One thing I’ve learned in my years working camp is that my job as a leader is to help those I lead reach their full potential in ministry. Investing in people is kind of like putting money into a bank account. You have to make a deposit before you can make a withdrawal. I found that I got the best results when I focused my efforts on developing and challenging my rec team to reach their full potential as ministers of the Gospel.
Here’s just a few ways that I’ve learned to invest in my team through CentriKid:
Connect: Get to know your team! Leadership is influence, and people are influenced by those who are involved in their lives. At CentriKid, we fully believe that ministry happens best in the context of relationships and leading your team is no different.
Collaborate: As leaders, we make the plans but it’s often our teams who execute those plans. Believe them when they say something doesn’t work. At CentriKid, we evaluate everything. Value your team members’ opinions and make changes as they suggest. Work together as a team to solve problems that come up in your ministry and show them that their expertise is essential to what you do. After all, we’re all in this together.
Serve: For me as a Rec Leader, this meant getting my rec staffers Gatorade during the second rec rotation when they were running low on energy. Sometimes it meant letting them take a deep breath while I explained a game or gave a debrief. Other times it meant getting them ice cream after recreation just because I wanted them to know they were important to me. Ask your team what you can do to help make their jobs run smoother. Listen to your team and find ways to give them that extra push they need on the hardest days.
Highlight Excellence: Carry around a notebook with you and write down specific things your staff does excellently as your day goes along. At your next meeting, brag on your team or pull individuals aside as you see greatness. You’ll be amazed how people will feed off this encouragement and strive to push themselves even further.
Replace Yourself: Collin recently wrote an excellent blog post about this CentriKid culture, but the concept is simple. You won’t always be around. When you leave your position, who will know how to do what you do? Don’t let the knowledge you’ve gained through ministry die with your exit. If you see potential in someone, cultivate it. Give them opportunities to lead. For me, this meant turning over the reigns and letting someone else be in charge of Rec set-up. There are of course some things that only you can do, but even so “take them with you” is a good motto that we use in the CentriKid World.’
About the Guest Blogger:
Rachel Gillespie has been a CentriKid staffer since 2011! For the past 3 summers, Rachel has served as a recreation leader and has led her recreation staffers with excellence. Rachel is a graduate of Carson-Newman University and is in her first year studying for a Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work at Truett Seminary at Baylor University.