In 1 Samuel 4, we see the children of Israel doing the unthinkable, fighting the superior Philistines without God’s help. After a clear defeat, they decide to try again, but this time the Israelites take the Ark of the Covenant with them into battle. They refuse to ask the young prophet, Samuel, what they should do; instead, they lean on their own wisdom and thinking. Not only do they once again face a crushing defeat at the hands of the Philistines, but they also lose the Ark of the Covenant as well.
Leadership
Nothing compares to the privilege of serving in the house of the Lord! My heart echoes David’s: “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).
When most of us think of ministry work, we think of shepherding people, leading souls to Jesus, and teaching and preaching God’s Word. Yet for these essential roles to be successfully fulfilled, there is an unglamorous, easily-neglected side of local church ministry—the administrative side of managing projects and processes. It’s the daily grind, and, frankly, it doesn’t come naturally for many ministry leaders. But local church ministry benefits from intentional strategies and processes.