The Christening of Nate the Great

Previously: Called to AFC Richmond, Just One of Eleven

Episode: “Trent Crimm – The Independent” (Season 1, Episode 3)

New schemes needed. The episode opens with Ted dramatically drawing and then wiping away the play scheme the team is currently using, which he names as “feed it to Jamie and everything else can go to hell.” He knows that it’s not working and he needs something different. The problem is that he and Coach Beard can’t come up with much of an alternative. Fortunately the team kit man, Nate Shelley, apparently draws up plays on scraps of paper in his free time, and he reluctantly offers one.

Nate is clearly a put-upon figure for the entire Richmond organization. He’s frightened of Rebecca, Jamie and several other teammates pick on him non-stop, and he generally acts as if he should be fading into the wall at every opportunity. Ted, however, views him like he views everyone else: someone to learn from, talk to, and value. He especially realizes Nate’s importance due to his limited knowledge of soccer vs. Nate’s lifelong close proximity to the game, and is willing to try Nate’s idea based on that alone.

Any new minister is stepping into an ongoing congregational story and culture. Not all parts of that story and culture are positive or life-giving, and some members of the faith community may be suffering as a result. Changing those negative aspects can be as simple as reaching out to members who have been told implicitly or explicitly that they don’t matter, and interacting with them as a beloved child of God.

Furthermore, people are the most valuable assets to a minister attempting to become acclimated to a new church. Their wisdom, experience, and familiarity with the ins and outs of congregational life will be far more valuable than a hundred books on ministry theory, because they will know best what the church’s specific context needs and values; what will work and what may not.

The importance of empowerment. Nate isn’t the only one whom Ted approaches for ideas and leadership this episode. Veteran player and team captain Roy Kent is also irritated by his teammates’ constant antagonism of Nate and asks Ted if he will help. To his dismay, Ted says he won’t, not because he doesn’t care but because he wants Roy to step up instead.

Roy quickly picks up on Ted’s intentions and resists them for most of the episode. He does tell Jamie to handle it, which he says he will do but then tells his friends to keep up the bullying because he thinks it’s funny. Roy takes a more straightforward approach by yelling at Jamie and the others, which still doesn’t solve the issue, and he finally gets his point across when he confronts them in a club, Ted’s subtle tactics finally coming to fruition.

Ministry shouldn’t involve headbutts like what Roy ultimately uses, but identifying and pushing leaders to step up will help change the culture much more effectively than if the minister attempts to do it all themselves. Ted recognizes that him as the coach telling the guys to leave Nate alone won’t have nearly as big of an impact as when someone like Roy will.

For different reasons, it will take time for a Nate or a Roy to recognize their gifts and calling within the congregation, but it will make a tremendous difference once they begin to embrace their role. It may take careful attention and intention by the minister to encourage that along.

For the love of it. Ted is shadowed by Trent Crimm, a reporter for The Independent, for the second half of this episode. On two occasions, Ted says wins and losses don’t matter to him. The first time, Trent sees this as an opportunity to skewer him in his article. And yet, he is given further context and reasoning the second time, first after witnessing Ted’s encouraging and playful interactions with others, and then while hearing more of Ted’s reasoning.

Ted says he loves coaching, but he doesn’t count his biggest successes in terms of wins and losses. Rather, to him, coaching is about helping players being the best versions of themselves on and off the field (which we have seen illustrated in how he handles Jamie, Nate, and Roy).

Ministers often face temptation to measure their successes in measurable outcomes: attendance, budgets, program metrics. This mindset easily infects one’s overall approach to the vocation. But what if we instead measured success in terms of how much we love what we do, and how well we love our people? We may or may not have statistics to point and marvel at, but it will have a greater affect than we’ll be able to know.

For more about ministry transition, check out my new book, The Unintentional Interim: Ministry in Times of Transition.