MOTIVATING PEOPLE

“Nobody wants to do anything in our congregation. How can we motivate people to participate in the work of the church?” church leaders often ask.

Or, leaders exclaim in frustration, “People in my congregation are just not motivated enough!”

False Assumptions

Some false assumptions may underlie this frustration of not being able to “motivate people”.

If we believe that leaders can be skilled enough to get people to do what we think they are supposed to do for the church, we are operating under a false assumption. We as leaders do not generate motivation within people. That is the job of the Holy Spirit.
Another false assumption may be that everything we are doing or trying to do in a congregation is what God wants done. As leaders of congregations we sometimes confuse “church work” with the work of Christ.

What Leaders Can Do

But having identified some false assumptions, let’s state what leaders can do.

We can use our influence to invite and involve others in a work of Christ. (A definition of Christian leadership is a disciple using his or her influence to invite and involve others in a work of Christ.)
We can help create the best conditions for the Holy Spirit to work in people’s lives. The Holy Spirit increases their inner desire to do what God wants them to do.

As leaders we can use our influence to invite and involve people in a work of Christ. As we skillfully lead a group in doing a work of Christ, we create conditions where the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of the individuals in the group. We create those favorable conditions for the work of the Holy Spirit in our leading by implementing some principles of motivation.

Principles of Motivation

As Christian leaders gather and lead groups of people, we implement the pleasure, purpose, and passion principles.

The Pleasure Principle

People are attracted to people they enjoy being with. The more love and laughter that flow through a group, the easier it is to keep people involved and to get new people involved in a work of Christ that group is doing. “Belonging” is a feeling of pleasure. When new people feel valued and friendship is extended to them, they are more likely to want to get involved.

What can you as a leader do to implement the pleasure principle?

Balance the time devoted to task with some time devoted to fellowship when the group meets
Appoint the most outgoing, people-loving person in your group to make sure hospitality is offered to new people
Have fun as you lead the group. Even though the task may be very important, don’t take yourself too seriously
If you are not a “fun” person, ask someone who is to help lead the group

The Purpose Principle

When people believe that what they are doing makes a difference, they will give of themselves, their time, talents, and resources.

What can you as a leader do to implement the purpose principle?

Clearly define the mission of your group. If it is a group within a church, relate the mission to the broader mission of the congregation.
Minimize time spent in planning mission and maximize time spent in doing mission. People find purpose when they are face to face with people, showing the love of Christ in action.
As you are actively doing mission, lead your group in describing how they perceive God at work within them and around them. A sense of fulfilling a Divine Purpose builds as people share their perceptions.
Provide opportunities for your group to share the purpose they’ve found in doing mission with the congregation. Giving witness to how we’ve experienced God at work strengthens our sense of purpose.
Affirm the contribution of each person to the mission. The leader can show how the mission requires everyone’s contribution and can build a sense of purpose in those who offer “behind the scenes” gifts.

The Passion Principle

As individuals discover their calling, what they believe they were “born to do,” they are internally motivated by the Holy Spirit. They become totally committed to the work of their calling, and no sacrifice is too great. You can’t stop them from pouring out their lives for their passion.

What can you as a leader do to implement the passion principle?

Demonstrate your passion in how you live and how you lead.
Talk about your own calling and how you are living it out.
Encourage individuals in the group to prayerfully discover their calling. You can recommend that they work with the guide on this website: Writing a Personal Mission Statement.
Try to match tasks to be done with the gifts of individuals.
Encourage individuals to offer their own ideas and to volunteer for tasks which will help them explore their calling.
As people gain clarity and feel more passionate about the particular mission they are called to do, they may need to move into a different area of service. Encourage them to move in new directions. Offer help in connecting them with people and resources.
You may need to let go of a person you value for your group as he or she moves in a new direction. This letting go may seem like a loss, but there is only gain for the Kingdom of God when people pursue their God-given passion.

Summary

As leaders we can use our influence to invite and involve people in a work of Christ. As we skillfully lead a group in doing a work of Christ, we create conditions where the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of individuals in the group. Implementing the pleasure, purpose, and passion principles helps create those favorable conditions for the work of the Holy Spirit to call forth new spiritual leaders. Working with the Holy Spirit, we become leaders who help develop spiritual leaders.

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Leadership