I wish my church had lasers. My friend’s church had lasers and it seemed to make all the difference. They had remodeled their children’s ministry wing and it was loaded with the latest gadgets and amenities. Slides? Check. Touch screens? Check. Lasers? Check mate. I convinced my pastor that I should see what the lasers, I mean church, looked like in action. I drove over on a Wednesday and was blown away by what I saw; but it had nothing to do with lasers and everything to do with a healthy, growing ministry team.

I realized that the health of my ministry had nothing to do with lighting. The health of my ministry was determined by the individual health of my volunteers. While the environment that my friend had created was cool, it paled in comparison to the friendly, prepared, and engaging leaders he had stationed throughout the church. I realized that the secret sauce to his ministry had nothing to do with facilities but had everything to do with his growing team.

We often fall short when it comes into the development of ministry volunteers. Let’s be honest: It’s easier for us to spend time organizing supplies or building sets. But the greatest return on investment that you could ever make is always an investment into people. Understand this: Thriving ministries are characterized by leaders who grow with their team.

It all starts with leaders who grow. If you want your team to grow, then you must be personally committed to growth. How intentional are you about personal development? Do you set goals, assess your own strengths and weaknesses, or ask experienced ministers for advice? There are many ways you can grow as a leader. It is important that you initiate some type of learning experience that meets a current need or goal.

Growth becomes contagious when you share it with others. That’s right, don’t keep all of the ideas to yourself! Find ways to bring other people into your growing experience. Host training events, pass around books, dedicate time to explore new ideas. There are countless ways that you can foster an environment of growth with your team. Be purposeful with your team-time, and don’t neglect to share teaching moments with others. This critical step of bringing others on board doesn’t need to be complicated but it does need to be intentional.

“Laser church” wasn’t successful because of their cool facilities. They were successful because of their ability to learn and grow as a team. Healthy leaders know this and connect personal growth to the growth of their team. Lasers are still awesome, just less awesome than the possibility that you can begin to grow with your team today.