But what happens when it gets harder for you to say it? What happens when it gets harder for you to receive it? You've been burned by a friend, family member, spouse, so much that the words you've often said become like boulders trying to escape your mouth. There some times when someone will press you down so much and stomp all over you so much that even though you do love them, you become jaded and less likely to want to commit so much of yourself to them. The challenge, in my opinion, is how long do you let things go on before you revitalize that relationship, repair it or let it go? My stamina in any kind if relationship is pretty good but I wonder sometimes what it takes to be sure that I don't fully lose the ability to say those words.

The only solution to this is forgiveness. Be quick to forgive an offense. Be quick to forgive an offense over and over and over.

A bruised heart can heal with time and effort.

I've been thinking about building teams a lot lately (Read my Blog Who's On First) and with that I've been thinking about all of the things that can make a team sticky or make people want to stick around and be a part of that team. 

Here's the key in my opinion: share the heart of WHY they should be a part of the team.

I've found myself running around trying to fill positions and roles and needs all under the banner that if someone has is attending church or becomes a church member, they need to get plugged into a ministry; they need to serve on a ministry team. While this is correct- "home is where the heart is"- I wonder how often we miss the mark by not discussing the heart behind a ministry or why a team exist or why this may be a good fit. 

Its time that we start having Heart Conversations. Let us no longer simply invite people to serve or be a part of a team without sharing the heart behind it. The Heart is the reason for the team's existence or the ministry's vision. Why should someone get on board? In my case, as I develop teams in Youth Ministry or in Church Innovation, I need to be able to effectively communicate that we don't want you to show up on a wednesday night because we need someone to run lyrics or lights or open doors. We want you to show up because the souls of students are on the line. We want to love on students and be a place of encouragement. Do I want you to run lights and open doors and run lyrics? Sure, but I want you to do it because you understand that what you are doing impacts the overall goal of winning a generation.

Slow down, take a breather. We are very quick to catch the new members of a church or an organization and get them to join our teams because we have a need. I want you to understand that the people that you get to join your team will last longer because they understand the choices that they make to show up and be a part of, will ultimately effect where your ministry, organization, or whatever it may be, is headed. 

Let us no longer be so interested in filling a spot that we miss the opportunity to fulfill a desire in someone elses heart to be a change-agent, a person that effects the rest. So have those heart conversations with your teams. Build from the heart and extend out into the arteries and veins with how to accomplish what the heart seeks.

Who's on first? Over the last few months I have been working hard to develop teams and team leaders for the ministries that I get to serve in. What I've found interesting is how many people are willing to step in and be a part of a team or head up a team. However, the question is always, are they the right person for the task. 

You know, in leadership, you are always taught to be good at delegating tasks and asking for help but rarely are there good lessons on making sure the right people are in the right place on your teams. In fact, if you don't get this right, you could potentially be adding more work for yourself rather than making things easier. The people that you put in place to help you run a ministry or be a team leader should be people that you trust to uphold the vision of the ministry and trust to run with it. 

So the vital question is Who's On first; who do you have at the helm? Is he or she the right person to do what you are asking? 

I've found that sometimes the person you choose is the right person as long as you do your due diligence in creating a solid base on which they can lead upon. Here are 3 thoughts I think can help with that:

1. Communicate the Culture of the Organization: You and those the serve under you in specific roles are subject to the culture of the ministry or organization that you are with. In fact, without effectively communicating this, a ministry and its team are bound to cause friction within itself and on the outside as it tries to align with the main heartbeat. It simply cant. Understanding and communicating your organization's culture is an important component of a culture by design.
2. Share the Vision: It is all about the vision. Where is this ministry going? What are the goals? What is the timeline for these goals? How are we getting there? These are important questions to answer with the person you've chosen to lead your team. By answering these, you are communicating the vision and have set the goals up front. With this being clearly communicated a new leader can run and drive your ministry forward according to YOUR goals.
3. Continuously Develop Your Who: Just becuase you have chosen someone to lead your team doesnt mean that your job is done. If your team or ministry will only go as far as its leader is willing or simply CAN go, then it won't go very far at all if he or she isnt continually being developed. It is YOUR job to make sure that you are taking time to shape and develop those under your leadership, even when you've placed them in a position to lead. There are always new things to learn, better ways to do things, things to tweak, and so on. Take the opportunity to fine tune those you've placed in a position of leadership. Be ok with their failures and mistakes as long as you are willing to craft beyond them. Provide opportunities for development by mentoring, coaching, and training on better ways to perform.  

Chew on some of these thoughts while you are looking to place someone on first, on first base.