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Thinking about Self-Motivation and the Church |
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Page 8 of 8 Regrettably, in their enthusiasm to accomplish a task in the church, a pastor or church leader will sometimes violate the need for autonomy as he tries to persuade reluctant volunteers to take on a ministry. Sometimes this is done rather overtly: "Come on, Tom, I really need you on this." At other times the approach is more subtle: "Sue, this is your call. I’m just in a bind right now, and I would consider this a personal favor."Either of these approaches, however, compromises the need for autonomy in the would-be volunteer, and ultimately the impact on motivation will likely be disastrous. The person in question will likely meet the commitment. But in the long term, he or she will move away from the perceived source of pressure - from the pastor, another church leader, the church itself, and possibly even God. In order to support member autonomy church leaders can do several things, and with these we conclude this issue. Nurture active collaboration in church activities - Do members have an opportunity to influence how things are done? Invite rather than pressure - Your choice of words subtly communicates your desire either to control or to respect a person’s autonomy. Acknowledge rather than manipulate - We all like to feel our contributions are appreciated. Always acknowledge the service of church members. Permit freedom of expression - Be careful not to eliminate people’s right to express their opinion about a policy. Encourage a sense of volition regarding church rituals - Do not force people to take a particular step of faith. Include staff members in running meetings - Keep meetings within certain time limits. Foster holiness - The paradox of dying to self in order to conform fully to the Spirit’s life is the foundation of Christian freedom. Never forget your responsibility to help believers mature. Don’t allow members to over-commit themselves to too many tasks. Those who have multiple responsibilities in and outside of church effectively eliminate their abilities in terms of talent, education, and insight to contribute much time to a task if they are covering too many bases. Encourage volunteers by giving them an optimal level of autonomy - structure or direction should be balanced with freedom to move or act. Organize regular "town hall" meetings which allow people to express their views, but don’t allow the more vocal to dominate the meetings.
For more resources on intrinsic motivation contact EMOS.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 08 August 2007 )
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