What Motivates Us?
Brian Sanders said, “It’s hard to get lots of people to agree with something you came up with.”  In his book, “Drive. The surprising truth about what motivates us” Daniel Pink talks about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is when a person’s behavior is motivated by an external factor.  I read a textbook to prepare for a test.  I diet and exercise so I can lose weight.  I put in extra work hours to land this big contract. If I do this thing, I’ll receive this reward.  

Intrinsic motivation occurs when a person’s behavior is motivated by an internal longing to do something that is meaningful or significant.  He says this involves three key elements--autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy is the desire for independence. Mastery is the desire to improve something that matters, and purpose is the desire to serve something greater than the man himself. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, “If you want to build a ship, don’t summon people to buy wood, prepare tools, distribute jobs, and organize the work, rather teach people the yearning for the wide, boundless ocean.”

James Carse contends that there are two types of games we play; Finite and infinite. In finite games, there is a clear purpose. We want to win the game.  We have rules that we follow.  We keep score.  Everyone has a position on the field. There is a clear winner and an obvious loser.  There are boundaries and scores and progression.  Everything in the finite game is external and measurable.  There are rules and limitations and restraints.  This helps create order and structure.

In the infinite games the primary objective is to keep the game alive.  Rules can change, While finite players work within the boundaries; infinite players play with the boundaries. Infinite players are often caught up in the wonder.  They laugh.  They celebrate. They relish surprise and often use it as a springboard for transformation. While finite strives to win the award—infite strives for what Henri Nouwen calls Fecundity—or fruitfulness. If left to its own devices, the church can become extrinsically motivated and preoccupied with the finite.  Let me explain what I mean. I grew up in an church culture that said bigger is better.  A church of fifty certainly was not as good as a church of 100.  And, naturally, a church of 100 was not as “good” as a church of a thousand.

The church was structured around these assumptions.  If we were operating correctly, then we would have more people. And more people is the measure of success.  We want to find attenders, inviters, volunteers, members and givers.  Because all that keeps the charts moving in the right direction.  In the process, we’ve made a social contract with our people.  Just come to church once or twice a week and we will provide a worship service for you. There will be a children’s ministry, great music, and lot’s of things that will help you to connect and stay engaged. To fully embrace this notion is deeply flawed logically and theologically and tends to create an inferiority complex to those who feel they need to measure up.

Now—Let’s look at church through a different lens.  Dorine and Jim have a special needs child.  They see the need for a community of believers who can support parents who have children with special needs. So they form a group that meets on Saturday mornings a nearby park.  Parents sit together and share life concerns, and favorite recipes and pray for one another.  

Mike and Karen are caring for their aging parents.  They long for an opportunity to share in a community that can offer emotional support and share resources.  So they form a group that meets every Tuesday on a conference call. Together they care for and support one another.  They study God’s word and pray for one another.

Debbie has joined a group of ladies who visit a local prison each week and meet with the women inmates to offer prayer, encouragement, and support.One by one people are given permission to be the church and create missional communities outside the church structure. What if set about empowering all of God’s people in every sphere of life to be the church. Sue and Carol get together every week and visit the local long-term care center where they offer light snacks, join in playing board games, and pray with each of the residents.

Do numbers matter?  Of course!  Does structure matter?  By all means! But if these finite and extrinsic motivators replace mission we place the mission of the church at great risk.
Some folks who are involved in a particular ministry may never come to the church building or attend a worship service.  And we have to be ok with that.  Because our motivation is not to get people to attend.  Our goal is to engage individuals in mission. Here’s what we as church leaders can do:
1.	Become engaged listeners.  Seek out those who have a passion for a certain group of people.
2.	Be consummate encouragers.  Set people free to dream about where God is leading them.  And cheer them along every step of the way.
3.	Be diligent equippers.  Simply put—Make their mission your mission.  Take it upon yourself to provide the tools others need to succeed in their mission.