Trust: Do You Get It?
A Washington Post tagline is "If you don't get it, you don't get it!"
(i.e if you don't get the Post, you don't really get the news)
I think the same can be
said for trust. If you don't get it, you
don't get it! If you, the pastor, don't
understand the importance of building trust and actively seek to build trust
both in you as leader and among leaders and members of your church, you won't
get the trust and you're in big trouble.
Stephen M. R. Covey (The Speed of Trust)
declares that the cost of all the federal rules and regulations (due to lack of
trust) costs U. S. businesses $1.1 trillion a year!
Patrick Lencioni, in his terrific book Five Dysfunctions of a Team, asserts that building trust is the
foundation of developing a successful leadership team.
What is the trust level in
your congregation? Among your
leaders? To what extent do people trust
you? How might you build trust?
An obvious starter is that
your behavior has to match your words.
If you say that you're going to be somewhere at a certain time, then
show up - and be prepared for what's happening.
Or, if something derails your plans, then call right away to
reschedule.
Seems obvious, but don't
you know of times when someone has kept you waiting or hasn't prepared for a
meeting and you know they're faking. Maybe
someone talked behind your back or blind-sided you. We have to start with ourselves - and be
trustworthy.
What can you do with
church members? Start with leaders at
Board meetings. Here are a couple of
exercises I've used that have been very helpful in building trust.
Faith sharing - ask members to identify
two scriptures that have been important in their spiritual growth. Perhaps the passages strengthened,
guided, or confronted them. Then
have four or five Board members take 3 or 4 minutes apiece sharing
their scriptures and why they are important to them. Repeat at successive Board meetings until all have shared.
A simple lectio-divina or African Bible study
- as Board members gather for the meeting, place them in small groups of
3-4 with a worksheet. The sheet has
a passage of scripture that is germane to the church and its situation and
three questions to be answered quickly by each person in turn. If you'd like a form for this, email me.
Key is quality
face-time. Find ways (meals, retreats, going to a ball game) to get people
together so that they can have fun and get to really know one another as
friends in Christ.
So, what are you doing to
build trust in you and among your leaders and members? What might you do in the next month? If you don't get it, you don't get it.
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