Mondays for Mission Teams 5.4.15
We are doing a weekly “West Workshop” on Mission Teams over the next couple months, and so I’m going to share notes from them on Mondays that may (or many not) help in your Mission Team Leadership.
How do we get people to show up regularly?
Problem: When something is so important to you that you are taking time, energy and resources to lead it, and commitment by your Team is average at best. This can be defeating as a leader and leave you wondering, what can I do to get people to show up?
Workshop:
We started out by asking this question: Why do you show up to anything? We made two lists.
Why Go?
Why Not/Dread?
Part of something bigger
Unprepared
Relationships
Distracted from purpose
Enjoy the Activity
Change in resources (time, $$, energy)
Feeling of Responsibility
Change in schedule
Find fulfillment
Poor understanding of why there
Confidence, you’re good at it!
Lack of communication
It connects to your ‘Made for This’
Waste of Time
That was just a quick brainstorm, but which column does your Mission Team look like? How can we shift from right to left?
Here are 10 best practices and/or ideas that leaders shared to make the move toward better regular attendance:
1. Build Togetherness–>This can be done any number of ways: prayer, eating together, playing games, guy’s or girl’s night out, serving as a Team…whatever. But with out building relationships people won’t come back.
2. Create an intentional span of care-->Once your team grows to be more than 5-6 people, you simply cannot give enough time and attention to everyone. You need to pour into 4-5 that can then in turn pour into the rest of the Team.
3. Find best communication vehicle-->Different people communicate best in different ways. Ask people which is their preferred way to communicate.
4. Clarify what will happen during Team time–>This is a vision piece. You have to give people a clear picture of what to expect when they gather…and then actually do it.
5. Collecting individual Team Member’s ‘Made for This’–>If people are regularly contributing what they are ‘Made For’ they will want to come back. Keep that list, and make sure you are activating their potential.
6. Be Agile / Flexible, but regular in Rhythm–>Whether you meet every week or every other week the time needs to be regular so that teammates can build it into the rhythm of their life, but what you actually do can be super fluid. Be freed!
7. Teach about Church–>A reason why some people don’t value Team time is simply because they don’t have a great Biblical understanding of Church. They may have never been taught or had a bad experience. Lead with grace and give them a picture of God’s church.
8. Don’t take it personal & Celebrate Who is There–>I have written on this in greater detail before. Check out 8 Tips for Overcoming Low Attendance Blues.
9. Keep Your Cup Filled-->The GLS mantra is that everything rises and falls on a leader. This is my experience. It also happens to be how Jesus modeled discipleship. Find what keeps you connected to God as a leader and keep it always in your life.
10. Practice Honesty (360 degree leader)–>We have one and only life. Why stay frustrated but silent? Just ask! Be straightforward, and in grace and love, challenge poor attendance while figuring out why.
What other best practices do you have in your repertoire?