Question:
I am in a situation where, after encouragement, written standards, general and individual reminders, personal discussions, and personally setting the example, certain members of my team are making a choice to not come to practice on time. We are talking 30 to 45 min late. (of course I understand emergencies arise occasionally). After everything I have thought of to build them up, these individuals still just resist.
Now I am a simple man, if you can’t make practice you can’t play. Is it too much to request them to give there best? After all, it is for God and not for me.
Have you had this happen? Have I missed something? How have you dealt with it? I want them to succeed.
...yes, I have prayed about it...
Answer:
I have people who are late, but not 30-45 minutes late.
I have a list of expectations that everyone gets when they join the worship team, as well as at the beginning of every year. That way, when I point out that someone has been consistently late, I point to the expectations that they signed - so it becomes a policy issue, not a personal issue.
Of course, I would try to work as hard as possible with the person who is late until I felt that there was no way to change their behavior, and then I would probably let them go at that time.
It's a tough move - especially if you don't have very many people on your team, but it communicates that other people's time is important too. When someone is late, to me it shows that they don't care about other people's time.
Answer:
psalm63adam, I thinking the same as you and I have a "ministry handbook" that I have used in the same way. If you are willing, I would be intrested in seeing your written standards.
Answer:
I've had this happen before. More like 15 minutes though.

Another leader stopped them from being on the team for that session when they finally arrived, me? Well, I finally complained to the main worship team leader.. it was brought up up it still happens occasionally.

Personally, 15 minutes is pushing it but I would still let them on with a reasonable excuse of course.

Half an hour? I would say no way, you can be worship in the congregation today and then talk to them afterwards to find out what happened.

Oh, don't make a public spectacle of the person who is late.
Answer:
Originally Posted by jaredburns psalm63adam, I thinking the same as you and I have a "ministry handbook" that I have used in the same way. If you are willing, I would be intrested in seeing your written standards.
Here is the three page document I give each team member - in word format (I can put them here in pdf format as well if that's what you need). I had to break each page into a separate document for some reason.
Nix - good point, make sure the confrontation happens between just the two of you.
If you need the font I used (it may look really cruddy), it's called Another Typewriter and I found it at dafont.com/en
Answer:
Here's the pdf files.
Answer:
I hate when members of the team are late. What really discusts me is when the leader is late. His excuse: "I fell asleep." Hello??? When all of the other members are there and he's late because he fell asleep....that's unexceptable. He's supposed to set an example...
Answer:
Originally Posted by psalm63adam Here's the pdf files.
Thank you psalm63adam! Yours has a lot of sumularities to what I have written, though I think yours is said better in fewer words. Hard as it is, I've had to make the decision to let many people go in the past. I just wish there was a way to turn the ship around before it gets to that point again, but after my guidence the couse correction has to take place in there own hearts and addutudes. (Can I adopt some of these for my 2006 revisions?)
Someone I respect also told me yesterday that the bigger concern is that these individuals approach to ministry probably more accuratly reflects where they are at spiritually.
I think I know what I need to do, it just helps to hear you all would make the same decision.
Answer:
To answer the title question: no, it's unacceptable.
And I really appreciate the great advice and words that have been shared in this thread on this topic.
There's great wisdom here.
Bless you folks.

Answer:
I don't really have that problem often, but I can see it being a huge deal. Most of my team is on time all the time, so when one individual straggles in and the whole team is standing there waiting for them, the lesson teaches itself without much talking on my part.
I'm chronically on-time, and often way too early. I try to breed that attitude, encouraging people to be very early, so we can get practices over quicker, so we can spend more time in pre-service prayer.
Answer:
Is it acceptable being late?
Maybe, depends on the situation, how late they are, if you were able to practice without them or not, if it's a recurring thing, what the standards you have laid out are, an emergency arises, etc etc.
BUT
Originally Posted by jaredburns after encouragement, written standards, general and individual reminders, personal discussions, and personally setting the example, certain members of my team are making a choice to not come to practice on time. We are talking 30 to 45 min late.
This is definitely unacceptable. I'm not denying it's a hard situation, but you must be firm as a leader. They should not be allowed to play under these circumstances. They are saying by their actions that this is not a priority to them. If your time is not a priority to them (because they are definitely wasting your time), then they should not be a priority to you to have them involved.
Answer:
Someone today suggested...when all else fails and it really is a resistance to leadership issue, ask other team members (peers) to talk to the struggling individuals and kindly let them know how it is personally effecting them self as a consistent team member. This forces the individuals with time management issues to realize that there struggle is not personal with just themselves and the leader, but with the team and their peers.
What do you think of this advice? I've never considered this before. Do you think this is worth considering?
Answer:
Originally Posted by jaredburns Someone today suggested...when all else fails and it really is a resistance to leadership issue, ask other team members (peers) to talk to the struggling individuals and kindly let them know how it is personally effecting them self as a consistent team member. This forces the individuals with time management issues to realize that there struggle is not personal with just themselves and the leader, but with the team and their peers.
What do you think of this advice? I've never considered this before. Do you think this is worth considering?
My initial reaction is to say "no" to the above. This is an issue between a leader and those serving under/with the leader. I would advise that the issue be taken higher, say to an associate and/or head pastor...whoever the team leader reports to...if the 2 parties can not find a resolve.
If other team members want to take it upon themselves to talk to the 'struggling' member, so be it but I don't support the leader being the initiator of that action.
Answer:
I was finding alot of the singers were consistantly late. I found out it was because when they get there the musicians are working on there end and they were quite bored.
My Resolution:
Band members arrive atleast a half hour early for us to jam out some stuff.
When singers arrive I give the singers my songlist and they have to pull out the songs and seperate them while we finish up.
We then pray together then practice.
Considering that I've accomodated and given ample time for the singers to show up, if they are late for prayer they do not join the worship team that sunday.
Answer:
What you describe is absolutely unacceptable.