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As a high-school basketball player, there was really only one thing I excelled at: defense. I loved it. Working hard to make sure that the opposing team wasn’t able to put any points on the board was my goal. It wasn’t just defense though, it was the defensive principle that I fell in love with and one that we can apply in our churches: Help-side.

Help-side defense means that at no time should you be alone against the player you’re defending. You are being supported by your teammates and everyone is working together for the same goal!

How does this apply in your church? More like, how doesn’t it apply in your church? With all of the things that go on in churches, there is and always will be a need for support, especially within your staff! How do we do this successfully? Here are 4 things you can do to improve your staff help-side! 

KYP

Playing basketball, I learned a lot of terminology from coaches and other players over the years. One was KYP: Know Your Personnel. “Where one struggles, another thrives”. This means knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the team around you. Not everyone has the same strengths, so knowing when there is a gap in the team can help others step up. If you just watched the NBA finals, you saw that the Spurs knew their personnel. They knew who to pass it to and who could score the basket.

• Know your team. Spend time with them and know who does what well.
• Let your team know what you do well. This way you can all do what you each do best - with support from each other of course.
• Use what you know! Don’t just know it. Apply it. Make use of your team's strengths.

Talk

If there was one thing that was yelled from our coaches’ mouths more than anything else, it was, and I quote, “TALK!!!” We knew how to play defense, we knew we played on a team, but sometimes we forgot that those things went together. How did I know that my teammate was there for me? He told me. He actually yelled it multiple times to make sure that I knew he had my back. “I’m here, on your left. I got you!” If you are not talking with the people on your staff, how do they know you are there with them? 

Encourage

I vividly remember one game when I played defense against one of the best players in our conference. He could break anyone down and put the ball in the hoop. My captain looked me right in the eyes and said, “Not today. Let’s shut him down.” And we did. He tried to do his thing and squeeze through our defense and we ripped the ball from his hands and scored. It was a pivotal moment for momentum in our game. My captain grabbed me, high fived me and screamed, “LET’S GO BABY,” and then said, “Let’s do it again”. To me, him getting excited because of what I did was so encouraging that I was ready to work even harder to continue to do well.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
• Be excited with your team. When they do something well, GREAT! Tell them.
• This and talking go hand in hand. Talking can sometimes seem overbearing (unknowingly), so don’t forget the encouragement. If you don’t have both, you might miss being heard, even if you have good intentions.

Learn from Failure

We lost that game, even after the defensive stop and after all the encouragement and help-side. It was the worst. We were mad and broken down. Our efforts felt like they were for nothing. Things happen and we mess up. The idea that your staff communications will work 100% of the time is unrealistic, and knowing that is important. Just like an athlete after a loss, you have to move on. Failure happens in our staff, our homes and the church. Some things just don’t work. But we can learn from those things and grow. Pray, talk with your team, encourage one another to move past it and improve.

Teamwork and communication are so important for a healthy and successful staff! Do you see the need to increase the help-side on your team?