Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Location, location, location rolls off the tongue so nicely. People know what it means and it's repeated several times so it must be important. This isn't something new, Jesus did it, "Do you love me?...feed my sheep. Do you love me?....feed my sheep" Jesus would not have repeated it if it wasn't important!

I can honestly say in my experience the most important thing in a healthy team approach to ministry is communication. For whatever reason, the church is full of people who are just plain passive aggressive. Being direct is not as common as you would think. We are supposed to speak the truth in love, not love the truth but don't say anything.

Too often harmony comes into play. People are often paralyzed with worry about hurting someones feelings. Therein lies the problem. Speaking the truth in love may end up with hurt feelings during the initial conversation, but that is never the intention. Before any opportunity to practice my "speaking the truth in love" skills I make sure I am prayed up and all emotions are taken out of the conversation.

About 15 years ago, a friend told me I call a spade a spade. I didn't quite know how to take that, was it good in "church world" to be frank or was it bad? I must say I was taken aback by that comment, but not for very long. I personally like to know where I stand without any game playing. I have seen too many leaders in the church act one way when in public and another in private. I pray I never fall into that trap. I also pray I don't go so far in my frankness that I become callus. I guess like anything else, it's a balancing act. Maybe as church leaders we should adopt the following mantra; "Communicate Communicate Communicate." It's repeated three times, Jesus style if you will, so it must be important. I think communication makes a staff stronger by eliminating assumptions, defensiveness, and hidden agendas, and by allowing the team to speak the same language. I can just see it now....mugs, t-shirts, lanyards....maybe not, but if we all start communicating better, unity isn't so far out of reach.