Remember Reggie Jackson hitting 3 home runs in a World Series game? How about Jeter becoming Mr. November? How about Bartman?
Well, what’s different about this year’s playoffs is that the Cubs are in it! Well, they were in it…until the Mets ruined the “Back to the Future” moment. Regardless, the Chicago Cubs are a winning team right now and if they play their cards right, they are going to be a winning team for a long time.
So how did they do that? I mean, they were a really bad team for 4-5 years now. But, in those 4-5 years, they did some very important things that I feel are key to your ministry.
Whoa, whoa, whoa Tom. Are you now comparing the Cubs to ministry? Yes, yes I am. And here is what the Cubs did that directly apply to your ministry:
- They hired the right guy. Theo Epstein was hired 4 years ago by the Cubs to make them a winner. After all, he did it for Boston, he could do it for Chicago. It didn’t look promising on the outside for a few years, but what Theo was doing yielded great results this year and the foreseeable future (see #2). Ministry Implication: Make the right hires. Someone who can do what YOU need him/her to do. The Cubs needed to be gutted and reformed. Theo was the right person to do that as you can see with the great farm system they have and all the young talent they have in the big leagues now.
- Build the team. Theo had to make some big changes in the orangization, from the ground up. That means, from the minors on up. So he gutted it and rebuilt the farm system. He got rid of dead weight and drafted well. Now their farm system is producing Major League talent and their major league team is full of players with the right, winning mentality. Ministry Implication: Having the right person to build your team is great. But, it isn’t effective if you have dead weight and negativity surrounding him/her. You have to have a great team around that person. So work on building a great team around your ministry.
- Provide the resources where needed. The farm system and Major League team was lock, stocked and loaded in many ways going into this season. But, it was missing some pieces to make it a contender. So they went and hired John Madden as their manager and brought in John Lester to be their ace pitcher. Lester had a so-so season but he provided leadership and credibility. And, John Madden’s leadership to a bunch of young guys played a huge role in getting them into the playoffs. Ministry Implication: Support your plan. If you have a great plan but don’t support it with the right resources (money is one example), then it won’t get you anywhere. Be wise but invest resources, especially when you believe you are on the cusp of doing something great to help your plan.
- Be Patient. The Cubs didn’t become contenders overnight. They suffered through a few really bad years. So they had to be patient and trust the overall plan. Ministry Implication: As you build your team and support with the necessary resources, you will probably encounter some rough months and maybe years. But be patient. Know your plan, stick to your plan, adjust where need and let it run its course.