Relationships and networking are very important in life.
When my daughter was in law school, she needed a summer internship between her second and third year. None of the available jobs in our city appealed to her.
With a tone of exasperation, she told me about a Christian advocacy organization in Washington she wished she could connect with.
I knew two members of their board, so I called one of them. My daughter got an interview, a job and a wonderful experience in our nation’s capital.
As a family of Baptist churches, relationships in associations are of the highest importance. Among the key relationships are those with pastors, church staff and laypeople.
Think long term
Effective associations understand that as important as relationships with pastors and church staff are, developing relationships with laypeople is the key to maintaining and growing their effectiveness.
Nothing about this observation undervalues the association’s relationship with pastors and staff. It is essential to develop a deep sense of community and support among pastors and church staff.
But over the long term, layperson relationships are key. Many laypeople are around for a lifetime, while on average, pastors and staff may serve a church within the association for seven years or less. (Of course, many exceptions exist where pastors and church staff serve in their roles for 30 years or more.)
During my years of focusing on Baptist associations, I observed many models of understanding the key role of laypeople. Larry, Josh, Mandy and Ryan – not their real names – are great examples.
Larry was a layperson who went into ministry after several years of secular employment. By his late 30s, he became the staff leader of an association. Going into the ministry, he understood the layperson’s perspective about associations.
Long before email and texting, he carried index cards in his shirt pocket. When visiting churches, he encountered laypeople with skills needed in the association. He asked them to write down their names, addresses and telephone numbers.
Soon these laypeople were receiving the association’s newsletter, invitations to events and communication about missions opportunities in the association and beyond. Over the years, many of these people became involved in leadership roles in the association.
Josh was covocational. He was the director of an association and ran a business about an hour north of his associational fellowship area. Through his business, he understood the importance of laypeople.
He particularly sought laypeople who had a deep spiritual commitment and business savvy. He asked them to help launch new missional efforts within the association and to involve their churches.
One example was that the associational context was in a fast-growing area. New congregations would be needed in various locations. One group of laypeople Josh cultivated were involved in real estate, residential development and politics.
These laypeople helped anticipate new residential and commercial developments. Frequently they were able to purchase land early before prices dramatically increased. Or they convinced a developer to set aside land for a church.
Mandy was the ministries director in her association. She had grown up in the area and already knew many laypeople when she accepted her role in the association.
She used these relationships to transform the fledgling food pantry efforts into a comprehensive hunger ministry movement. Her connections with women and men took a very small effort in disaster response involving only three churches to engaging more than two dozen churches.
Adding value
Ryan was an associational strategist for more than a quarter of a century. Due to his longevity, he worked with many churches during the interim between pastors.
At times he worked solely to train a church’s pastor search team. He also led a few churches in strategic planning during the interim. In some churches, he did this multiple times over the years.
Through these experiences he developed deep and loyal relationships with laypeople. These relationships added value to the churches in association. It also identified laypeople who became active in the association.
Now it is your turn. What do you need to do to focus on relationships and networking with laypeople in your association?
