Grind It Out Together

It starts around Halloween.  Right behind the candy and costume aisle at Target you see a few Christmas lights and decorations.  Then out of nowhere BOOM!  It’s time to get ready for Christmas.  Starbucks has it’s cups, Walgreens it’s inflatable Santa Claus’ and Macy’s in full blast.  That means over the next few weeks our staff will grind it out getting ready for Christmas.

Courtesy of Chris Breeze/Creative Commons License

Like any industry your church (And ministry) have a busy season.  It’s when the pace of the work day picks up.  It’s when the work load never seems to end.  It’s when everyone is being attacked and living on edge.  Busy season can hurt you and it can help you grow stronger.  You just need to know how to grind it out.  That means having great:

• Camaraderie: How well does your team work together?  Are people stepping up or retreating?  When you grind it out, it’s all about leaning on one another and making sure that spirits are high.  To help you stay focused and supportive of one another pray together, and revisit the vision.

• Communication: When you grind it out, never leave anything to assumption.  Communicate and repeat so that you are sure everyone is on the same page.  That might mean double checking everything that’s emailed out.  Reviewing minutes after a meeting and holding one another accountable for the information to be relayed.

• Leadership: In times of tension everyone is looking towards the leader.  That means staying calm and being prudent in your decisions.  When the leader panics or becomes unraveled that’s when the team begins to fall apart.  Encourage your team, serve their needs and keep them leaning into the tension.  Be sure to lead by example by grinding it out first.

• Trust: Trusting one another is huge; however, trusting in God is greater.  When you grind it out it means that you are starting to work above and beyond your capacity.  When you can’t go any further you need God to take you there.  Trust in God and there is absolutely nothing to fear.

Even if you are not in charge you can help your team grind it out by taking the lead.  Love your coworkers and work towards the vision.  If you stay together it doesn’t matter the season, you’ll come out stronger than you were before.

What else does it take for your team to grind it out during busy seasons?