Change your ministry on $1 per week

I’m at the National Worship Leader Conference, where I’m speaking tomorrow…and Thursday, it turns out, because, unavoidably, Stan Endicott is unable to teach his scheduled classes that day. So I’m going to teach them for him. And since I am teaching those classes I wanted to hear Stan teach them, which he did today. So I got his notes, and will do the best I can…

Let’s start over…

I’m at this conference, and I know I need to write a blog post today, but I’ve got nothing. (Well…that’s not entirely true, but still…) Until partway through one of Stan’s classes, he described a great idea…How to change your ministry for $52. I changed the title because I like to think in smaller amounts.

Here’s how it goes…I’m paraphrasing Stan now…

He carries a wadded up one dollar bill in his pocket at all times. Once a week, he gives that dollar away to someone who has gone the extra mile, or needs encouragement, or has done something selfless, or, in one case he described, in order to calm someone down. He makes a big flourish of presenting the dollar. He pulls it out of his pocket, and snaps it taut so that everybody around can hear it. In the giving, he explains to the recipient just exactly why he’s giving them the dollar.

He might give it away during rehearsal…or on the weekend to someone not a part of his ministry team. But since he’s been doing this for years, the gift of the dollar has taken on a sense of value far beyond monetary. According to Stan, most people don’t spend the dollar. They’ll take it home and put it on the refrigerator, or frame it, or carry it around and tell their own story about getting it.

Such a simple thing. Such a small cost. Such a big impact.

I wish I’d thought of it. Now that I’m writing about it, I’m not sure I can do it in my own situation, but I think it is a great idea.

Do you employ motivational techniques like this one? Do you think Stan’s idea would work in your situation? I’d love to hear what you think. Please leave a comment below.

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