I never saw it coming: A key volunteer tendered a resignation. Though I put up a good front when I received the news, my stomach dropped and my mind began to race. Had I missed a signal? Had I done something wrong? What brought this about? Didn’t this person care that this put us in a bind?

Early in my ministry career, I took staff resignations personally. My attitude suffered, and I had little ability to minister to the departing person, let alone lead the department or church in a healthy transition and new staff placement process. Today, I know better. Resignations and staff transitions are part of the cycle of ministry.

Good people — people who are carrying out their ministry assignments with excellence, know what is expected of them (Part 2) and understand how well they are doing (Part 3) — naturally begin to assess their relationship with the team. They ask the question, “Do I belong here?”

It is a question with a very long history. The disciples who had been traveling with Jesus, sitting under His teaching, engaged in His ministry, eventually asked whether they really belonged with Him. Sadly, some chose to stop following Him (John 6:66).

David was called again and again to King Saul’s court to use his musical skill to soothe the king’s mental torments. However, despite knowing what his job was and effectively executing his duty, David concluded that he did not belong in close proximity to the king (1 Samuel 20).

The reason this question comes fourth in this series is because it takes time to answer. As one gains experience in an organization, perspective broadens.

Over the course of many conversations with teammates and leaders, an individual comes to understand predictable behavior patterns and attitudes. They learn the organization’s accountability expectations. They figure out how the team works, becoming familiar with the way things are and probably will continue to be. At this point, they begin to ask, “Do I belong?”

If you want your team members to answer this question with a definitive “Yes!” it is important to understand what influences the answer. Here are four of the most common considerations. 

Whether My Opinions Count

A leader who dismisses individuals’ input with an off-handed, “That’s just their opinion,” and then states how things are going to be, sends a clear message: The team’s opinions do not count.

Noted business author Patrick Lencioni observed that people do not innately need to have things their own way; they innately need to be heard. When leaders ask for the counsel, perspectives and feelings of others, they are saying, “You belong here. You have a stake in this. You are a part of where we are going.”

As a leader, I try to practice Matthew 7:12 and heed 1 Peter 2:17 by modeling “you belong” behaviors and demonstrating respect. This means I make better decisions because team members are usually closer to the action in question and can provide valuable insight. It also means I receive necessary buy-in from the team, the ones who directly impact how effectively the vision will be carried out. 

Whether My Contribution to the Mission Holds Value

Have you ever noticed that Sunday keeps coming? It is easy to become absorbed in your own weekly and daily ministry duties and lose sight of the big picture. Humanity tends to be myopic.

Leaders who help their staff see how the day-to-day work contributes to the larger mission lead well. Individuals want to know not only that the organization’s mission is worthwhile, but also how their job is important to its success.

Resignations and staff transitions are part of the cycle of ministry.

The apostle Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the importance of each individual, as well as the essential role each fulfills as part of the whole (1 Corinthians 12:20-25).

When I have properly assigned individuals to critical roles and I then point to the ways they are helping the church achieve the mission, I am reinforcing the importance of their work. This helps generate excitement and satisfaction, assuring staff members of their place on the team.

Whether We Have a Similar View of Quality

When I traveled extensively for district work, I quickly learned quality was in the eye of the beholder, absent a common definition. From church to church, worship team talent varied. Building cleanliness, parking ease, and landscaping quality was mixed, and hospitality toward visitors could be unpredictable.

However, such differences aren’t necessarily a problem in themselves. What matters is whether there is consensus among the team on what defines acceptable quality. This consensus is a key to sustaining the team’s connectedness. If an individual’s standards are too different from the group’s, he or she may not feel as if they truly belong.

Having similar levels of respect toward ministry effort, along with compatible views on performance quality, generates a feeling of being in this thing together, doing it all for the Lord (Colossians 3:17). The keys here include having support by other departments, having teammates who understand the value of each member’s role, and having a common understanding of the metrics for quality in our context.

When teammates serve wholeheartedly, receive love from one another, and offer mutual respect, the answer to “Do I belong here?” is easily answered with a “yes” (Ephesians 4:16; 6:7-8).

Whether I Have a Best Friend

The Bible is filled with descriptions of quality friendships. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 states, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

According to Proverbs 27:9, “the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”

By “best friend,” I simply mean someone in the organization you can talk to and trust at a deep level. Having at least one close friend on the team is essential to belonging.

One line of thinking discourages close friendships at work, believing them to potentially undermine the influence of leadership. However, the best leaders free people to do what they are designed to do: build relationships.

Many business experts and authors identify trust as an essential foundation on which strong teams are built. People want and need colleagues they can trust to be friends, confidants and encouragers. This is actually biblical. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

When teammates are well connected to each other, they are more willing to take risks, be open in discussions and engage in making decisions. 

Will They Stay, or Will They Go?

If your team members can honestly answer yes to these four considerations, they have likely found within your organization a place to thrive. While it’s obviously not possible or even desirable to control every staff transition, you can do much to shape the factors that influence the decision to stay or go.

It is my sincere hope that you will take this question of “Do I belong here?” and its underlying issues to heart as you seek to build a satisfied and productive team that will invest many years with your ministry. 

Also in This Series

• Part 1: Building a High-Performance Staff 
• Part 2: What Do You Expect of Me?
• Part 3: How Am I Doing?