While many church planters are full of vision and passion, they lack an effective strategy to accomplish their mission. That leads to a feeling of disorganization, and ultimately, we feel stuck.
Here are three reasons why your church might be stuck:
- You’re focusing on bigger versus better. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-Fil-A, said, “when we get better the customer will force us to get bigger!” In the church world, this means that we must take time to improve what we do, not just come up with bigger versions of what’s mediocre. Instead of trying to outdo your last event, set design or sermon illustration, get together with your team and improve the little things. Hitting consistent singles is much better than blasting the occasional home run.
- You’ve got too many ideas and too little action. It’s more fun for leaders to brainstorm and dream, but that’s not the hard work of the ministry. Real effectiveness comes when we organize volunteers around a mission, create processes to follow up with guests and givers, lead our staff with intentionality and intensity. Visionary leaders often make the mistake of thinking that their church can grow on vision. While vision is helpful and necessary, getting organized may have more long-term positive effects.
- You’re distracted. As a church leader, there are many things that you can do. Even good opportunities can sidetrack us from doing what matters most. Instead of chasing new opportunities, go to work on your worship services, children’s ministry and community service. Keep your eye on the ball. Don’t let too many new ministry opportunities dilute your core purpose.
Getting churches unstuck is the heart behind the “Nuts and Bolts” family of resources. We’ve created six resources with plug and play documents that you can customize for your church. Click the links below to explore the resources Nuts and Bolts can offer:
- Advertising and Outreach: How to get more people to your church
- Developing Volunteers: How to find and keep quality leaders
- Leading a Staff: how to structure and manage your ministry team
- Worship Service Planning: How to have better worship services
- Church Organization: How to set up your church for success
- Follow Up: How to follow up with guests, giver and new Christians
If your church is struggling in one of those areas, that struggle may be your greatest opportunity for improvement. When you work ON the church, and not just IN it, you’ll have a healthier and more effective ministry.
