingdom. These new leaders are very likely to have keys to unlocking ministry in their own culture.
After we complete our portion of the race, we should still be able to jump and cheer as other runners show new strength to accomplish more than we ever could if we ran the whole race alone. God might then lead us to a different track that fits us at our current season of life. "Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).
Pray for discernment to find the people you should be mentoring and then invest in their development. Ask God to direct the future of your ministry and to guide the next generation of leaders.
