Responsibility and Commitment

Over the past two weeks, I've been plagued with issues stemming from the basis of one's commitment and responsibility.

Firstly I think that the biggest difference between secular work and ministry work is that in ministry we all know about such things called grace and forgiveness. We all are imperfect so we're going to fail, and people around us are going to fall short, so we have to be understanding and bear with each other in love.

However, from an organisational perspective, I think there needs to be a level of commitment and responsibility from leaders in a ministry for the ministry to run adequately and effectively.

Commitment is a small word with a big meaning. It also means to pledge or to promise, and usually there is a commitment involved for people when they step up as leaders and team members. Each team member is integral in the planning for the team, and therefore a team member's commitment is crucual in that planning. For example, if a ministry needs 8 leaders in the beginning of the year, and they find 8 leaders who sign up full time, there is a commitment for each leader to be part of that ministry for the flow of the year or whatever period of time is mentioned, or else the ministry can't run to the way it was planned to. I think that yes we have to be understanding of people when they can't commit or they are unsuccessful in committing to a certain thing, but in a planning point of view, people should be up front, honest and down to earth about their levels of commitment. I know I'm a busy person that can't commit to going to Blokes Business (a men's fellowship group at our church) even though I support the group fully, and I have made that clear to the relevant person in charge, and he is understanding of the situation.

Responsibility is another big word in being part of a team. Usually every member has some weight to pull in terms of things they are in charge of, and each member has to trust each other that the other person is pulling their particular weight too. I think and hope I'm forgiving and understanding when people don't fulfil their part, and I do try my best to. The itching point in my mind is that in my point of view, people need to 'know' and 'find out' what they are and aren't responsible for. It could be miscommunication, laziness, or an honest misunderstanding that no one has ever rectified, or just plain stubbornness not to understand how things are meant to work. What I find more frustrating to deal with is not that people don't live up to what they are responsible for, but that they don't know what they are responsible for, or they don't want to change in order to be responsible for the right things.

I guess when it comes down to the end - we all have to be forgiving and understanding. We're all serving Christ and that's what matters. Lets just hope we all continue to move forward, learn together and understand people better.

Anyway... my rant is over :)