4 Things that Make a Leader Meeting Work

Leadership meetings are a huge part of what makes a college ministry what it needs to be.  It empowers student leaders in the current ministry and it prepares them for service to come.  But, not all leader meetings are helpful.  We have all been to those and when we are honest we have been the leader of some of those.

Here are four things that make leader meetings work:

1.  A REASON for the meeting.
       -All of us have been to meetings there seemed to be no reason or purpose for other than it was scheduled.  My all time favorite boss and mentor had a personal rule:  "Every committee meeting had to have at least one vote.".  He said people know there was a reason for them to be there.  They decided something with their vote.

2.  A PLAN for the meeting.
       -How many meetings have you been to that opened with, "Ok, what do we need to do?"?  Too many is my answer.  The fancy name is "agenda".  The simple name is "a list".  These are the things we need to talk about and decide.  One way to determine what needs to be on that list is to ask two questions:  1.  What has happened in the past we need to talk about, evaluate, etc? and 2.  What is coming up in the future we need to prepare for or simply be aware.

3.  A good LAUGH.
       -For someone like me who loves a good meeting, that may surprise you.  But, I like to laugh and I have learned that when people laugh they are most themselves, at ease, and genuine.  That doesn't mean each meeting should start with a joke....but there are worse starts.  But, take a few moments for something personal or ask someone to share something silly, etc.  Genuine laughter is to a good meeting like oil is to a well running motor.  It affects the feel of the whole meeting.

4.  PRAYING for specific things....not just "an opening prayer".
       -Take a few moments to pray for specific people and concerns of the group.  It is one of the things that make our meetings "different".  Plus, it is the reminder that we are about people and God's movement and work in their and our lives.

Let's hope people laugh IN your meetings....not AT your meetings!

Arliss Dickerson's book, A 3 Part College Ministry Success Formula, is available  at Amazon.com/dp/B0BZ6Q7HSV and Reaching MORE College Students is at Amazon.com/dp/B0BMW8NPMN.



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