Chapter 6
MINISTRY MOTIVATION
THE WELLSPRING OF
MOTIVATION
Motivation for Christian ministry resides in the Holy Spirit, who empowers team members to serve with humility and sacrifice. Christian organizations should never underestimate the pivotal, energizing role of the Holy Spirit in motivation. Without this supernatural element, efforts to motivate Christian workers (both volunteers and paid staff) will prove erratic and anemic. This is the dismal fate of many secular organizations that rely exclusively on faltering, myopic human resources to motivate employees.
The central challenge of motivation is to give people a compelling reason to work enthusiastically for the organization. Human incentives and rewards—money, status, and power—tend to promote self-serving behavior and lack staying power. No wonder so many managers in the corporate world wring their hands over how to get employees to cooperate, internalize goals, and work as a team!
When motivational efforts rely primarily on self-serving external inducements-higher pay, promotions, public recognition—managers inevitably encounter some degree of frustration and disappointment in working with others. Motivation based on the quiet internal desire to glorify God by serving others is much more likely to yield profession joy and fulfillment.
SITUATION REVIEW 6.1
Ministry Power Source
Each member of the ministry team should complete the open-ended statements below. A team meeting can then be held to compare perspectives and complete Action Plan 6.1 that follows.
1. I became part of this ministry because.
2. For me, the most fulfilling aspect of working in the ministry is.
3. The greatest strengths of this ministry are.
4. In my opinion, the primary reasons why others have joined this ministry team are.
5. The best way to increase the motivation of my team members would be to.
ACTION PLAN 6.1
Getting
a Bigger
1. Judging from team member responses to Situation Review 6.1, what appear to be the driving motives of your team?
2. To what extent does your ministry appear to be running on human, rather than supernatural energy?
3. Are some team members apparently more motivated than others? Why?
4. Based on your insight into what motivates people to serve in the ministry, on what basis could you probably best attract new team members?
5. Consider how each of the following might strengthen team member motivation:
A. Group prayer
B. Group Bible study
C. Being together more as a team
MOTIVATION IS A LIFESTYLE
Too often, people conceive of motivation as something done to another person—applying certain techniques or formulas that supposedly energize behavior. Motivation is looked upon as a "faucet" that can be turned on or off at will.
This naïve "spigot" model of motivation overlooks the crucial reality of relationship-building with others. Consider how Jesus worked with His disciples. He built them up by building Himself into them. Jesus recognized their needs and aspirations and helped fulfill their potential through patient encouragement and trust. He led by example, gently yoking Himself to His followers as a fellow servant. Jesus was the master motivator because he was the master relationship builder.
SITUATION REVIEW 6.2
Ships Passing in the Night?
1. The team leader should respond to the following questions:
A. In your opinion, why do team members cooperate with you and pursue your vision?
B. To what extent do the members of your team know you as a person (personality, aspirations, special interests, etc.)?
C. How well do team members know you spiritually (e.g., your theology, spiritual gifts)?
D. How well do you know your team members on a personal level?
E. How well do you know them spiritually?
2. These questions should be answered by ministry team members.
A. Why do you cooperate with your team leader and pursue the ministry’s vision?
B. To what extent do you know your team leader personally (e.g., hobbies, aspirations, special interests)?
C. How well do you know your leader spiritually (e.g., theology, spiritual gifts)?
D. How well do you feel your leader knows you personally?
E. How well does your leader know you spiritually?
ACTION PLAN 6.2
Team members should compare and contrast parts 1 and 2 of Situation Review 6.2 and discuss the following questions as a group.
1. To what extent has the team leader built himself or herself into team members?
2. Do team members seem to interact with one another on a fairly superficial level?
3. How can team members develop a more in-depth relationship personally and spiritually?
4. How can team member relationships be used to foster and fuel motivation?
5. In what ways can team member relationships to God be used to fuel motivation?
SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES OF
MOTIVATION
Much can be built on the motivational base provided by the Holy Spirit. Several spiritual principles of motivation provide ministry leaders with directional bearings for productive team management. First of all, team members should have a clear sense of how their work benefits others. Idealistic Christian—especially volunteers—have a strong need to make a difference in the world. They are greatly encouraged when shown how their efforts help others and advance the ministry’s mission.
Secondly, the ministry leader must discern which team members are motivated more by ends and which by means. Some people heavily identify with the goals of the ministry—its vision and quest. They are motivated by the sense of ministry "purity" and idealism. Other team members, more conscious of how the ministry actually operates, are motivated by being in harness and implementing ministry programs. Both orientations are essential, but they call for different team roles.
The third spiritual principle is to recognize the importance of personal accountability. Team members must know they are accountable for their efforts not only to God, but also to one another. They must see how their individual efforts are crucial to ministry success—that the "chain" is no stronger than its weakest link. Knowing they must answer to the team is a sobering reality that motivates team members to hold up their end of the work load.
The fourth spiritual principle is so familiar it is often overlooked: nothing motivates us more than making a voluntary sacrifice on behalf of others. This is the very essence of being a Christian! Ministry leaders should give team members ample opportunity to serve sacrificially, which means subtly coercive tactics (appeals based on guilt, strong peer pressure, or understanding the real costs of doing something) are to be avoided. People don’t always need an external inducement in order to work conscientiously.
SITUATION REVIEW 6.3
How Sturdy A Foundation?
1. Team members should respond to the following questions individually and then share answers in a team session.
A. Over the past year, how has the work of your ministry benefited others?
B. How have you gained personally? (How does the ministry minister to you?)
C. What excites you most about the goals and vision of your particular ministry?
D. What ministry activities do you enjoy the most and find fulfilling?
E. I make a difference to this ministry in the following ways.
2. State how much you agree with the following statements (2 = strongly agree, 1 = agree, and 0 = disagree).
1. I make a number of important contributions to the overall success of this ministry.
2. I feel appreciated by my team members for the work I do.
3. I know what my team expects of me.
4. I let team members know what I expect of them.
5. I know I will be lovingly confronted if I let my team down in some way.
6. I would not hesitate to lovingly confront a team member who has let the group down in some way.
7. The members of my team regularly pray together.
8. The members of my team have a spiritual, as well as working, relationship with one another.
9. We strongly depend on one another.
10. We are a support group for one another.
If many members have a total score under 10 on the inventory (which lists positive motivational factors), more attention should be devoted to mutual accountability. Action Plan 6.3 will assist you.
ACTION PLAN 6.3
Building A Sturdy Foundation
1. The following group-oriented questions can be profitably used in focusing and guiding the team’s discussion of Part 1 of Situation Review 6.3.
A. To what extent does your team seem to be motivated by the joy of serving others?
B. Look at your team as a whole. Which team members seem to be focused more on the ends (vision and goals) of the ministry than the means?
C. Which members are focused more on ministry means (implementation activities) than ends?
D. How can the two types of people in questions 2 and 3 better motivate one another?
E. What is the unique niche and contribution of each team member?
F. Do some team members appear to be more excited about the ministry than others? Why?
2. Use the following questions to guide the team’s discussion of Situation Review, part 2.
A. To what extent does your team seem to be motivated by the joy of serving others?
B. Look at your team as a whole. Which team members seem to be focused more on the ends (vision and goals) of the ministry than the means?
C. Which members are focused more on ministry means (implementation activities) than ends?
D. How can the two types of people in questions 2 and 3 better motivate one another?
E. What is the unique niche and contribution of each team member?
F. Do some team members appear to be more excited about the ministry than others? Why?
2. Use the following questions to guide the team’s discussion of Situation Review, part 2.
A. In what primary ways are team members accountable to one another for the work they perform?
B. How are team members spiritually accountable to one another in your ministry?
C. In what specific, feasible ways can team accountability be improved?
D. Where is accountability likely to break down on the team? Why?
E. How can mutual appreciation be improved on the team?
F. How can team members clarify what they expect of one another?
G. How strong is mutual dependency on the team? How can it be strengthened?
H. Are there any critical “weak links” on the team? If so, what supportive action should be taken?
MINISTRY MORALE
Morale (the motivational level of the overall team) is a lot like good weather—we don’t appreciate it until it’s gone! And like the weather, morale is subject to rapid change. Both commissions and omissions can be at fault.
Ministry managers unintentionally damage team morale through several common commissions, such as failing to keep team members well-informed of changes that affect them or failing to consult them on key decisions. Overly-isolated ministry leaders often dampen morale, as do leaders who manage bureaucratically through impersonal and inflexible procedures. Other common commissions include creating false expectations that are not sustained (budget requests that go unfinanced, exaggerated promises of growth and success in the ministry), and managing the organization in a competitive way such that one ministry team "wins" (gets what it wants) only when other "loses" (foregoes its agenda).
Ministry leaders can also damage morale through omissions—what they fail to do. For example, managers sometimes fail to intervene when one or more team members hamper ministry efforts with unproductive work habits (such as lack of follow through). Should the leader fail to act in such situations, team members are apt to harbor resentment or become cynical. Similarly, when the leader is lax in praising team members, morale will sag. This is true—and perhaps especially so—even of idealistic Christian staff and volunteers, who many erroneously assume don’t need "stroking."
Healthy team morale (further discussed in the next chapter) requires maintenance. It is easier lost than gained and subject to unpredictable swings even in the healthiest of ministries. Nevertheless, much can be done by the discerning ministry leader to maintain positive morale. Four important principles apply:
1. Principle of visibility: Morale is strengthened the more frequently team members see one another and expand their awareness of ministry current events. (Familiarity breeds appreciation, not contempt!)
2. Principle of interaction: Working together and sharing common pursuits builds morale.
3. The niche principle. Morale improves as each team member finds a unique niche on the team. These niches help people feel appreciated and needed.
4. Principle of mutual sacrifice. Team members who sacrifice together grow together. The resulting team closeness boosts morale.
SITUATION REVIEW 6.4
Morale Audit
Team members should state how much they agree with the following statements (2 = strongly agree, 1 = agree, 0 = disagree).
1. The morale of my team fluctuates frequently.
2. Communication between team members is not as strong as it should be.
3. Our team leader does not consult team members often enough about decisions and other administrative actions.
4. Our team leader is often inaccessible and isolated.
5. The team leader tends to relate to us more as a group than as individuals.
6. My team leader has a tendency to leave activities “hanging,” without adequate follow-through or closure.
7. Our team sometimes “bites off more than it can chew” and falls short of the mark in its performance.
8. There is a sense of rivalry or “turf-protection” between ministries in this organization in such areas as budget allocations and calendar planning.
9. My team leader is sometimes too “soft” on individuals and hesitant to confront them when necessary.
10. The team leader does not always recognize member contributions and achievements.
11. The members of my team don’t interact as often as they should.
12. Members of my team work alone more often than together.
13. The unique role occupied by each team member is not very clear.
14. We don’t make enough sacrifices as a team.
15. I don’t always look forward to the work I do on the team.
If many team members have total scores above the 7-10 range on the inventory (which consists entirely of morale-damaging factors), morale-building activities are probably needed, as will be discussed in Action Plan 6.4.
1. Based on responses to Situation Review 6.4, how strong does your team’s morale appear to be?
2. Are only certain members of the team experiencing morale problems? If so, why?
ACTION PLAN 6.4
Charging the Battery
1. Seven approaches to improving team morale are listed below. Rank them in order of their potential usefulness to your team. Rank the item of greatest potential usefulness as 1, the second-to-most useful item as 2, etc.
Morale Improver
Greater interaction of team members with one another.
Greater interaction between team leader and members.
Greater accessibility of the team leader.
Better follow-through and closure on team activities.
Creation of “niche” roles for team members.
Greater communication and cooperation with other ministry teams.
Greater use of praise and encouragement by the team leader.
2. Answer the following questions for the potential moral improvers ranked 1, 2, and 3 above.
A. When will your team have its first opportunity to utilize this moral improver?
B. Which members will benefit most from this activity?
C. How long do you expect it will take for team morale to measurably improve once this activity is initiated?
D. What specific signs will you look for to gauge how well the morale-improver is working?
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. (Colossians 4:2)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)