We know it, no one needs to remind us. Or do we need to be reminded? The volunteers and staff who make up our ministry teams matter as much as the people we're serving. Our teams are people, too.

As I've had conversations with volunteers and staff on my various teams over the past couple weeks, I've been reminded. People matter. People need value. These people are my first "customers" or "guests".

Just this past week or so, I've been reminded - they will experience value when:

Alas, the end of this list: People I Want on My Guest Services Team. I'm sure this list could be longer than a Top 10; maybe 20, 30 or even 100. But you see the period of time just ten characteristics took to post.

However, we have arrived. Number 10:

• Missional People: people who reach out to those who are seeking God

I'm closing in on the final posts in this series. Here's #9 in a list of my 10 People I Want on My Guest Services Team:

• Interesting People: people who draw others to themselves because they are appropriately interesting

Yes, this is extremely subjective. For instance, after reading my posts for a few days you may not find me all that interesting. Who, after all,  gets to decide if someone else is interesting? What's the criteria for determining how interesting any of us are?

Try this approach.

You've heard it - "It's not my job."; "I'm not doin' that!"; "I've already put in my time". You've heard it from the clerk at the service station, a customer service rep on the phone... maybe even at church. This list isn't rank-ordered, otherwise this characteristic may have appeared in the top three or so of this list.

#8 on my list is:

If you've been muttering under your breath, "Waltz is never going to finish this list" or "I hope this list gets better; I'd like to use some of this if it's any good", you probably don't qualify to be on my Guest Services team. That is, if the complaining is reflective of a life-lens you use to view people and events around you.

#7 on my list of most-wanted is:

• Optimists: people who see the glass

This is #6 in a list of 10 People I Want on My Guest Services Team:

• Excellence-Champions: people who see, hear, and feel what's excellent and take initiative to fix what's not

When I experience an appetite-suppressing, nauseating restroom at a restaurant, I consider the entire staff to be negligent. I don't really care who's job it is to

In a continuing list of the kinds of people I want serving on our guest services (or first impressions) teams at Granger Community Church, I offer characteristic #5:

• Disciplined Conversationalists: people who intuitively know how to carry on a conversation with others without feeling like the conversation has to be all about them

You've met this person. Maybe you're married to one (I hope not). These folks really are great conversationalists. That is, they're not afraid to start a conversation

Here's another characteristic I want in those who are part of our guest services (or first impressions) teams at Granger Community Church:

• Image Savvy People: People who look in the mirror before they leave the house

Perhaps at first glance this sounds shallow or externally focused. Well, externally focused it is, shallow it is not. There is this constant tension

In this series of posts I'm offering a quick glance at some of the key characteristics we look for in people who are part of creating our weekend guest experience. The third type of people I want on our team are:

• Marketplace Customers: People who remember their own guest service experiences – both desirable and undesirable

I want people who are innately sensitiv

This isn't rocket science. It's not brain surgery. It's not even pastorally profound. It's pretty common sense stuff. I want people on our guest services teams who are:

• People-people: People who love people

In this series of posts I want to offer some profile snapshots of the people I most want on the teams we call First Impressions at Granger Community Church. I'll not necessarily name people, but rather talk about characteristics I look for in people. I'll number these posts, but in no particular order of importance. They all matter.

• Aligned People. That is, people who embrace and own

I live in northern Indiana in the path of the snow belt from Lake Michigan. We call it Lake Effect. I think that's intended to remind us that we get to enjoy the water and beaches of the great lake... when it's warm. I bring all that up to say that when it finally starts getting warmer, we Hoosiers find ourselves in the path of the department of transportation - fixing pot holes. Some days I prefer the snow.

Today was one such day. This morning on my way to a breakfast meeting I approached the main thoroughfare out of my neighborhood and discovered