From Dream Team to Real Team: The “Why” Before the “What”
Now that you understand that excellence is about being faithful with what’s in front of you, it’s time to move on to the next thing to consider when you’re at a conference and feeling inspired.
Often, when we see something we like, we tend to get excited and want to adopt it immediately. The first question that comes out of our mouths is usually, “How do we do this?” or “What do we need to do this?”
But the more important question we should be asking before the “what” or the “how” is simply, “Why?”
The “Why” Before the “What”
When we see something that could really benefit our ministry, we don’t usually ask the “why?” questions. For example, we might see a large church paying their worship team at a conference and say, “We need to start paying our team because they do.” Instead, we should be asking:
“Why do you pay your worship team?”
“What’s the heart behind it?”
“What are the pros and cons?”
I remember serving at a church where the worship team was paid. I asked the question, “Why do we do this?” Hearing the original reason gave me so much clarity and accountability moving forward. The reason? At the time, the church was growing, and with three services on Saturday and three on Sunday, it was a huge time commitment for the team. Not to mention the preparation required due to the bar of excellence set by the leadership.
When the pastor realized how much time volunteers were investing, essentially giving up their entire weekend, he said, “I want to thank them for taking time away from their families to help build the church.” He didn’t see them as volunteers anymore, but as people who deserved to be compensated.
That story gives context to why that church made the shift. When you ask the “why,” it helps you determine whether a similar decision is right for your ministry. For example, if you only have one service on Sunday and decide to start paying everyone just because another church does, you may be doing a disservice. Yes, you should honor your volunteers, but there’s a healthy tension between appreciation and giving people the opportunity to serve through their gifts.
The “why” should be something you wrestle with, pray about, and define clearly for your team and culture.
Three Thoughts to Discover and Keep Your “Why”
1. “Why” do we need the “what”?
Before launching any new initiative or program, take time to pause and process with other leaders and team members. Let others poke holes in your ideas. This helps clarify whether your plan has a clear “why” behind it.
With the example of paying worship team members, rather than jumping in after a conference, it’s smart to sit with your oversight or trusted team members and talk through what you saw and how it could affect your ministry. After processing, if your reasoning aligns with the other church (i.e., your team is making a huge time investment and you have the budget and pastoral capacity), it might be the right move. But if your reasoning is, “People aren’t bought in, and this will motivate them,” that might not be a strong enough “why” to justify such a big cultural shift. In that case, what’s needed may be more pastoring, not payroll.
2. Explain and explain the “why.”
Once you know your “why” behind the “what,” it’s essential to cast the vision and cast it often. Culture doesn’t change just because you said something once. It becomes culture when you say it over and over and live it out consistently.
So, make it a rhythm to continually share why you’re doing what you’re doing. This builds buy-in and provides your team with the context and accountability needed to uphold that decision.
3. What is the “why,” and does it still apply?
This final point might be the most important. If you do this regularly, it will keep your team and systems from becoming stagnant. When I hear systems or initiatives explained, I naturally ask, “Why?” I’m not asking out of defiance but from a desire for clarity. When I’m expected to run a play or lead an initiative, I want to understand how we got there. That clarity helps me buy in.
And often, that question has led to a bigger realization — sometimes the “why” behind something no longer applies in the current season.Which means that the system, program, or protocol might need to shift or even be eliminated.
So, here’s a question I challenge you to ask regularly: “What is the ‘why,’ and does it still apply?” Asking this question helps your team stay curious, flexible, and effective for the season you’re in now and the one ahead.
Conclusion: “Why” Matters More Than “What”
When you go to your next conference, come back inspired and determined to lead and help bring a new level of excellence to your team and systems. Give yourself time as you process and have the conversations necessary to make meaningful change. After all, it’s important to remember that what inspired you at the conference did not happen overnight; it was built through intentional effort, patience, and perseverance.
Don’t rush to implement every new idea immediately. Instead, have the hard conversations, table them if needed, pick them back up, and revisit them again. Growth often happens in the tension between vision and reality, and there’s so much beauty in navigating that tension thoughtfully. Take bold steps but do so with wisdom and clarity.
Go get creative. Build something meaningful and lasting. But as you do, always start with the “why.” Let it lead your strategy, shape your systems, and fuel your culture.
Because in the long run, the “why” will always matter more than the “what.”
Tim Cruz
Guest Writer, Threefold Solutions
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