Sermon Central
-
Every Church Staff Team Needs A Little Bit Of Friction
By Brandon Cox on Nov 20, 2023
"Eliminate friction!!" That’s the goal most of us have when it comes to leading a team, or a church, or a company. But what if friction is actually the key to getting things moving in the right direction?
Eliminate friction!!
That’s the goal most of us have when it comes to leading a team, or a church, or a company.
But what if friction is actually the key to getting things moving in the right direction.
I’m currently in the thick of learning from Todd Herman’s 90 Day Achievement Engine, and he keeps dropping bombs of wisdom when it comes to leading a team toward achieving big things.
Today, he mentioned my worst nightmare… friction.
I’m not into friction. Or conflict. Or awkwardness. Or even the remotest sense of being uncomfortable in a group setting whatsoever.
But I’m also learning the hard way that where there is no friction, there is usually no action.
We all coast on autopilot, doing what needs to be done to get through the week. But if we’re going to grow… if we’re going to go further, or higher than we are today, we have to do things in a way they haven’t been done just yet.
And that requires us to think creatively, to challenge the status quo, to troubleshoot and pick apart not only our failures, but our successes as well.
In my experience, that kind of deep self-evaluation and intentionality only comes when some kind of friction is in place.
Todd’s ultimate conclusion about friction is this…
The moment you create an outcome with accountability, you’ve just created friction.
As a church leader, that sometimes means tough conversations. Here’s an example of how we typically think…
We have about 65% of our Sunday attenders involved in small groups.
That’s good, right?
Yes, that’s good. How did it happen?
We had a couple of leader recruitment events, offered some training, and gave them some good curriculum.
Awesome. Do more of that. Let’s keep up the good work!
But here’s how a conversation with a little friction might go when we introduce an outcome with accountability…
We have about 65% of our Sunday attenders involved in small groups.
That’s good, right?
Absolutely! We ought to celebrate that! That’s huge.
And, I think with just a little bit of tweaking, we might be able to hit 75%.
How so?
I don’t know yet. We need to talk about what processes and projects might help us empower more leaders – maybe coffee with potential leaders? A church-wide campaign? A message series about community?
Yeah, those things might work.
Hey, let’s make it a goal. 90 days from now, we’ll have 75% in small groups. Can I count you in on that goal with me?
Yes, absolutely – that’d be awesome to see.
Cool. Now let’s talk about what we can do in the next two weeks to start moving toward the goal. Let’s set a meeting to check back in with each other.
As a leader, I’m sometimes uncomfortable in the second scenario because it requires me to ask something of a leader, to challenge them to think bigger in specific, concrete ways, and to pass responsibility onward.
My personality is more that of a cheerleader who wants to celebrate all the good that has been happening and avoid friction.
But… as long as another lost, broken person is out there not knowing Jesus, growth will remain our goal.
So we need friction.
We need to see set some big 90-day goals, see some awesome outcomes, establish some responsibility and accountability, shape some projects and processes to get there, and then pursue it all with a passion!
Related Preaching Articles
-
The Barnabas Factor: Five Practices To Help You Find More Leaders
By Larry Osborne on Feb 16, 2018
Larry Osborne explains "the Barnabas Factor" in successfully building church teams.
-
Getting An Approachability Checkup
By Ken Sande on Feb 28, 2018
An expert in conflict management, Ken Sande brings his expertise to pastors and leaders to help them relate better with their congregation, co-workers, and families.
-
10 Suggestions For The Shepherd Of A Stagnant Flock
By Joe Mckeever on Dec 13, 2022
Non-growing churches are not healthy, at least in some significant ways. Joe McKeever gives his input to help revive a church that seems to have "plateaued."
-
5 Top Priorities For Increasing Your Church
By Charles Arn on Mar 1, 2018
Whether you’re in a church of 20 or 20,000, these principles will help you to invest the talents God has given to your church.
-
Top 5 Lessons From Dr. Adrian Rogers' Preaching Ministry
By James O. Davis on Mar 6, 2020
James O. Davis shares powerful principles from the life and ministry of the great preacher, Dr. Adrian Rogers.
-
52 Quotes For This Generation Of Church Leaders
By Brad Lomenick on Apr 15, 2020
52 insightful quotes from Brad Lomenick that pertain to the preaching and pastoral audience.
-
6 Surprising Leadership Principles From The Bible
By Tom Harper on Mar 19, 2018
Tom Harper traveled through the whole of Scripture looking for one fresh leadership principle in every book ... learn what he found.
-
3 Unspoken Promises People Expect Leaders To Keep
By Hal Seed on Mar 7, 2020
Every Christian leader I know wrestles with leading with diligence. Become aware of the promises you make as a leader, especially the ones you might not know about.
