In God We Trust…All Others Pay Cash! How Trust is Often Undermined PART 1: Email Etiquette

I saw the above hanging prominently in a tattoo parlor: “In God we trust, all others pay CASH.” At the time, I thought it was funny. But after reflecting on it, I realize that the sign was hung probably in response to being let down. It got me thinking about the trust systems we have in church, and how often, probably unintentionally, trust is being undermined.

Here’s what I know: All solid relationships are built on the foundation of trust. Trust can be compromised when expectations aren’t being met.  The consequence of not establishing clearly defined expectations is everyone expecting different things from someone (and let’s face it, some expectations are too high, others are too low).  So over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some typical mistakes church leadership sometimes make.

So what is an acceptable expectation for answering emails? In today’s world of smart phones it has never been easier to check emails. Unfortunately though, many people are in the position to read, but not respond to emails. And too many times, those people don’t have a good system in place to remind them of the emails requiring attention. Nothing can be more frustrating to someone who has emailed a clergyperson or a program staff person with something that’s important (at least important to them) just to be ignored. The bottom line is that people who email someone expect an acknowledgement.

In order to show your respect to all who take the time to communicate with you, consider some of the following suggestions:

• Don’t check emails on the fly.
• File your messages after you’ve responded so you don’t have a cluttered inbox.
• Establish a certain time of day when you handle emails.
• Make it a habit to acknowledge all emails. If you’re not in the position to accept an action item from the sender, then say that, and ask the sender to follow-up with you in a specified amount of time.

Ultimately, if you are in the habit of letting emails fly by without acknowledging them, you’re essentially communicating that you don’t care. By practicing healthy email etiquette, you’ll undergird a more solid foundation of trust.

What is difficult about consistently answering emails? What are some other consequences of not responding to emails? Please share other tricks you’ve learned to live into replying to every email you receive.

My BIG Beef with the Word ‘JUST’ – Appreciating Volunteers in April

“I’m just a volunteer.” You may use this phrase in a number of different contexts, but in every single instance, the word ‘just’ should be stricken from the sentence. In fact, the consequences of uttering the word ‘just’ when used before the word ‘volunteer’, is actually hurting our church communities.

First, it supports an unhealthy model of staff dependency. After all, many churches expect the program staff to be the primary “doers” of the ministry since they are the ones being paid. These churches are missing a key to a thriving ministry: a program staff person whose primary responsibilities are to equip, empower, and encourage volunteers.

It also gives the volunteer an easy out. If a volunteer has the perspective that he or she is just a volunteer, one may be less inclined to live into his or her role by not fulfilling obligations. If given the chance to show up for a church meeting or enjoy the first sunny, 75-degree day in the spring, such people could very well blow off their church commitment. After all, they’re just volunteers.

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, and I was looking up images to use for this post. I found many phrases that boasted, “Volunteers Make a Difference.” I don’t believe that. In actuality, volunteers make THE difference. They aren’t “just” anything. They are almost EVERYTHING.  So next time, think twice about referring to yourself or someone else as “just a volunteer.”

What are some cultural dynamics you think contribute to the ‘just’ mentality?  And what can we do about it?

Excellence

Excellence. It’s not an arbitrary thing. Many people use this word like Bill and Ted did, much like some people today, especially youth, use the word ‘epic.’ Maybe the bar has been lowered, therefore ‘really good’ is equated with ‘excellent.’  Perhaps I’m getting caught up in semantics, but here’s what I’ve learned: You can have a ‘good’ ministry by accident. You can have a ‘really good’ ministry by accident. But excellence is NEVER an accident. Excellent ministries are only achieved with the following 3 things:

1. Intention – You gotta want it. You gotta strive for it. Those who assume their ministries are already awesome are kind of missing the point. There is always room for growth and improvement. So unless there has been a conscious decision to say, “this is who we are and where we are,” then the question of where we want to go is sort of irrelevant.

2. Strategy – Strategy is a plan. And plans are a piece of an overall design to create what it is you intend to build. In other words, if intention is behind figuring out who and where we are, strategy helps determine what needs to be done to get from here to there.

Unless the proper systems and structure are in place, the highest you’ll get is “really good. “ Here’s why: If one ministry doing a “really good” job simply by depending on the gifts, personalities, or learned skills of those running the ministry, the ministry down the road with the same gifts, personalities, and skills can and will surpass you if they are intentional and strategic.

Intention and strategy are things that anyone can bring to the table. And I promise, add intention and strategy, and greater results will be achieved. In order to achieve excellence, though, one more thing must be present:

3. Alchemy – In other words, you gotta get the right people on the bus. Your team must be comprised of the right people, with the right skills, and the right talent. Excellent ministries have the right people in all areas (program staff, volunteer staff, and even student leadership). Everyone has the right attitude and they keep their eyes on the prize. They also practice balance, so they are investing in themselves as much as they are pouring into their ministry. Healthy people understand that they can’t give what they don’t have, so they are intentional about protecting their personal time with God and family.

In what ways are you intentional about your ministry? What strategies are you using to take it to the next level? What is difficult about creating the right Alchemy? I’d love to hear your thoughts about achieving excellence or ways your actually doing it.

What is ABCD?

After reading the book, Community—The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block, I’ve been consumed with learning more about ways to live in and build better community (for myself and others). Shortly after having been transformed by the words I read, I also became interested in Asset-Based Community Development. Though Peter Block didn’t coin this term, his book certainly echoes the sentiments that ABCD encapsulates. What is Asset-Based Community Development and why is it important for the Church?

First, before I try to explain, please know that I am only reflecting on how I’ve been impacted by what I’ve recently learned. I am in no way an expert in ABCD, so I highly recommend that you familiarize yourself by reading about Asset-Based Community Development independently. I would start with books from John McKnight and/or Peter Block.

How many times have you critiqued something by pointing out its flaws or weaknesses? When was the last time you’ve asked yourself how you’ve been responsible for things being the way they are? How many times have you thought, “Well, if only we had this, or got that, we’d be o.k.”, or “If we only got this expert to fix it”, or “We need to get rid of the guy in charge because someone else will do a better job at fixing things.”? Let me assure you, all of this is typical.

But what is special about Asset-Based Community Development? Well, for one thing, we focus on what we have, not what we don’t have. We celebrate our diversity and our gifts, rather than focus on our shortcomings. We use our gifts and talents to achieve endless possibilities. We celebrate today, rather than celebrate the romanticized past through nostalgia. We are accountable to ourselves because we take responsibility for our current situation. We don’t play the blame game.

Though this is a crude and inadequate summary of what Asset-Based Community Development is, I’m hopeful that churches will recognize the authority on which ABCD is established: Love, patience, grace, and mercy. I hope that the future will be ushered in with more communities practicing the tenants of Asset-Based Community Development.