Who's coming up after you? Now don't get paranoid. I don't mean who is chasing you. I mean, if for some reason you could no longer function, who would replace you? Who are you training up? Christians in ministry should always be in the process of teaching people to do our jobs. This is true of the sound techs, video techs, greeters, and even pastors.
Once, a friend of mine from church was in a freak accident, and blew out his knee. He was a Sunday School teacher and even played drums in the band. Suddenly the church had a hole in the team. Fortunately, there were others who could take his place. Through this situation he learned that God wanted to use this down time to draw my friend closer to Himself. He told me, that God has shown him how he was so focused on what he was doing that he was missing the real relationship. Neither of us believe that God caused the accident, but God was certainly using it to teach him am important lesson. None of us is immune from having an accident like my friend.
In other technology jobs outside the church, we often try to become indispensable to our employer so we can never get fired. This may be common practice in the world, but is not the right attitude for the body of Christ. I would even suggest that this attitude is pride. A person is seeking their own glory, treasures or comfort. As the Apostle Paul tells us, this is not the place for a follower of Christ to be:
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4
Paul was a man on the move and he was constantly in the process of brining up other leaders. One of the greatest examples is Timothy. Paul took him as a young man and trained him to do what he was doing. At first, as recorded in Acts 16, they travelled together. By Acts 17, Timothy was left with Silas (anther leader that Paul was training), to carry on the work. Paul would eventually send Timothy out on his own:
As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine - 1 Timothy 1:3
Paul continues to stay in contact and instruct Timothy through letters. His first letter is full of ways to be a church leader, things that he should teach, and how the church should function. In his second letter, his charge is for Timothy to do exactly what he was doing:
You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. - 2 Timothy 2:1-2
In this example, we find what is at the heart of this follower of Jesus. Paul is a disciple who realized that following Christ is not simply about gaining knowledge. A real disciple is someone who wants to become like the teacher. That's what Jesus demonstrated and what the early Christians practiced.
Paul's life becomes a blueprint for what we should be doing. In fact, that's what he wrote in several letters. People should imitate his life as he strives to imitate the life of Christ. (1Cor 11:1) So bringing up others, should be something that we want to practice.
Notice how Paul does it. First the person simply follows along to observe. Eventually, the one being trained is paired with another to do the work. Finally, they are ready to fly solo. The leader still keeps in contact. You could even make the argument that giving written instructions would be important.
Notice that Jesus did all of these things with His disciples too. They first were called and simply went along with Him. They watched Him heal, heard Him speak and they ate meals together. They would be sent out in pairs with His instructions (Matt 10:5-42). They would eventually each head out on their own with His Holy Spirit to guide. You find that each of them began to make disciples of their own. Those disciples would make disciples, who made disciples, as so on. That has always been the plan.
Again, this is not just for pastors and teachers. I would argue that every function in the church body is called to do this. Why? As we have seen, because it is part of the original plan, and it the best way to keep our pride in check. There shouldn't be anyone in church who can say, “I'm the only who can do this.”
Look around you and think about who might be the one to take your place. Pray and ask God to lead you to the right person. Maybe there's a teen who's really interested in what you do. Maybe that's who God has sent to you. Start this week to let them observe. Then begin to instruct and eventually let that person solo. You are not losing control. You're enlarging the body and following the example.
Finally, Paul's method was the best way that he could continue to keep the message moving. Paul was constantly on the go. He would train up leaders, so that he could eventually leave and continue the message. Perhaps, that's another reason to begin to train someone up, so that you can go. Maybe God has other plans for you? Maybe He is leading you to a mission field? If you're the only one who can do your job, you can never go. Stay ready. Start to train someone up.
