Can We Talk? (Ministry Convos with Volunteers pt 1)
“Have you got a couple min? Can we talk?” What happens for you when you read those words? For me, seeing my screen light up last night, I felt a couple things… Tired. I had just returned from out of town, feeling like an open nerve. The reason for my travel was heartbreaking—we suffered a major loss. Even as Christians, knowing our loved ones are carried by angels and welcomed among the Saints, we grieve…hard. Scripture reminds us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18), and I felt that closeness—but I also felt my humanity. I wasn’t sure I had the energy to be as present as this person might need. Trust. Ministry—and leadership in general—is deeply relational. It matters that we truly know our people. When I saw the name, I discerned something important: this person wouldn’t have asked unless it mattered. They also knew the weight I was carrying. That mutual awareness built trust. In leadership language, this is psychological safety—creating spaces where...