As I look back on my life, I'm not sure where I'd be without the encouragement of others.

I may never have written a song if a college professor had never saw something in me and spoken into my life.

I may never have led worship if my childhood friend never said, "You can do this."

And I don't know about you, but I want to be the kind of person who champions others.

I don't want to be the one who recognizes everyone's faults and is quick to point them out. I'd rather be known for releasing people into doing what they didn't think they can do.

People are starving for this. Maybe it stems from the fact that they weren't affirmed growing up. Whatever the case, it's time to step up our encouragement game. Especially during this holiday season, be reminded about appreciating your team. And be reminded of the influence your words carry.

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Make appreciation your job. Breathe encouragement.

The reason I am where I am today because of specific people who encouraged me. They could have remained silent but they spoke what they saw.

I love how Hillsong Worship does this on social media. Because they embody this truth. They are relentless encouragers and constantly spotlight their people. It's evident that they are proud of the people on their team.

And I want to foster that culture in my church.

A question I get asked a lot is, "What does a worship leader do all day? What should my day-to-day job involve?" I'm a firm believer that this is a big part of it. It's working with people—encouraging, challenging, building up and discipling those people to because better than you and help launch them into the best ministry of their lives.

3 Ways to Foster a Culture of Encouragement

Let's make this practical:

1. Turn tasks into prayer: Planning Center isn't just a template to get slots filled for your services. It's a platform for prayer. Every name you add to every service isn't just data entry. Allow your heart to engage in prayer.

2. Place "encourage someone" on your to-do list: When was the last time you picked up the phone to encourage someone on your team? Not because you needed something, but just to express appreciation? I can't tell you how far this will go in creating a healthy culture. As a leader, your words carry weight. They are more powerful than you think.

3. Schedule one-on-ones: It's silly. The busier we get, the more we seem to want to automate our schedules and just crank through the day. For creative work, this is needed. You need to be alone, carving out the mental space to do your best thinking and uninterrupted creating. However, as leaders in the church, it's actually less about us getting our stuff done and more about getting things done through others. It's about equipping the saints for the work of ministry.

The more you embody this, the more your team will. The more you do this, the more it will spread into the fiber of your team's culture.

So here's the question: Whom are you equipping today?

David Santistevan is the worship pastor at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For the original article, visit davidsantistevan.com.

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