Leaders are Vinedressers

Redirecting the ministry is dressing the vine into the direction that produces fruit. 

1) A good leader must be willing to cut. A great leader will cut, cut, and cut some more. 

Most amateurs shy away from pruning. We want to be likable, yet we can't be people pleaser either.  There are many reasons we don't cut, we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, we get the whole guilt trip, or even the temper tantrums people throw.  Stand firm with the passion God (and only God) has placed in you.  This always leads into the next question: What do you cut? That's another post coming, but for now, envision what the ultimate fruit of the ministry will look like.  Is there anything in the ministry that is not going in that direction? 

2) A good leader directs the vine. A great leader Re-directs the vine. 

Redirect the ministry could mean same type of ministry just different demographics. Or same demographics different methods. If you don't like the results change the methods.  Too many times leaders will change the advertising and not the methods (it's still business as usual).  Some leaders focus so much on marketing they forget the direction the ministry is going.  Yep, it's hip and cool, but does it have substance? Is it life changing? If the ministry is going in a direction that is not setting captives free, healing the broken or being the family to the lonely that doesn't mean you have to completely cut it  off, it could mean you just need to redirect it.

3) A good leader will cut in the right season. A great leader will cut in the right season and redirect at the same time.

Wait for the right opportunity to cut. God will make it very clear to you when this is.  Resources will run dry, a key person will step away, people will stop coming.  There is a time when things just isn't working.  A great leader will recognize the moment a decision is to be made and sometimes that decision could be, cutting a person but keeping the ministry.  The ministry will have a bit of pruning and a new direction comes with the new leader. There was a time for me that no one was showing  up, it was disheartening but I had to recognize that this was a great season to prune, to change the way things were done, to do a makeover.  There was less people involved and the changes came pretty easy.  We didn't change the day or time, we changed what we were doing.  We went from having a class, to just praying.  It turned into a prayer meeting, it was re-directed into what God wanted. 

Do you have any experiences to share with re-directing the ministry? Leave a comment.