Trust in Ministry

The ideologies, principles and values of an organization form its culture. Culture is a powerful force, which can either help build or even erode the foundational health of a church or organization. Tension will always exist with impending change, but the role of a leader is to direct the transition from tension to resolution through the five stages of building and shaping culture, as presented in the first video of this series. But before a leader can be found credible enough to lead the change necessary to design a stable and meaningful culture, trust must already be established far ahead of the process.
When trust has not been cultivated with volunteers and staff, the culture building process may seem more measured or lethargic. But when a leader is trusted to run the first mile, to have the right attitude, and to set the proper tone, that leader goes further, faster in building and shaping culture. Undoubtedly, this leader can be trusted to lead and get the job done. When change is inevitable, leadership credibility will not be questioned, because trust is already engrained. And with increasing complexity, it is ever more crucial that trust and certainty are preestablished. When leaders are seen as committed to something bigger than themselves, versus personal ambition, they are seen as worthy of following. Trust is a team concept. It is imperative that leaders have total trust in and from a team. One biblical principle that guides the establishment of trust is that leaders must guard their hearts and not their circumstances.
In this video, Chris Railey of Church Multiplication Network cites the characteristics of trust within a team framework and explains how the development of trust is foundational to advancing through the five stages of building and shaping culture. When you are confident that the team has faith in your ability to prayerfully lead through change, the established trust will be foundational to positive cultural transition.