(Colossians 4:6)
Communication is more important than anything I know of in establishing a relationship between an armorbearer and his leader. It is the only way to build trust between the leader and his associates. This does not mean that you are to bother your leader with every issue or decision that comes up; just that you should let him be aware of what is going on in the church or ministry and among the people.
In my years of service as an associate minister, I learned a very valuable lesson: never hide anything from your leader. Always let him know if someone is having (or causing) a problem in the church or ministry and what steps you are taking to resolve that situation.
Many times I have had to deal with things that I know are clearly in my area of responsibility, but I always make my leader aware of what I am doing. Situations will sometimes arise that I know should be dealt with by the leader himself. When that happens, I let him know about them. Either he will deal with the situations, or he will give me advice as to how to handle them.
The bottom line is communication.
If anyone ever says to you, “I want to tell you something in private, but you must promise not to let the leader know I told you about it,” you should stop that conversation immediately and say to the person, “I am sorry, but I cannot make any such promise.”
You owe it to your leader to reveal anything that is going to cause problems in the church. Jesus said that there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. (Mark 4:22.) If you withhold something from your leader, then I can safely prophesy that it will come back on you. It will blow up, and you will be caught in the middle of the explosion.
Secrecy is a trap that Satan lays for the unsuspecting. Don’t fall into it.
Meditate and act on the following verses:
- “Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them” (Prov. 8:6–8).
- “Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right” (Prov. 16:13).
- “The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh forwardness” (Prov. 10:31,32).
- “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down” (Prov. 26:20 NASB).
- “Reliable communication permits progress” (Prov. 13:17 TLB).
Dear God, I want to be an excellent communicator and am committed to being one. I ask You to give me wisdom about the things I need to communicate to my leader and what things do not require his attention. I will not hide anything from my leader or take part in any conversation where I am asked to do so. Help my leader and I to keep the lines of communication open between us, and help us avoid any misunderstanding. Help me to keep my communication positive and to the point. Jesus is Lord over our communication. Amen.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers
Terry has served as senior associate minister of a thriving congregation for over 23 years with over 40 years of experience in local church ministry. He is currently the senior pastor of Impact Church in Sherwood, Arkansas. Terry has authored four books. On the bestselling list, these books have motivated thousands of Christians to stand with their leaders in faithful service, helping them to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.
Terry is the Founder and President of Focus on the Harvest, Inc. He's traveled extensively, awakening believers to this strategic generation. Through his God-given passion, believers are ignited to discover their gifts and callings, commit to the vision of their local church, and focus on the harvest of souls throughout their city, state, nation, and world.
Terry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southwestern University, where he met his wife, Kim. They've been married for over 40 years and have three children; McCall, Alex, and McKenna.
In May 2008, Terry and Kim began Impact Church, a dynamic and growing, multicultural body of believers in Sherwood, AR. We believe that Christianity is not a religion; it's a relationship. God loves each person individually. He desires everyone to know him personally.
