I hate to watch baseball, but I have fun playing baseball. I suck though so you probably shouldn’t invite me to be on your league team. I love to watch football, but I’d rather play.
Bottom line is I would rather be a contributor than a spectator. I would rather know that I had a hand in the process of creating something. Contributing creates ownership and community.
I listen to a show called TBTL (it’s on 97.3 KIRO 7-10 pm weekdays or you can podcast it). To me the brilliance of TBTL is that they allow the audience to contribute. And it’s not just about making an argument about something like most talk radio. TBTL allows people to participate in creating the actual content of the show, and their blog.
Case in point, I sent a video to Jen the producer today:
Jen not only posted it on their blog but she emailed me to tell me she like it and posted it. I’m not a contributor to TBTL-dom. This is not the first time I’ve submitted something to TBTL, but every time I submit something and they use it TBTL stock goes up in my mind. I feel like I’m part owner of TBTL. That makes TBTL more fun for me, and I’m sure other folks who have contributed to the show feel the same way. Just ask Doug Shrecengost.
What are you contributing to? Your Church, Community, the company you work for? How can you contribute to making it better, stronger, more fun? Don’t just spectate and criticize, contribute. That’s the best way to make your mark on something.
In the Church world, this is my area of knowledge, the people who are most invested in the church are those who contribute, not just money, but time and energy. They are the ones who are your key indicators to health. They are the ones who bring life to organizations that are struggling. The contributors are key to the future. So my challenge then is to not just raise up leaders or volunteers, but to raise up contributors.
Thanks TBTL for the life lesson. (Cue the more you know music . . . Flying star . . . )
JasonDeuman.com 