Smellmylife

Third Essential Quality of a Team Player: Committed

Some of Maxwell’s Thoughts:

“Ordinary people with commitment can make an extraordinary impact on their world” Maxwell

Many people associate their commitment with their emotions.

True commitment isn’t based on emotions or how you feel. True commitment means staying true and following through no matter how you feel.

Human emotions go up and down all the time, but commitment has to be rock solid.

Here are some things every team player needs to know about being commited;

• Commitment usually is discovered in the midst of adversity

Commited people don’t surrender easily, but struggles strengthen their resolve.

• Commitment does not depend on gifts or abilities

Many highly talented people squander their potential due to lack of commitment

We don’t need more gifts or abilities, we just need to use what we have

• Commitment comes as the result of choice, not conditions

Many people think conditions determine choice, but we must choose commitment no matter what

• Commitment lasts when it’s based on values

Anytime you make choices based on solid life values, you are in a better position to stay commited

How to improve your level of commitment;

• Tie your commitments to your values.

Commit to things that you believe in and shares your values

• Take a Risk

Commiting is always a risk. You may be let down. You may fail. Commit anyway.

• Evaluate your teammates commitment

You can’t commit to uncommitted people and expect commitment from them

There’s no such thing as a half-hearted champion

Some of my thoughts;

As a leader, I must first be sold out, totally committed to God and to our church or others that I want to be committed won’t be. It’s a lead by example thing.

I think alot of churches don’t call for a strong commitment. That is a problem. We at The Journey Church don’t call for a strong enough commitment. To quote Francis Chan, “If Jesus had a church in my area….mine would be bigger!” That’s because Jesus would call for a huge commitment. Just read the New Testament. Die to self, Carry your cross, sell all you have, etc. Sometimes it’s frustrating because we know at The Journey Church, our attendance goes down if it’s nice weather. Our attendance goes down if it’s the final four! This isn’t just true at The Journey Church, but all over our nation.

Churches also struggle to pay the bills, and actually do ministry because people don’t give. It’s not something that people like to talk about, but I will. If you don’t give regularly to your church to support the work of God there, you aren’t committed. That’s right, you aren’t committed! I don’t care how much time you give or how much you pray, God commands us to give our tithes and you must put your money where your mouth is if you are to be committed. There are lots of excuses as to why people don’t give;

I’m struggling financially right now. When I get back on my feet, I’ll start to give. No you won’t. How much do you trust God? Do you believe the promise that He will meet all of your needs? If you aren’t committed to giving now, you won’t be committed to giving then.

It’s my money, not God’s. Actually, people don’t really say this out loud, it’s just how they feel on the inside.

I don’t trust the church to spend it right. We choose our church leaders, so we must trust them to lead and lead right.

I didn’t really mean for this to be a rant on giving, but to me, that’s the test of true commitment. Just, imagine what we could do as a church, both locally and as the Church globally if God’s people would be truly committed, both spiritually and financially.

Second Essential Quality of a Team Player: Collaborative

Some of Maxwell’s thoughts:

“All your strength is in union, all your danger is in discord” Longfellow

“Collaboration is Multiplication” Maxwell

Collaboration isn’t just “cooperation”. It’s more than that. Cooperation is working together agreeably. Collaboration is working together aggressively.

Becoming a collaborative team player requires a change in focus in four areas:

• 1. Perception: See teammates as Collaborators, not competitors

Completing one another is more important than competing with one another.

• 2. Attitude: Be supportive, not Suspicious of teammates

Assume that other people’s motives are good unless proven otherwise.

If you trust people, you will treat them better.

• 3. Focus: Concentrate on the team, Not yourself

You have two options; ask, “What’s in it for me?” or “What does this do for the team?”

“True progress in any field is a relay race and not a single event.” Cavett Roberts

Stop trying to complete the race yourself

• 4. Results: Create victories Through Multiplication.

Collaboration has a multiplying effect…because it releases and harnesses everyones skills

You may not be working “against” the team, but it doesn’t mean your working “for” it.

To become a Collaborative team-player;

• Think win-win-win

Iron sharpens Iron. Hone each others skills.

• Complement others

Work with those who have strengths in your areas of weakness

Work together with those who have similar gifts

• Take yourself out of the picture

Instead of promoting yourself, ask yourself how the team would do without you

If the answer is, “better”, then propose ideas that promote and involve others besides yourself.

Some of my Thoughts:

I think a big problem in many churches is that there is a point leader that sees those who are “leading under” as competition, or a threat. I’ve experienced it first hand in two different churches.

In order to be better leaders, the staff at The Journey Church must learn to “let go” of lots of things. We have to learn to trust people and be willing to let them fail and succeed.

It’s a big temptation as a pastor, simply because of our gifts and experience to just adopt the attitude of, “I’ll just do it myself”, or “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” This will destroy your church and lead to burnout.

The Journey Church has experienced good growth over the last several months, with us needing to do two membership classes within two months. We need to make sure these new members discover their gifts and then release them to work in their own unique way towards fulfilling the vision of our Church.

We have to be able to work with people that we don’t necessarily connect with. Not everyone will be your pal or close friend. Learn to collaborate anyway.

I don’t like the word cooperation. It has the hint of passivity to it. “OK, OK, I’ll cooperate! I don’t like it, but I’ll cooperate!”. Collaboration gives the vibe of a well oiled machine with every part of the team having the same vision to get the same thing accomplished.

If we are going to do Church well, it must be done as a team. No one can do it alone, no matter how talented they may be. In an effort to be a better piece of the team at The Journey Church I am reading the short John Maxwell book, “The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player“. I will be blogging about each chapter and interjecting my thoughts (like anybody cares!). Feel free to add to the conversation!

First Essential Quality of a team player: Adaptable

Some of Maxwell’s thoughts:

“Team work and personal rigidity just don’t mix”

If you want to work well with others and be a good team player, you must be willing to adapt to your team.

Adaptable people are

• Teachable (not know-it-alls….always learning)
• Emotionally Secure (they don’t consider everything a challenge or threat)
• Creative (when hard times come they find a way)
• Service Minded (hard to be stubborn and rigid when you’re focused on others)

To Become more adaptable

• Get into the habit of learning
• Reevaluate your role (are you better suited for a different role on the team?)
• Think outside the box

Adaptable people think, “Not why it can’t be done, but how can it be done?”

Some of my thoughts:

Many churches will never grow or reach their potential due to the rigidity of the leadership

Being able to change, to adapt to do things outside of the box is one of my strengths.

A great compliment from a former boss….he said I was teachable. I hope I always will be.

We as pastors and leaders forget sometimes that the people we lead, sometimes the people we have as part of our core are not part of this pastor/leader subculture that we are and sometimes have a hard time adapting to doing new things because they just aren’t familiar with it. It’s up to us to cast the vision that allows people to be adaptable.

If The Journey Church is doing church the same way, if we’re singing the same songs in 5 years, in 10 years…just shoot me, because I’ve fallen into the same trap that I’m fighting so hard against right now. Today’s cutting edge will be tomorrow’s out of date.