Lesson 4: Have Spring Training

Every year, every Major League team has spring training. During this time, every position is open for varying degrees of competition, and the best performing person earns the job. Any organization that does not have spring training will never have the best team on the field. Using the statistics gained on a person and their performance, in addition to robust performance reviews that include the GM watching their performance firsthand, everyone needs to prove their place on the team and earn their position every year. In spring training, some Minor Leaguers surprise and make the team, some players don’t perform and are cut, some are sent down to the Minor Leagues to improve their game, and a few players change positions for the good of the team. Rarely, if ever, does a church have spring training. The common belief is that you get to keep your position no matter how poor your performance, or that you cannot lose your position until you die, become a heretic, or commit adultery, no matter how many balls go between your legs. The result is that most churches take the field every year with a bunch of players out of position and people in uniform who have no business being on the team. These churches assume that they are losing for good reasons, like being nice and ineffective for God. At Mars Hill, the season after Easter is the start of our spring training and everybody knows it. To be continued.