Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first. -Simon Sinek

The title of this blog post might seem funny to you, but do you love the church you work at? Do you love the people in your church? Are you passionate about the mission, vision, and strategy of your church?

Let me ask it another way that an older pastor asked me: Would you attend your church if you didn’t get paid to be there?

Too many pastors and church leaders are merely showing up to work and collecting a paycheck.

And the people around them feel it.

Imagine what our churches would be like if the people leading them were so passionate about the mission, they would do whatever it takes.

This shows up in all kinds of ways. Here are some negative ones I’ve seen:

• Leaders are not helping or serving when things need to be done.
• Pastors who don’t give generously to their churches.
• Pastors and leaders not in or leading small groups.
• Leaders who are not inviting friends to their church.

Now, I know that no church is perfect and that every pastor or board isn’t fun to work for. I know that ministry is hard and that you pour yourself out and often you feel depleted.

This isn’t so much about loving your church as it is loving being a part of your church. 

The reason this matters is not only for your soul and feeling alive as a child of God and a leader but your church feels this, and it has an enormous impact on your church and the people in it.