On Recognition

Pastors are notorious for being lone rangers.  They are, unfortunately, notorious for being narcissistic.  We fall far too easily into the sinfully silly notion that we are the show; we are not.  That it is about us; it is not.

We must WORK at the recognition that we are in the ministry together with lots of other people.  We must WORK at keeping this awareness in our minds and in our practices. 

Start there:  recognize that it is not about you and that you need the involvement of others.  Recognize that you are not the only one with a brain.  Recognize that you are not the only one with a good idea.  See the other people around you.  Listen to the other people around you.

Two things will help you to keep this awareness:

• Look at people when they are talking to you.  Do not look for who you will talk to next.  Do not look for what you have to do next.  See the people you are talking to when you are talking to them.

• Do not respond to people until they have finished speaking and you have taken a moment to consider what they have said.

It is odd but true:  the more people you have around you the more invisible they will all become.  WORK at recognizing the people around you.

AND THEN GIVE RECOGNITION

People give pastors lots of recognition.  They give us congratulations for a good sermon.  They give us honorariums when we marry or bury a loved one.  They send us notes of thanks.  They give gifts at Christmas, Easter and the like.  When a member introduces us to a friend, they give us recognition, “This is my Pastor.”  If you think about it, there is no other vocation that receives the kind of regular recognition that pastors receive.  (Maybe this truth is what, humanly speaking, draws somewhat narcissistic people into the pastorate.)

As we have freely received, let us freely give.    Having recognized the impact of others, give recognition to them.

Find ways to regularly recognize the help, participation and contribution of others.

• Thank you notes from the Pastor are a must.  (I have written about this before, but it is worth repeating.)

• Phone people up and let them know they are appreciated.

• Have a luncheon for office volunteers.

• Have a Ministry Celebration Sunday where you recognize volunteers.

• Send birthday or anniversary cards to leaders.

• Clip newspaper articles that highlight a member’s activity and pass them on with a note of congratulations.

• Lift up prayers of thanks.

• Don’t forget to recognize the contributions of your wife.  Stop on the way home for flowers once in a while.

One of the first leadership phrases I ever heard and one of the most significant is this:  What gets recognized gets repeated.