The Right Niche

I love watching people serve in the right niche. There is something so full of joy, something so passionate and powerful about watching someone contribute in their area of giftedness. I saw it in the worship leader last night at our Romeoville campus. There is a difference between a song leader and a worship leader. Mary Kate was definitely the latter. Her efforts led to one of the most meaningful times of worship I've experienced in a while.

I saw it this morning in an elementary small group leader. I stood outside the door of Laura's room where I could listen but not be seen. She had 17 1st through 3rd graders. Too many, really, for a small group. Yet they were all captivated and engaged as she led them through the lesson. She skillfully planted seeds of spiritual growth.

And I saw it in Lupe as she worked her way through our children's ministry at the Shorewood Campus. Lupe is a Service Coordinator in our ministry which means she is a 5 hour/week paid staff member who is responsible for staffing, overseeing, and caring for an entire service of children's volunteers. We laughed together in the lobby when I told her she was doing a great job and we both reflected on how she ended up in her current niche. See three years ago Lupe was a leader in our preschool room. She was great with those 3 and 4 year olds. So great, in fact, that I asked her to take a step up in leadership and become a coach of other leaders. She said she'd pray about it. She did. And a couple weeks later came back and told me "no."

Now normally when someone tells me "no" I respect their decision. But during the next week I couldn't find any peace with her answer. So I did something I'd never done before and haven't done since. I went back and asked her to pray again. I told her that I couldn't come to terms with her decision to decline and felt like she needed to pray about it again. She came back a week later and said "yes."

That was such a pivotal moment for both her and her husband. That month they both took steps forward in their spiritual leadership and have blossomed ever since. It's been incredible to watch them grow and see the contributions they are making to the mission. I love it!

This afternoon I was watching the Pittsburgh Steelers beat up the Denver Broncos when my phone rang. It was Lupe. She said, "I just wanted to call to say thank you for seeing something in me three years ago that I didn't see in myself. I never would have dreamed God would use me as a spiritual leader."

Lupe is having the time of her life in ministry. And I'm having a blast watching her serve. And I can't help but imagine what the church would be like if everyone stepped up into their niche.

Comments

[sirbarry]

Do you think God could lead me into ministry some how related to the Bears or Cubs? That would be a pretty cool niche.

[A Human Bean]

Lupe is definitly being used of God. My children just love her and Tom both.