This quote gave me a very insightful way of approaching leadership. Most of us understand that, as Christian leaders, we need to equip others to do the work of the ministry.
However, I have noticed that I tend to assign tasks. I give volunteers one specific thing to do without finding a person to be responsible for that area of Ministry. While there is a place for this, and we need to do it, I have found that the Ministries where I assign a person to be responsible for that area tend to work smoother and require less focus from me.
For example, I have a wonderful teacher for out Deaf Ladies' LIFE group every Sunday. I told her we were starting a class, asked if she would lead it, and I have been hands off ever sense. She does a great job and does not need me to give her tasks. I only needed to give her responsibility for that class and she does fantastic!
Compare that with my past attempts at starting a greeters Ministry for our Deaf Church service. I have always assigned tasks. In the past, I have always asked people to "Stand here and greet new people" rather than asking someone else to take responsibility for greeting. Right now, we are in the process of fixing that, but I always struggled to get a greeter ministry working every week and I believe that is why. Taking responsibility of the greeters ministry was stretching me too thin and, therefore, was not getting the attention that ministry required.
There are always tasks to assign. However if you, as many of our readers, are a head leader in a Deaf Ministry, you will go much further to assign people responsibilities, not tasks. This will free you to do the work only you can do even better!