Every Monday our team gets together and evaluates the previous Sunday experience. Someone once told me that the process of evaluation is what separates amateurs from professionals. Amateur athletes don't sit in the dark room for hours and pour over tape from the previous game. Professionals do. Amateur musicians don't sit and listen to tracks they laid down in the studio ad infinitum and make minor tweaks to make the song that much better. Professionals do. Amateur communicators don't write, rewrite, rehearse and then rewrite their messages. Professionals do.The point is that evaluation makes you better. My coach taught me the Principle of C.A.N.E.I., which is Constant And Never Ending Improvement.
So each week our teams evaluates our weekend and asks four simple questions, What was Right, Wrong, Missing and Confusing. We draw a quadrant and put each category in a box. It's a great tool to help you celebrate your successes and improve on your weaknesses.
As pastors and ministry team leaders, we certainly aren't "professionals" in the sense of the secular term. But we should approach our calling with even great passion and intensity than those who labor in the marketplace. After all, we are called to do everything "as unto the Lord." He expects our best effort. And that will take evaluation.
