The longer you’re in ministry the more you will realize that there are many different seasons of ministry. One of the most difficult seasons of ministry to weather is the disconnected stage. I’ve heard it called”cruise control” before and have found myself in this mindset from time to time. There are all sorts of dangers with this disengagement. Here are a few I’ve been processing recently:

The Disconnected Leader: You’ve got the wrong perceptions
A disconnected leader often has “perceptions” of reality and lacks the direct information of what is really happening in the ministry or the team. Typically they hear a story from someone in the church and that single bit of information becomes the mantra or misguided system upon which everything else is measured. A connected leader sees the whole picture, and puts pieces of information into the greater image of what is happening in the ministry.

The Disconnected Leader: You’ve valuing the wrong things
A disconnected leader often values the opposite of what team considers most important. This is the most dangerous worst part of all is that disconnected leaders care about the small things and ignore the important things. Disconnected leaders often see minutia and grating details instead of the sweeping arc of the ministry as a whole.

The Disconnected Leader: You’re missing out on all of the fun
A disconnected leader not only misses out on perception and values of the ministry, he or she also misses out on the relational energy, inside jokes and fun. The connected leader is heavily invested in the lives and laughter of the team.

Simple (and painful) journal question I’m asking myself today: am I a disconnected leader?

JG