I love sports, all sports but especially baseball. There are so many nuances and variations to the game that you can certainly lose yourself in its complexities. Yet for all intents and purposes, it’s a very simple game. I also played on and managed a slow-pitch team for nearly 30 years and enjoyed every moment. No, this was not your average softball team playing local recreational ball down at the neighborhood field, but a team that traveled extensively around the nation and won three world titles along the way. This was a team with a national sponsor and one that had a six figure budget to accomplish all of its travel and competitive desires. One thing that I did learn however, is that there are many similarities between managing a ball club and managing a business or even a church staff.

First, there is an overall goal: to WIN the game! Certainly winning can be described in a variety of fashions, but suffice it to say that for the church, it’s reaching the lost and seeing many come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. There are many aspects that go into accomplishing this and the most important is that our staff functions together as a TEAM. As in baseball, there are many individuals playing different positions, but when everyone performs together as a team and does their job, winning becomes the end product. We love to “hit it out of the park” every week with staff and volunteers coming together in a cohesive way to have another winning weekend, which ultimately means 30-40 new believers coming into the Kingdom of God.

I also love the SACRIFICE play in baseball. This occurs when a batter sacrifices his “at bat” to move the runner into scoring position. This also takes place in the church when a staff member understands that he doesn’t need or require accolades, to be “up front,” or even to get credit, but is concerned more with putting others into a position to SCORE. Ball players can get hot, sweaty, tired, have sore muscles and get worn out playing late into the night. That sounds a lot like our church staff following a big event or annual conference like Team Church Conference. (By the way, if you haven’t been to Team Church before, don’t miss this year’s –it can be a life changing experience). The “whatever it takes” attitude to win is a must for anyone committed to ministry. Late nights, fatigue and even sore muscles can be indicative of a long weekend at church doing whatever is required to have outstanding services. This attitude of sacrifice is a must if you are to be part of a winning team.

Finally, creating a winning team means putting your individual personal issues on hold and recognizing that for “the good of the team” my problems are not paramount. The Prima Donna does not do well on a baseball team and certainly not on a church team. Navigating through individual personal issues to push through, mature and grow as a team is vital to winning. In my day, when a pitcher got into trouble in a game, instead of taking him out, I would leave him in and tell him to pitch his way out of trouble. I think sometimes we too quickly relieve individuals and allow others to mop up. This doesn’t help the team and certainly doesn’t allow the individual to grow through these challenges. I love baseball and I love the church --- it’s interesting to see how many principles can be applied to both!