By John Pearson

“Do this! Do that! Do this better! Execute with excellence! Innovate! Ensure sustainability! Pray more! Move from good to great!”

Oh, my. Many of us rarely take the foot off the gas. (Sorry!) So...let’s push pause and be more intentional this week about saying thank you to the faithful members on your board.

THANK YOU FOR…

#1. SAYING YES. You have other priorities in your life—but you said YES to serving on the board of a Christ-centered organization. Perhaps you even turned down a paid gig on a for-profit board to ensure you had adequate time to serve this ministry.

#2. PRAYING. You take time to pray and discern God’s voice—first as an individual board member, and then as one of many board members. Thank you. And be encouraged with Ruth Haley Barton’s wisdom in Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership:

“With all this book’s emphasis on the soul of leadership, you may have been wondering how you get somewhere! Well, you get somewhere by discerning God’s will and doing it together. That is what spiritual community and spiritual leadership is all about.”

#3. NOT MICRO-MANAGING! Whew! We can tell. There are many times during our board meetings when (just perhaps) our CEO or senior team members are talking and talking and talking incessantly—and leaving inadequate time for deep board engagement. But…somehow, you have amazingly stayed calm, didn’t interrupt, didn’t suggest a Plan B or Plan C—and you gifted the staff with space to learn, fail, and grow. Thank you!

So as you continue to coach your CEO and staff, remember this advice from Michael Bungay Stanier’s book, The Advice Trap. He writes, “Your job is to stop seeking the solutions and start finding the challenges.” He adds, “You can be known as the person who helps articulate the critical issue or as the person who provides hasty answers to solve the wrong problem. Which would you prefer? Exactly.”

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Your heart for God-honoring governance is inspiring to those around you. Thank you for your board service!

READ MORE: Learn how one ministry board thanked a board chair for six years of service. Click here for “Forget the Plaques!”

THINK ABOUT: “Do not let the empty cup be your first teacher of the blessings you had when it was full.” (Alexander Maclaren)