Regardless, of position, always be a Servant. Stay Humble. Be a Learner; improving always.

Snapped this moment while leading rehearsal tonight. Beautiful to see a team of people all bring themselves to the process.

If you sing or play an instrument, we’d love to have you consider joining us for an audition. We’d love to meet you and hear your story. Please do reach out.

—Peter Drucker

I like this quote. I’m a big fan of strategy. But I know that ethos is even more important.

Authenticity and rapport with the team. Connection of each team member to the bigger picture of the organization. Caring for and growing the individual infusing purpose beyond the temporary.

So grateful to get to play with these guys every week! I’ll be proud to wear my hoodie and think about these friends and the path to victory we experienced.

I have been thinking a lot about team. I suspect that many of our attenders would love to feel less overworked and stressed that they never get to breathe as they move from event to event to event with no end to tunnel of expectation. I suggest it’s actually a simple fix if there is a paradigm shift in what the job is. A true FILO ought to always be thinking about how our real job as Production Directors (or discipline leads for that matter) and is not to "do" a task, but rather to lead volunteers into a place they can serve as part of the Body of Christ. Let’s encourage our attenders to focus their energy on praying (Matt. 9:38) through who they invite with them to partner on the project. Let’s challenge our FILOs to see success as "working themselves out of a job" by training a volunteer to find their greatness in task rather than stooping to the lowest common denominator of finding identity as doing the task themselves.

Related, it’s important to remember that what we do with our "clock punching" and serving may be a virtuous thing, but it is vital to maintain the perspective that it is not the Work of God (John 6:29) - the Work of God is to believe in in Jesus, "ministry is simply a context for us to lift up Jesus as we help fill our position in the Body of Christ.

Initial ideation:

What about ideas of seeing the difference between a "one man band" and a conductor of an orchestra?

I wrote this page about what my team would look like last spring when I was considering the request to lead the Troy Production Department. I'm reviewing it again this month now that I've hired the final member of my staff. I'm grateful for each of them; and for all of our incredible volunteers. Here's to a great season of thriving in ethos, mission, and vision as we push through our busiest part of the year these next couple months...

A friend recently messaged me on my thoughts of how we evaluate our product after each event. I voice texted the following:

An indication of success is the observation of team celebrating that they had the privilege of experiencing the events together. That members of the team would offer self critique of the things that they individually remember missing and proposing their plan for how to improve it because they want to improve the overall win. That they would encourage the others in their successes in a posture of gratefulness to serve alongside such talent and attitude.

The greatest single indicator is joy. Do people like being part of the team? Do they celebrate that? Do they celebrate one another, even if they weren't part of the element? Is it a privilege to be part of the same team? Are they thinking about people that they want to invite along to the experience?

Another is adaptability. Are they willing to follow the leadership on a last-minute course correction without gripe or grumble or stressful freakout; but rather peace and even excitement.

Finally, and this is certainly more of a long-term evaluation: Are people working themselves out of a job? If the true culture is discipleship, then it will play out in the entire context of the persons life. Even to the point of training others to replace you in task and responsibility. The body of Christ is always evolving. Are we openhanded to however the spirit will move people and grow people?