Josh GriffinMore PostsTeam Meeting Format

I’m trying a new format with team meetings and I wanted to walk through it on my blog hoping there was something insightful for you to grab the next time you connect with your paid staff, volunteers or student leaders. And please share what is working in your team meetings! Here’s what the current format looks like:

Training – Start off the meeting with a time of training the big picture of student ministry. it typically involves a passage of Scripture and a reminder to focus on the Power of God.

Prayer - Take time for prayer requests and spend some time in prayer. Critical in building a spiritual culture for the team.

Week Ahead – After the opening few items done, it is time to take the week head on. Since we meet every week on Tuesday morning, we throw out everything that is going on in our ministry before we meet again. It’s a great time to make sure we tackle last minute questions and insure the team is informed to the baseline on who needs to be where.

Celebration – I posted on this last week – we take a few minutes to celebrate students, volunteers and staff. Easily my favorite time of the meeting!

Leadership Challenges -this is where we go after places where we dropped the ball or we need to pick up some slack.Typically this is group admonishment, and we leave specific challenges to one-on-one conversations in a follow-up later.

Team/Responsibility Changes -If there’s a significant change for the team, this is the time to announce and discuss it. I value this time so I can breathe life and ownership to the person assuming the new role. If something “leaks” out internally, it robs me of one of my most honored roles in leadership – to give vision to the change and to talk about the strategy behind the decision.
Debrief - Ask yourself 4 key questions (I’ll blog about them soon) to make sure we had a great weekend service.

Stack Hands – Everyone put their hand in the middle and we pray for unity, teamwork and God’s power.

Everything Admin via Email - don’t waste valuable team time with admin stuff. That’s what email is best for! I talk about it in the group, then send it out right afterward!

JG

TagsComments 5 View Comments January 23, 2008

Josh GriffinMore PostsStacking Hands

I like “stacking hands” as an expression of teamwork. Stacking hands is probably an athletic term from inside the huddle, right? The plan is called out by the quarterback, and everyone puts in their hands to the center and yells out something unintelligible – quickly rushing off to fulfill their specific roles.

Stacking your hand on the pile is saying….

“I understand the play” – if you’re hand is in the pile, it means you understand the course of action from here. Things are clear, the next steps are ready to be climbed. Further decisions and adjustments are sure to be made, but in this moment you are up to speed with your head in the game.

“I am in support of this direction” – you might not have been a fan before the meeting or challenged the call during the meeting, but when you leave you believe.

“I will protect the person calling the plays” – there’s nothing worse than a coach being ragged on by his players. Putting your hand in the middle says I’m part of this from the beginning to the end and if you win we all win and if you lose we all lose.

“I’m committed to making the play happen” – the team is counting on you to perform your assigned tasks. The success of the play – whether it is stopped for a loss or goes for a touchdown depends on each member of the team. Did you know that most football plays are designed to go for a touchdown if everyone does their assignment?

“I’ll pitch in with the team” -Putting in your hand isn’t just saying I’ll do my best in my little silo – it is saying that I’ll keep my eyes open to the needs of others and you can count on me to jump in and add energy and octane when it is needed. It says I won’t wait to be asked, I’ll take responsibility in part for the whole team’s good.

JG

TagsComments Add Comment December 7, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsA Great Illustration of Teamwork


Chad sent in this video (which you HAVE to watch) and thinks it would be a great illustration on teamwork. No kidding!

JG

TagsComments Add Comment October 29, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsBecoming a Team

Dan has a great new post on the PDYM blog about transitioning to a new church. This week he takes on becoming a team in your new place of service. Good stuff, here’s an excerpt:

Cast the Vision Often
It is important for your team to know where the ministry is headed and why. This will help answer questions about why you are doing certain things a certain way and not doing some things that may have been good in the past. It also allows them to begin to tell others about what is going on in the student ministry. This keeps you from being the only voice speaking on behalf of students!

People want to be Heard and Valued
While we talked about past events and future events we asked for input. It was so good to hear from the team what they thought could enhance our events and ministry. Allowing the team to share ideas and insight gives them ownership of the student ministry. Plus it and helps them see their value on the team.

Have Good Communication
This can be tough, but bad communication leads to confusion. We try to send out a weekly e-mail to ALL of our volunteers. This e-mail contains a week review and highlights some things we want them to be aware of. Along with e-mails, we point our volunteers to our website where they can gain specific forms, helps, curriculum and training. This has been a tremendous help for us and cuts down on supply cost.

JG

TagsComments Add Comment October 9, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsLearning Under Duress

Some of my best learnings in life have come under intense pressure. You?

  • Learning about teamwork from someone’s incompetency
  • Learning about humility when I drop the ball
  • Learning delegation and time management under enormous deadlines
  • Learning how not to manage from serving a difficult leader
  • Learning peace and worship when leaving the comfort of a steady job for the unknown
  • Learning to grow the closest to God when life is throwing mountains of bad things your way

Life is good right now, so I’m trying to be a learner in this moment, too. Don’t know what you’re facing this week, but my prayer that if it doesn’t kill you – you’ll be able to learn something from it.

JG

TagsComments Add Comment July 31, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsYouth Ministry Team Culture

At the staff retreat, the team identified 8 key elements of our student ministry team culture. Here they are:

  • Christ-likeness
  • Leadership
  • Teamwork
  • Community
  • Effort
  • Speech
  • Fun
  • Humility

JG



TagsComments Add Comment June 28, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsGoogle Searches That Lead Here: Volume 30

Here’s this week’s selected Google searches that led people to the blog. I’ve pulled a few of the more notable or unusual ones and listed them here. Enjoy!

  • best web sites
  • rockharbor youth pastor
  • erwin mcmanus
  • saddleback promise blog
  • ewok song
  • looks like a chic fil a t shirt, but says christ fils me
  • josh griffin theforce.net
  • letterman top 10s
  • rock harbor church + live service
  • pdym student leadership
  • jeffs farm knotts
  • paige boy laughing commercial
  • saddleback sam likely target orange county
  • tim hughes happy day mp3 blog
  • graduation gifts for the nerd guy
  • kerry shook sermon living outside the box
  • dollar ministries
  • let’s do crosswords
  • gallup woo
  • phillip baker and creflo dollar
  • brian berry dave thomas
  • palm beach youth minister paintball
  • sabatticals for pastors
  • saddleback church wow awards
  • dishan wickramaratne
  • our new youth ministry facility
  • etv saddleback
  • jordan sparks and saddleback
  • summer wilshire
  • gallup strengthsfinder questions and formulas
  • youtube someone who believe in you by air supply
  • how to shout without screaming
  • mike lovato architecture
  • djing is a ministry
  • gallup maximizer
  • strengthsfinder gallup
  • skit everything you know is wrong script
  • download t.s. jakes sermon 2 kings 6
  • competence training teamwork videoclip free download

JG



TagsComments Add Comment May 13, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsIgniter Volume 5 Just Released

The brand new Igniter Videos Volume 5 are now up on the site. This might be their best DVD so far – perfect for your student ministry. Pick them up if one of these descriptions would fit an upcoming talk you’re giving:

SMART
Since the beginning of time, man has thought he was smart enough to know everything about this world. Whether it was the shape of the earth or how computers would affect our lives, man always develops a theory. We just seem to be consistently wrong.

99 BALLOONS
Eliot was born with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. However, that could not stop the living God from proclaiming Himself through this boy who never uttered a word.

BOYS AND GRILLS
Whether chefs or not, most guys know how to grill. Many of those same guys love to “cook” occasionally so they can give their spouse a much needed “night off.” This video finally reveals who really does the work on these grill-out nights.

PROOF
Most of us have thought how much easier it would be to follow God if we could just see Him once. The truth, though, is that He is all around us. We just fail to see recognize the evidence.

TEAMWORK
The Get in Here Ministries duo of Johnny and Chachi unite again to teach the value of teamwork through an interesting melody. Sit back and enjoy the value of teamwork communicated in a most unusual manner.

JG



TagsComments Add Comment April 9, 2007

Josh GriffinMore PostsStaff Meeting Leadership Thoughts

Had a great start to 2007 at our first Saddleback Staff Meeting. Here’s some of the key concepts from Rick’s talk. Good stuff …

  • the key to change is stability
  • decisions affect destiny
  • progress always starts with listening
  • you can have control or growth
  • tight control never works
  • innovation cannot be slow
  • learn to fail fast – learn and move on
  • entrepreneurs value freedom, independence and speed; managers value process, collaboration and teamwork.
  • think what is best for the church, not what is best for your area of ministry

JG

TagsComments Add Comment January 18, 2007
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