Elder Rules
Elder Rules
Joel Asher has tirelessly served as an Elder at LSCC for past 6 years. After all of these years of dedication, this past week, Joel shared with us some of what he’s learned during his time serving.
If you missed his message, catch up here.
- Be visible and available.
- People first, projects second.
- Say what you’re going to do and do what you said you would do.
- Don’t make promises you can’t keep.
- Accept that some people won’t be happy.
- Listen as much as you talk. When you stop listening, people stop talking.
- Don’t trample the sheep while you’re building the barn.
- Sometimes people leave.
- It’s not your church it’s God’s church.
- You don’t really know someone else’s perspective unless you ask them.
- Some people need the last word; your conversation won’t end until they have it.
- Is the answer you’re giving yours or God’s?
- Someone else may know far more than you. Listen.
- 90% of misunderstandings can be solved with 10 minutes of conversation.
- If you call people by name, you show you remember them and they matter. Shepherds know their sheep.
- Sometimes this job is hard. If it was easy, anyone could do it.
- This is a lifetime job. There are no former Elders.
- Spend time with the sheep, there is no greater currency than time. Show them they are valued.
- Remember, people are watching. Be a good example.
- People follow leaders because they trust them. If that trust is compromised, so is your effectiveness to lead.
Trust = (credibility + reliability + connection) /
self interest
In addition to the rules, or lessons he’s learned, he also shared something that he keeps as a daily reminder:
Don’t leave because you want to,
Don’t stay because you have to,
Do because God asks you to.