“Do members feel like family?�: Sadly, most church/ministry staffs I have worked for did not feel like family. In most, the environment was really no different from the corporate world: just put your head down and get your work done. “Sometimes our ministry experience feels too much like a dysfunctional family.� Again, Amen! (just kidding). Movies like Little Miss Sunshine, The Royal Tennenbaums, Igby Goes Down, etc. are poignant, humorous examples of dysfunctional families.
I'm very blessed with a family-like team. The core parts of that team have now been together for about 7 years. We like each other and work well together. But it hasn't always been so. I inherited a team 15 years ago that had some significant dysfunction, some of which would not be exposed for a few years. I also made some hires during my earlier years that proved to be unwise. However, a big part of the problem was me - learning to be a team leader. I once told an associate, "You will stand or fall on your own merits," meaning, "If you go down, I'm not going with you." That's no way to build a team spirit. You do learn a few things as your hair grays and thins. Hopefully, anyway.