“If you tell them they’re doing a good job, they’ll get too proud of themselves.” I once worked with someone who actually said that out loud one day about those he supervised. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what eventually resulted. This approach creates the exact opposite of  what I like to call “a culture of appreciation.” (I wonder what the apostle Paul would think about this approach to motivation? See Ephesians 6:22 and 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Hmmmm.)

A culture of appreciation notices what people do—the small things (like watering plants) and the big things (like leading this weekend’s junior high lock-in). A culture of appreciation creates more and more volunteers. And it instills confidence in those volunteers so that they are more likely to step up to bigger challenges.

I just wrote an article for CTA’s April newsletter. It gives several examples of ways everyone in a church or Christian school can contribute toward a culture of appreciation. (You can sign up to receive our newsletter for free here–left-hand column, scroll down.)

Such a culture won’t just happen. Everyone needs to contribute toward it. Everyone can help to create momentum toward it. You don’t need to be the pastor or women’s ministry director or Sunday school champion (though if you are in leadership, your influence can matter a lot!).

Is your church especially good at showing appreciation? Or do you have a horror story? Either way, I’d love to hear about it. We might actually encourage one another in encouraging one another!

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