Though I’m a leader, I sometimes struggle with delegation, as there are times when I think it will be so much easier and faster if I just handle whatever matter is before me. Getting others involved takes time, and they might not do the work like I think it should be done. Maybe you know the feeling.
In this post, we continue our study of how to care for one another in church families, and we need to talk about delegation.
To begin, the apostle Paul describes caring in 1 Thessalonians 2:8: “Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
Hear that selfless posture? We were delighted to share our lives as well.
This kind of caring life involves time, building relationship. It involves persistent, consistent, intentional care. It avoids being overbearing or micromanaging. Call, Text, Email. Meet in person. Meet one on one. But know this: Genuine Christian caring for one another cannot be sustained in large groups. This is a reminder to us that smaller groups are necessary. It is not possible to be caring this way for everyone in the church, unless the church is 10-15 people. This is why most churches have small groups.
Caring for one another in the church family must go beyond the professional ministers. Caring for one another in the church family necessitates delegation.
Delegation reminds me of the story of Jethro and Moses in Exodus 18. In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, observes Moses arbitrating disputes brought to him by the people of Israel, a grueling task that lasted from morning till evening. The account in Exodus tells us that the nation numbers 600,000+ men, at this point, and that does not include the women and children. We have no way to verify those numbers, but even if the actual total is far less, it is astounding to think that Moses took on that role by himself. Moses is trying to care for his people alone. Jethro is concerned.
In 2021, Philadelphia had 1.56 million people. If the Exodus account is correct, Israel was about that size. But there are 439 judges in the Philly Court of Common Pleas! Even comparatively tinier Lancaster County has 19 Magisterial District Judges and 15 judges on our Lancaster Court of Common Pleas. Can you imagine Moses trying to handle the caseload of a 1.5-million-person population alone? Jethro is right to be very concerned.
Jethro suggests that Moses create a system of delegation, appointing officials over groups of 1,000, 100, 50 and 10. The officials will judge matters for their groups, freeing Moses so he only needs to address the most difficult cases.
The text reports that Moses followed Jethro’s advice. Moses delegated. I propose that a similar system of delegation is vital for care in church families as well. The paid professionals simply do not have the ability to care for everyone in the church.
In Exodus 18, delegation spreads out the ministry of caring, and it places the leadership responsibilities squarely back on Moses. He can lead the people to the Promised Land, while his appointed judges handle most matters. Delegation fuels mission. Delegation is the way to care for one another in the church.
What Jethro reminds us is that our investment in others’ lives through delegation is not only missionally effective, delegation is also missional discipleship. We are raising others up to do the work, which is what Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11-13,
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
Delegation is discipleship that builds up the church.
Engaging Scripture 