If you’re unsure of your answer to this question, the answer is “yes.” Waiting until you need new leaders to look for them may be too late.
Joshua was on Moses’s future leader list years before God appointed the prophet’s protégé to lead the Israelites out of the wilderness into the Promised Land. When the disciples needed to replace Judas, more than one person was qualified to take on additional responsibility. In both cases, new leaders were ready when the opportunity appeared. Perhaps the church nominating committee needs to be supported by a talent identification culture.
Identifying gifts and talents needs to happen throughout the year in multiple ways. While churches often wait until positions are vacant or until the last quarter of the year to assess who is willing to lead, the for-profit business world understands the importance of recruiting top talent. Corporations devote human and financial resources to the process of finding, developing and retaining high-performing people.
Congregations don’t need to break the bank by building a corporate-style comprehensive HR department, however. You can find new leaders by asking the right questions. When staff and leadership teams meet, add talent identification to the agenda. Who are the volunteers who seem to know how to get things done? Who seems to have the gift of working well with others? Who’s good at organizing the work? Who consistently shows up first when the work needs to be done?
Talent identification requires spiritual discernment. As you embed talent identification into the church’s culture by asking the right questions, the Holy Spirit can guide you to new leaders who are both eager and ready to serve.
