I spent much of this weekend at my son’s Cub Scout pinewood derby event. Three packs merged for a total of 90 cars racing in 78 heats. This was my first derby since being a child myself. Now I was able to appreciate this event from the perspective of a parent. It was a great opportunity for me to spend hours with my middle child, Nate. We shopped for the pinewood kit, paint, and the supplies together. Nate drew pictures of his dream car, and I translated those sketches into templates. I used the coping saw and Dremel tool to shape the wood, and Nate followed up with hours of sanding and painting. The race day was fun, but the bonding occurred in the weeks leading up to Saturday. Every car that entered the gym on Saturday was a monument to a partnership between parent and child.

Every car, that is, but one. One of the entries was a perfectly carved PT Cruiser. Every curve and fender was perfectly shaped. The sheen of the lacquer was immaculate. The Cruiser was factory perfect. It was also an eyesore. Why? Because it violated the ethos of the derby. The core value of the event was parent and child, not parent for child. Every time the Cruiser raced, a disapproving murmur rumbled through the crowd. Applause was heard every time a child-crafted racer edged out the Cruiser.

The crowd’s rejection of the parent-built car reminded me that process matters as much, if not more, than destination. The same is true in my children’s ministry program. The core value is with volunteers not for volunteers. Paul said it this way, “Their [apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers] responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).

If Paul were to use the pinewood derby analogy, he would tell the equipping leaders that their job wasn’t to get the racing kits finished, but to develop people capable of building the kits themselves. If you’re a children’s ministry leader, you’re the one with the tools, helping your volunteers shape that pine block of potential into an effective ministry.

There’s a twist to this metaphor. Sometimes you’re more like the knowing scout leader holding the coping saw and Dremel tool. But other times, you’re more like the scout with the block of pine not knowing what to do.

Here are some examples of when I’ve been more like the scout than the leader:

• We’re currently redesigning our children’s ministry set. I’m the most unhandy person I’ve ever met. I’m thankful that I didn’t need to pass a home repair aptitude test to get my home loan. Building a pinewood car taxes my skills, so I’d have no chance of designing an attractive set that looks like a spaceship. I need to take my metaphorical pine block (my budget) to Craig. Craig’s built a team of electricians and carpenters and is providing them leadership I’d never be able to provide.
  
• When we moved into our new facility, we needed to choose color schemes and decorating themes. I have about eight words in my vocabulary to describe color. I needed Kim, who designs, builds, and decorates homes to supply the vision for our children’s wing.
  
• A few years back we needed to hire a youth pastor. We’d had some transition at the position and couldn’t afford a short-term hire. I needed to find a quality pastor who would fit our church’s unique culture, be effective, and want to stay for the long haul. But my experience was limited. I needed to tap the wisdom of Lisa, a church friend who is a human resource officer at one of the largest insurance companies in the country, for advice on how to build an effective interview process. Lisa definitely held all of the power tools in that partnership.

The leadership challenge, then, is to know when you are holding the saws and when you are holding the pine block. The truth is that you and I can’t be the experts at everything. This matter of building up the body of Christ depends on you knowing when you should assume which role. By wisely allowing yourself, and your ministry, to be led, you allow your volunteers to operate from their God-given strengths and to experience deep personal satisfaction and spiritual maturity. 

Some leadership functions should never be delegated. You can never give away your role as chief vision-caster and guardian of your ministry culture. You cannot allow individual teachers to tweak or modify your ministry’s educational philosophy. That’s your responsibility. I’m not suggesting that you not take advice or refuse to collaborate with your team. However, these core leadership functions are inseparable from your call as a children’s ministry leader. Give them away at your own risk.

Here’s an exercise you can try: Write down the top 10 leadership challenges you are facing. These are your blocks of pine. Now look through your church directory in search of experts—look especially for people not currently connected to your children’s ministry in any way. Who can you invite onboard to provide temporary leadership for your ministry, so that your children’s ministry can be transformed into that road-hugging speedster it was meant to be?

“I just want to say 'Congrats' and especially 'Thank you!!!' I love The Inside Track and Tuesday’s Tip. Keep building the kingdom!”

— Linda Sjerven,
     Manchester, MO