Most pastors ask the wrong question when they’re staring at a big task.
They ask, “How am I going to get this done?”
Or on a new thing, "How does one do this?"
That’s noble.
Responsible.
Godly even.
But also... completely counterproductive.
"How" is the wrong question the majority of the time.
Because “how” keeps you in the weeds.
“How” keeps you late at the office.
“How” keeps pushes back your sermon prep to 11:30 p.m. Saturday night.
There’s a better question.
“Who?”
Who can do this instead of me?
Who knows how to do this already?
The shift from "how" to "who" unlocks momentum faster than dropping a scripture reference at a Bible drill.
Where I Learned This
I first heard this idea from business coach Dan Sullivan, who wrote Who Not How.
It completely rewired how I think about moving projects forward.
Until then, I thought productivity meant working harder.
Now I know it means working smarter… through others.
When I stopped asking “how do I do this?” and started asking “who can help me do this?” things in my life and ministry started to move faster.
Without me feeling like a hamster in dress shoes.
Why “Who” Beats “How”
When you ask “how,” you stay stuck as the hero.
When you ask “who,” you become the leader.
It’s a paradigm shift.
You stop being the bottleneck.
You start being the multiplier.
Because the truth is:
If you’re doing everything, you’re probably doing nothing deeply.
Where This Works in Real Life
Here are a few “who” opportunities that pastors ignore every week:
- Planning Center, online giving, or email automation setup. Who can get these systems running? (Hint: someone online can do it in an afternoon for less than the cost of your next lunch meeting.)
- Bulletins & slides. Who can own them? (Hint: there’s a high schooler who’s better at Canva than you are.)
- Follow-up emails. Who can send those within 24 hours of a guest visit? (Hint: anyone who can spell “welcome.”)
- Social media. Who can take and post photos of your morning services or latest outreach? (Hint: your church already has teenagers holding phones like oxygen tanks.)
- Maintenance & setup. Who can set up the tables? (Hint: not the preacher who's OCD about spacing and alignment.)
- Counseling overflow. Who in your church is spiritually mature enough to help share the load? (Hint: God didn’t intend you to be the only shepherd in town.)
- Website updates. Who can fix the broken “About Us” link from 2018? (Hint: probably the same guy who fixed your Wi-Fi.)
- Sermon research. Who can gather scriptures, articles, or illustrations? (Hint: you’re surrounded by lifelong Bible nerds praying for an assignment.)
What Blocks This in Pastors
Let’s be honest. There are a few mental roadblocks that make “who” feel impossible.
I know... I've dealt with them myself.
Still do sometimes.
1. “No one else will do it right.”
True.
But they’ll never learn if you never let them try.
You’re not building perfection.
You’re building people, bro.
2. “It’ll take longer to explain than to do it myself.”
Also true… the first time.
But not the tenth.
Train once, save hours forever.
3. “I’m supposed to serve, not delegate.”
Delegation is service.
It empowers others to grow in their gifts.
Even Jesus delegated feeding the 5,000.
(And He didn’t hover over the disciples asking if the bread was sliced evenly. He just got to job = done.)
4. “I don’t have a staff.”
Then build a volunteer task force.
You don’t need payroll to find "who." You just need people with purpose.
And you’re surrounded by them every Sunday morning.
5. “It’ll cost money.”
Not nearly as much as you think.
You’re not hiring a full-time executive.
You’re outsourcing simple, repeatable tasks.
And they don't have to be a member of your church.
There are entire online marketplaces full of people who’ll format your newsletter, edit your video, design a flyer, or set up your online giving system for the cost of one Chick-fil-A lunch.
If you can afford coffee, you can afford help.
(And paid vs. volunteer, well... you can fire payees if you need to.)
Regardless:
Every hour you buy back is an hour you can spend doing what actually moves the Kingdom forward.
The Pushback
“But they won’t do it like I do.”
You’re right.
They’ll probably do it differently.
Sometimes worse.
Sometimes better.
Either way, you’re free to focus on what only you can do: pray, preach, and lead.
The Point
You don’t need to learn every new skill.
You need to delegate one old task.
So the next time you feel buried under church responsibilities, stop asking “How will I get this done?”
Ask instead, “Who can help me get this done?”
And just like that... you’ve multiplied yourself.
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