Table Fellowship: Setting the Table 5: Investors

#5 for Danny Meyer is the invitation to Investors: “In each of my businesses I have chosen to share ownership with managing partners who can earn and purchase a slice of the pie through their hard work and their excellent, effective adherence to our business values.” The result, he says, is that they have been creating a bigger, better-tasting pie.

As I read this I was confronted with the challenge in my own ministry of learning how to share. Not merely the gifts of the faith, but actually to share ownership in the ministry itself. That means that not only do I share the responsibilities with others, but also the credit.

I'm reminded here of the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 3:5-10, "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as teh Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only god who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God's servants, working together, you are God's field, God's building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it."

One thing I have noted throughout the years is that a sure-fire way to undermine people we work with, whether volunteers or paid staff, is to give them responsibility without authority. We make people responsible for results or aspects of ministry, but don't give them the authority to make decisions. It doesn't mean we back off and don't instruct or guide, but it does mean that we must never take over another's responsibility. Even if it is going south, we must resist usurping the authority we gave to our colleagues.

When I work with the deacons of our church, this is especially important. Each year as we discuss the caregiving of our congregation (for that is the role of our deacons) I emphacize that I will never undercut their authority. My pledge to them is that I will assume that they have the responsibility and authority of the church for congregational caregiving. If they visit in the hospital, I will not undercut their visit by showing up and making the "real visit". If someone asks for me, I go. But the congregational care of our church is carried out by these faithful investors. They invest time, energy, creativity and prayer in their ministry. O, I could go it alone, but our church would be the worse for it.

Investors help us to not hold too tightly to the reins. Others are invested in the work. Investments are not all monetary!

May we all seek out more investors in the ministry of Christ to the world.
b. Not holding on to leadership, but cultivating it.
c. Even newcomers.
d. I Cor. 3:5-10