In 1958, the Green Bay Packers were a bunch of losers. They won one game that season and lost 10. The young team was defeated and humiliated. The Packers fired their coach and took a chance on a guy whose only head coaching experience was with high school athletes. His name is now legendary: Vince Lombardi.
ClampQuarterback Bart Starr recalled the story of his first meeting with Lombardi on an ESPN documentary. Lombardi entered the room with confidence, stood at the podium, and addressed the team. With passion in his eyes, he said, “Men, we will relentlessly pursue perfection, knowing full well we will not attain it. But in the journey, we will find greatness.”
Starr was on the edge of his seat. This coach believed what he was saying, and he was ready to do whatever it took. Then Lombardi looked at them and said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”
What? You are talking to professional athletes. These men have played peewee, high school, college, and now are the best of the best in the nation. Do you think that they don’t know what a football is? For the next few weeks of camp, the Packers worked on the basic fundamentals of the game, and Lombardi was relentless in perfecting the basics. The results were amazing. In the nine seasons he coached the Packers, they won five championships – including the first two Super Bowls.
Maybe we need to get back to the basics. We have a mission problem in some of our churches. We have forgotten why we exist. We put together complicated programs and events, but we have forgotten the basics of telling people the story of Jesus and making disciples one on one. I’ve asked church members how church is going. Do you know the answer I get many times? “Things are great. We have good attendance and fellowship with one another, and we are meeting budget.” When I look at their records, they didn’t baptize anyone that year.
Let us never become satisfied with an unused baptistery. How relentless are we with the mission? How much effort do we put into reaching those around us individually?
You know what I find ironic about the 1958 Packers? Despite public opinion, they weren’t a bunch of losers. The team was full of Hall of Famers who just didn’t know it yet. In fact, 11 of the 21 Hall of Famers from the Packers were on Lombardi’s team. It took a legendary coach to help them to achieve their full potential. Be the coach who ignites the others around you. The stakes are high. We are not playing for the Lombardi trophy. The souls of mankind are at stake. Be relentless.
– Clamp is evangelism group director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention. Follow Lee on twitter @leeclamp or on his blog at www.leeclamp.com.