The Difference Between a Good Team and a Great Team

A great post from the Integreat Leadership Serve blog. Below are some excerpts:

The difference between High Performance teams and really good teams is the level of genuine care and concern the members demonstrate towards each other.

How do you turn this idea into action? Here are some things your team can do to cultivate community…

• See how much you can learn about the members of your team – their past, their present and their dreams for the future.

• Celebrate accomplishments along the way – big and small. These can be personal or professional in nature, individual or team. Just make it authentic and frequent.

• Express gratitude and appreciation freely – A “thank you” goes a long way. Say it to individuals and the entire team… often!

• Constantly look for ways to serve others on the team – Think others first, and show your fellow teammates by assisting them whenever you can.

• Never stop looking for ways to do life together – That’s the essence of community. It’s not about me; it’s about we.

• Be patient – If you stay the course and continue to make “deposits,” community will grow deeper and deeper over time. It is cumulative.

Be careful – When I tell people community is what separates good teams from great ones, some want to rush to build community. It’s important to remember, high performance teams have ALL THREE elements needed for success: Talent, Skills AND Community. If you just develop community, you may have more fun, you may even love each other, but you’ll still be a lousy team.

The Importance of Love

How does the world typically think of love?

Written by: Bob Schindler

Emotion. A response we have to someone who makes us feel good.  Christians like to call this infatuation more than love. 

In response, we point to love as a verb not a noun.  We talk about commitment, choice, action.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul gives us a better way to look at love.

This passage is often associated with weddings and the love needed for a couple in marriage. But Paul wrote the chapter for quite a different purpose – for a local church and the love needed to keep the diversity and vulnerability he had just called that church to in the previous chapter.

In verses 1-3, he begins this look at love with a stern warning.  Someone can appear very successful in ministry and not have love as the motivation for that ministry.  The result of such a combination is scary – we become annoying to others in the body, we are nothing and gain nothing in the eyes of God.

Paul meant to rock the Corinthians as they heard these words.  God means it to rock us still today.

In verses 4-7, Paul then gives us this famous description of love.  As Tim Keller says, Paul wanted the Corinthians to think of two people as they went through this list.

First, he wanted to them to think of themselves.

In the previous 12 chapters Paul had outlined the poor behavior and attitudes he heard of in the Corinthians.  Most of the positive qualities listed in v 4-7 were exactly what the Corinthians were not and most of the negative statements defined exactly what they were.  He wanted them to see they were a people who often didn’t not possess love.

He didn’t want them to only see they weren’t behaving lovingly but that they didn’t possess love. If you look in verses 1-7, love is a noun.  The noun, love, is coupled with the verbs have not or is.  Love is not just a choice, it is not just a behavior. Love is something we have or don’t have because it is or isn’t.

So why this distinction? He wanted them to ask – “How do I get this love?” – and in doing so think about the second person.

Second, he wanted them to think of Christ.

Paul not only used a noun for love, he used a feminine personal noun. He personifies love. “Love is…Love does not…,” and gives attributes that we would say about a person – kind, not jealous, easily angered, etc.

When Paul begins with the idea – love is patient – he shows us something of where he wanted their minds to go.

The word for patient is “suffers long.”  Who suffered long for these Corinthians?  Who did he just remind them in chapter 11 took bread and wine on the night he was betrayed and said “This is my body broken for you.”?

He wanted them to think of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit wants us to think of him today – as the one who embodies love – who doesn’t boast as he is beaten, who isn’t self-seeking as he hangs on the cross, who keeps no record of wrongs as he cries, “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing,” who always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres.

Paul wanted them to think of Jesus in his love in order to face their lack of love. Why? So they could experience his love in their brokenness.

Paul understood you can’t give away what you don’t have.  You can’t just behave lovingly.  You can’t just take up this list in verses 4-7 as a list of to do’s to become a person of love.  That makes you at best a person who behaves lovingly and at worst a proud moral lover.

But this approach cannot make you a person who possesses love!  Only the power of the gospel in a person can have such an effect.  To make this list in 4-7 merely a list of do’s and don’ts diminishes the need for and power of the gospel to make us people of love.

Paul understood that.  He knew our self-centered tendencies.  So he personifies love so that we would resist this tendency when we look at our lives in the face of this list. Instead, he calls the Corinthians and us to look at this list and confess how little we love, to bring that to Jesus, and watch him work.  Watch him embraces us there, forgives us, and deposit his love in us.

The Gospel is an Exchange

My brokenness for his love.  This is the exchange of the gospel. Not just when we first confess our lack and embrace his love at conversion, but this exchange as an ongoing process in our lives. This exchange changes us, transforms us, into people who possess love.  Not in a way that makes us say, “Look at what loving people we are!” but in a way that says, “Look at what a loving Person He is!”

The week I studied this passage, I was sitting in Texas thinking, “I wish this guy would hurry up” (as he described an incredible move of God in San Jose California) and later thinking “I could do a better job than him” as a speaker challenged a group I was in. The words – “Love is patient…Love is not proud” – came to mind.

No one knew my impatience or pride – no one except me and the Holy Spirit.  Now the choice – confess or deny.  It all depended on whether I really wanted to be a person of love.

Would you pray with us at Cede Sprorts?  We hear the warning that we could be very successful in the eyes of the world and yet be bankrupt before God. It all hinges on love. Pray for the courage to confess our lack of love – deeply, regularly, vulnerably – and to embrace the one who says, “As the Father has loved me, I love you.”

Tim Keller's Wisdom on Writing Devotionals

Years ago, Tim Keller write an article geared towards preparing sermons but the strategies listed could be used for any type of message or devotional.  Below is an excerpt:

A BASIC OUTLINE FOR CHRIST-CENTERED, GOSPEL-MOTIVATED SERMONS
The following may actually be four points in a presentation, or they may be treated very quickly as the last point of a sermon. But more generally, this is a foundational outline for the basic moral reasoning and argument that lies at the heart of the application.

The Plot winds up: WHAT YOU MUST DO.
“This is what you have to do! Here is what the text/narrative tells us that we must do or what we must be.”

The Plot thickens: WHY YOU CAN’T DO IT.
“But you can’t do it! Here are all the reasons that you will never become like this just by trying very hard.”

The Plot resolves: HOW HE DID IT.
“But there’s One who did. Perfectly. Wholly. Jesus the—. He has done this for us, in our place.”

The Plot winds down: HOW, THROUGH HIM, YOU CAN DO IT.
“Our failure to do it is due to our functional rejection of what he did. Remembering him frees our heart so we can change like this…”

Need more help?: Check out our video on What Are 3D Devotionals?

What Have You Done For God Today?

Guest post by Carey Keiger

Years ago, my wife sent me a text message that simply stated: “What have you done for God today?”

I had to think about that for a second…Wow! Had there been anything I had truly done FOR GOD, and for God alone that day? I had a quiet time that morning, but it seemed pretty rushed, and I’m not sure I went into that quiet time thinking, “this is for God today.” I definitely didn’t consider driving to work in morning traffic, something that I could do for God. How about my daily routines at work? Had any part of my lunch break been used for God? There did not seem to be any part of my day that I had done FOR GOD. That really convicted me…not to mention, blew me away.

Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.”

I found that there was very little that I did on a daily basis that was for God. Everything was done for selfish reasons, or out of obligation, or just out of routine.

But what if everything we did, we did it as if we were doing it for the Lord? What would that look like? What would that look like in our daily lives? Or now that I am working in Church Recreation, I wonder what that would look like in our ministry? What would that look like on our ball fields, basketball courts, golf courses, etc?

Too often we have our own agendas, our own desires, our own responsibilities…and sometimes we are just going through the motions. But if we truly did our work for the Lord, what type of difference do you think that would make? It’s not easy – partly because nothing in or of this world will support you in doing anything for God. It takes an intentional effort to keep our ministry from becoming routine or just careless acts. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air.”  In the same way, we should not run our ministry without goals or purpose…and that purpose must be in line with the will of God.  

We should do nothing apart from Him. Jesus said:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Why do we try to leave Christ out of certain areas of our life? Why would we want to be apart from Christ, even when it’s just on a ball field for an hour? Aren’t we even curious about what we can do with Christ? How much fruit can we truly bear, when we are in Christ? Our ministry, our churches and our homes desperately need to be for Christ, and need to remain in Christ.

So what have you done for God today?

HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS IN MINISTRY

Written by Bob Schindler

I came across this on the 9 Marks website. I really appreciated the tone of this because I fear the church looks to the business world and their metrics too much in trying to measure ministry. Here’s the principles they listed:

1. Measuring the supernatural? Supernatural fruitfulness cannot always be measured.

2. Success equals faithfulness. One of our most important criteria for success should be whether or not a man is faithfully preaching the Word and living a life of conformity to the Word.

3. More than heads in attendance. The number of people attending a church is not the only factor to be considered, but how much members are growing in holiness, how many leaders are being raised up, how many members are leaving for the mission field, and so forth. Such factors are far richer and more complex, and are often better indicators of the faithfulness and success of a man’s ministry.

4. Success not always visible. A faithful and “successful” ministry may not present obvious and immediate fruit. Adoniram Judson didn’t see a single convert for seven years. Moreover, initial responses can prove hugely deceptive over time (Matt. 13:1-23). And how much “fruit” did the prophet Jeremiah get to see?

5. But visible fruit should be considered. God gives different gifts to different people. It is entirely possible for a man to labor faithfully at something he’s not gifted to do. In such a case, there will be little visible fruit, which should be considered in assessing his long-term plans and support. Not all Christians should ask the church to set aside a portion of their incomes to support them for full-time ministry. Visible fruit is a part of that consideration.

6. What’s the bottom line? Success in ministry primarily means faithfulness, but attempting to humbly and cautiously evaluate the fruit of a man’s ministry should play a supporting role in weighing success in ministry.

At CedeSports, measuring success is one of the issues we help Sports Ministries deal with by developing an appropriate MEASURE for success (that includes some of the factors mentioned above), an appropriate METHOD for using that measure, and an appropriate MOTIVE for the whole endeavor.  Below is a video that looks at some of those ideas.

Going for the Gold: Measuring Success in Sports Ministry from Cede Sports on Vimeo. If we can further help you in measuring the success of your ministry, please contact us.

7 Tips When Talking with Non-Believers

The list below is from the Resurgence and is focused on neighbors but most of the principles apply to non-believers in general:

1. Find a road that leads to Jesus.

In the course of conversation, be thinking of how Jesus intersects with the discussion, because Jesus intersects and touches everything in our culture: sports, music, art, politics. Look for bridges to introduce Jesus into the conversation. It should be just as casually or passionately as you talk about everything else.

2. Donʼt be weird and awkward.

“So…now, I'd like to talk with you about Jesus.” If all of a sudden you put on your “Jesus” hat and you are talking to them like a project and not a friend, then you’re entering awkward territory. Now, there will be times it becomes awkward because talking about Jesus and sin can be that way, but don’t let it be because you are socially weird.

3. Be winsome.

Included in that word is the word “win.” Be “winning” friends and the conversation by being engaging, friendly, and kind. For more on being winsome, check out Soul Winner by Charles Spurgeon.

4. Counter stereotypes and caricatures of Christians.

Many urban, secular folks have a particular caricature of a Christian, which is not very flattering (judgmental, harsh, the “morality police”), although many don’t personally have any Christian friends. Be gracious and talk with them, serve them, and love them.

5. Host an open house.

When my wife and I moved into a new apartment building we hosted an open house for the whole building and went over the top with really good food and wine. Dozens of our neighbors came out and it was the foundation for future gospel-centered conversations.

6. Be honest about your struggles and failings.

We all fall short. We all struggle and fail. The credit has to be given to Jesus in your life. Many non-Christians donʼt want to talk with Christians as they will feel guilty regarding their own problems.

7. Actions also communicate.

Serve your neighbors. Serve your neighborhood. Look for opportunities without being an attention-getter. Your neighbors are watching you and just as James said, faith without works is dead.

4 Fun Basketball Dribbling Games for Young Players

These games could be used for players of all ages but would probably work best for younger players (age 10 or below) still learning the basics of dribbling.

1.  Dribble Tag: While dribbling the basketball, and without double-dribbling or traveling, players must tag other players.  Once other players have been “tagged”, they are out of the game.  All players can have a basketball in this game or just the players who are “it.”  Play this game within a specified area (half-court for example) and the winning player is the last one remaining.

2.  Red Light, Green Light: Have all the players line up on the base line with a ball.  Coach yells “green light” and players move forward as quickly as possible while dribbling the ball.  When the coach yells “red light”, the players must stop and maintain their dribble.   Send back to the start any player not dribbling in control.  The winner of the game is the first to cross the opposing end line.  Coaches can mix in a “yellow light” as well.

3.  Dribble Survivor: Specify the size of the “island” (perhaps half-court).  While staying on the “island”, players must dribble their own ball (without traveling or double-dribbling) and simultaneously try to knock other player’s balls “off the island.”  If a players ball goes outside the specified “island,” then that player is out.  Play until one player remains.  A good game for the coaches to play with the kids as well.

4.  Catch the Cows: I recently made up this game although I’m sure there are other games out there similar to this one.  Create two teams amongst the players and put the two teams on opposing base lines from each other.  Roll multiple balls onto the court (spread the balls out).  Explain to the kids that sometimes on a farm, the cows break loose from their pens and the farmers have to round up the cows and put them back in their pens.  The “cows” are the balls and the “farmers” are the players with the basket being the “pen.”  Once the whistle blows, both teams run after the balls (the cows) and have to dribble the balls (without traveling or double-dribbling) and shoot them back into their own hoop (the pen).  The winning team can be determined by how fast all the balls (cows) are shot back into the basket (pen).

I would ask you to read further to see how to make these drills even more effective in the lives of your players.

What if instead of stopping with just the drills and the skills you were trying to teach, you could move seamlessly from the drill to life and then to truth?  If you could do so, you would thereby utilize sports as the character-building microcosm of life we all recognize it to be – but often don’t fully realize.

Here’s an example of what I mean:

Game:  Red Light/Green Light

Sports/Coach Comments (after the game):  What did it take to do well at this game?  (You have to dribble well but also had to be aware of the coaches commands)  So you can’t just focus on dribbling the ball, you have to also be aware of the coach.  That is not just true in this game but in basketball game as well.  When you have the ball and are dribbling in a real game, you can’t just focus on the ball.  I want you to have an ear for the other players who might be calling for the ball or for me who might be calling out a play.  If you don’t and all you worry about is dribbling, then what can happen? (someone who is open doesn’t get passed to)  At the same time, if you are only worried about other players or me and not paying attention to the ball, what can happen?  (Lose the ball) So we learn from this game the need to pay attention to both the ball and the voices of other players and the coach.

Life/Coach Comments:  This need to listen to others while we are focused on a task is true in life as well.  Let’s imagine you are playing with your friends and your mom calls out to come inside.  You don’t really hear her because you are so focused on the fun you are having with your friends.  She repeats herself but you still don’t hear her.  How would she feel?  (disrespected, upset, etc)  What is she was calling out for something important and you didn’t listen?  Could get you or someone else in trouble.  So you need to be able to have fun but also keep attentive to other important voices in life like you do on the basketball court.

Truth/Coaches Comments:  This is also true in our relationship with God.  One wonderful thing about God is that het talks to us.  Jesus said “My followers hear my voice.”  He wants to communicate with us as we go through the day just like our coach, our teammates want to communicate with us during the game.  But just like that game, we need to be attentive to his voice while we do the things we are doing.   So remember, as we play this game, you need to pay attention to the ball and to me the coach and let this remind you of the need to pay attention to the activities of your life while listening for God’s voice of instruction in those activities.

This unpacking of both the principles of the game, life and truth takes only a few minutes and doesn’t interrupt the flow of practice.  Rather it teaches a biblical worldview that integrates all of life with truth and maximizes the impact of their athletic experience. 

This method of utilizing sports, life and truth, we call 3D Devotionals.  Anyone can learn it.  To find out more about this method, check out this post.

Job Description of an Evangelist

We found this to be very helpful.  It comes via Ed Stetzer’s blog:

A preacher of the Gospel – the greatest form of evangelism is simply preaching the Gospel.

Can be male or female – this gift is given to women as well as men. The first evangelists were women instructed to tell the good news to the Apostles that Christ had risen. The Samaritan woman in John 4 was the evangelist to an entire region.

Is a gatherer – that seeks the lost and gathers them to be a part of Christ’s church.

A builder – that lays the foundations of true discipleship. They should go beyond giving an invitation and having people pray a “sinner’s prayer” and make sure that Christ is fully preached and that the foundations of repentance and faith are laid.

An equipper – the Evangelist must mentor other Evangelists as well as train believers to make disciples.

A strategist – they can devise tools and strategies that attract the lost and enable believers to share the gospel more effectively.

A pioneer – they should lead the faithful beyond the church walls into the harvest field. They are able to see outreaches turn into new church plants.

10 Characteristics of Great Teams

A repost from Brad Lomenick

1. Humble yet confident leader– Humility and authenticity starts at the top. Confidence and courage starts at the top. Everyone wants to assume that team culture is created bottom up, but at the end of the day, great teams look to a leader.

2. Skilled linchpin– Most of the time this is the quarterback for a football team. Or the point guard for a basketball team. Or the project manager on a new technology being released. Or the producer releasing a new movie. Peyton Manning, Magic Johnson, John Lasseter at Pixar. Every great team has to have at least one linchpin who is crucial to the success of the team. Most great teams have several.

3. Clear Vision and Clear Goal– think about it. Pretty much every sports team we’ve ever played on had a clear goal- win the game, win the division, win the championship. Great teams have vision that inspires and goals that are attainable.

4. A cause greater than themselves– We all desire to be part of something way bigger than us. For the Saints, they played 2 years ago for the city of New Orleans. The 1980 USA Hockey team played in the Olympics for an entire nation.

5. Constantly getting better– great teams continue to improve on a daily basis. Great teams don’t allow for mediocrity to set in. They push themselves on a daily basis, and that accountability is held by the team, not necessarily just by the leader.

6. Get it done oriented- all about action. Great teams don’t just talk about it. They make it happen. They are relentless in pushing projects across the finish line.

7. Willing to fight- Great teams fight consistently. About ideas. About direction. About strategy. And the best ideas win. Trust is crucial. And everyone on the team trusts each other enough to fight for their ideas, and argue, and debate. And leave it at that. Great teams are competitive, but equally collaborative.

8. A standard of excellence always- great teams set amazingly high standards and goals. And they aren’t wiling to settle for second best. They never coast. And are always great at the little things, which makes them great at the big things.

9. Nimble yet mature– regardless of how big or complex teams get, they always stay nimble enough to make decisions quickly and change directions on a moments notice if needed.

10. Actually like each other– team chemistry is incredibly crucial. They want to serve each other. They believe in each other. There is a cohesive spirit and a sense of unity that others take notice of immediately.

WHAT IS THE MOST PLAYED SPORT IN AMERICA? YOU MAY BE SURPRISED!

Barna.org published a fascinating article on attitudes about sports in America titled Futbol to Football: What Americans Think of Sports.  It is a good read whether you are a sports fan or not. In the article, they look at what sports we watch, have played or play, and what sports our children play.

So what sport do you think we have played or play the most in the US? Is it one of the traditional big three – football, basketball, or baseball? Or is it one of the up and coming games like soccer or lacrosse?

The answer is BASEBALL!

To be honest with you, I was a little surprised. I realize when it comes to football, this is a sport primarily for men, so this would decrease the numbers. I thought basketball would be the top sport because of what I hear of the decreasing participation in baseball. However, as participants, according to the research, here is the percent of us that have played or play the following sports:

Baseball 41%

Basketball 39%

Football 30%

Soccer 20%

As spectators, when it comes to watching sports on TV, football wins hands down, capturing 51% our attention, while baseball and basketball each have 33% of us watching. When it comes to watching our kids play,

22% of us are at the court or field to see basketball and baseball

18% of us go to the football field 

16% of us to the soccer pitch to cheer for our kids

This shows us that if we want to connect with people’s playing experiences, we might want to ask them about baseball more than football or soccer. If we want to tap into their parental sports experiences, it really is a toss up on what we bring up. How about you?  Does this  information surprise you like it did me?