Matt Perkins serves as worship arts pastor at Peoples Church in Fresno, CA.
We can find ourselves in the mindset of “trying to top” the previous week, year or even the previous leader. While that may stretch us individually, it can also lead to total chaos. In many cases, the “worship world” and the “tech world” come from opposite ends of the spectrum in regard to planning and prioritizing. One tends to think big picture while the other is thinking through details on how the big picture can actually be pulled off. Neither is bad, rather, they are two very important perspectives in achieving a common goal.
I recently sat down with an audio engineer and asked what his biggest frustration was when leading up to a large event. He replied, “It's the unknown … people can have great ideas, but if they fail to communicate them, then we are scrambling at the last minute to figure out how to make it work.” For any event to reach its intended goal, we have to communicate and get on the same page.
1. Communication
Being a good communicator is more than simply talking. There is a time to speak, but we must strive to be great listeners. Just so we all know, listening isn’t that thing we do when we are waiting for our turn to talk. We can miss the obvious if we never stop and listen to what other people on the team have to share. If we do not learn to communicate effectively, we will continue to operate at a dysfunctional level. What do your team meetings look like? Do you feel like the attitude of your team is better or worse than it was six months ago?
2. Connection
To take your team to the next level, you have to move beyond communication and develop a connection. Connection within a team doesn’t happen overnight. You must be intentional. Connection is a result of spending time with your team. It is the result of walking through difficult seasons and situations with one another. Connection comes when you are willing to say “thank you” and “I’m sorry.” If you have to be the one who gets credit for every idea, you are going to be your own worst enemy. That is a connection killer.
Ideas for building connection:
Vision & Training Day – Spend a day investing in your team. It doesn’t have to be something elaborate; simply a day equipping those who minister together on a weekly basis. It is a small investment that pays huge dividends.
Food – Eating together has a way of breaking down walls. Try having a “brown bag” meeting where everyone brings his or her own meal and just relax before the heavy lifting happens.
3. Capacity
The combination of good communication and connection with your teams will lead to a greater capacity. We can spend tons of time, energy and money looking for the latest technology or innovative idea that will move us to the “next level,” but what we really need is communication and connection within our team. Personally, I would take great connection and a team dedicated to a singular purpose over the latest gadget any day.
1 Corinthians 12:20 (NLT) explains, “Yes there are many parts, but only one body….” Our different ideas, opinions and gifts will cause us to grow and increase our team’s capacity. As you prepare for your next week or event, embrace the differences and connect with your team.
Matt Perkins serves as worship arts pastor at Peoples Church in Fresno, Calif. Previously, he served as worship pastor at Faith Assembly in Orlando, Fla., for seven years. In addition to his local church ministry, Perkins has a heart to equip, connect and develop leaders in worship ministry.
