Is there a limit to how large a church can grow or even should grow? Carey Nieuwhof identifies three key factors to consider: the leader’s capacity, the community’s size, and the structure in place for growth. Having already written about the first two, let’s address the importance of structure. Hal Seed reminds us of the temptation to become so busy working “in” ministry that we never spend the necessary time working “on” our ministry. Have you taken the time to plan your work so that you can now execute your plan? The temptation for doers is to spend 90% of their time working in the ministry.
You may not have the gift of administration, but you still need to work on building systems that will help you accomplish what you believe God has called you to undertake. A system can be defined as “reproducible and interconnected processes by which the organization actualizes its values and achieves its mission.” Does everyone know and understand how you will disciple others to be disciple makers? Does your team know and understand how you will onboard volunteers into the right positions for them to thrive and be a blessing to your church?
One common myth is that there aren’t enough leaders for the ministries already present in your church. Could the issue be that there are too many ministries? It is also a myth that having more ministries means you will attract more people. Often, the more ministries you have, the more diluted they become. Dan Reiland stated, “The majority of churches that practice a lean and simple ministry typically reach more people.” Your church cannot engage in every ministry, nor should it attempt to. The real question is: how many ministries are too many? Has the time come to consider eliminating some?
Are you wondering why you don’t have more help and willing volunteers? The issue may be a lack of proper training and equipping, rather than an unwillingness to serve. Revisit the mission because that is why you do what you do. Then refocus on your vision for carrying out the mission because that is what you do (ministries). Now you turn to the implementation (strategy) of that mission and vision in how you carry out your work. Carey Nieuwhof stated, “Focus on why twice as much as the what and the how.”
Why? People are motivated much more by why you do what you do than by what you do and how you do it. An empty slot on your team and a need for more help isn’t a mission. Your mission (why), vision (what), and strategy (how) cannot be fuzzy. They must be crystal clear, and once they have bought into the mission (the “why”), there is still no guarantee they will remain connected if the strategy is not well organized. Set a high standard by clearly defining responsibilities and expectations, and then hold the team accountable to that standard.
If you want a better team, you must improve your training efforts. Please don’t throw them to the wolves and expect them to fend for themselves. Carefully plan a process for onboarding that outlines each step. Emphasize relationship building by utilizing your ministry to develop people and leveraging those people to grow your ministry. Provide coaching and mentoring by regularly checking in to identify where they need assistance and how you can support them.
Ensure that you incorporate rhythms of rest and relaxation into your system. In most churches, 20% of the people do 80% of the work. It is easy to overwork and overload that 20%. Be creative and consider ways to reward your team with time off, as well as how to celebrate together as a team. Occasionally, ease up and let your leaders and workers take a breather, but always pray about how you can improve upon these steps in your system. Take action and decide when you will follow through on these practices.
Micro-managing is an absolute no-no. It will drive you and those you are working with crazy. Give others permission to do what you have asked them to do, and everyone should focus on delegating 75% of their tasks. Work from a matrix that defines what is urgent and what is non-urgent. Then, determine which items only you can do and which items someone else can handle. This is not about passing off to others what you “don’t” want to do, but rather focusing on your responsibilities and identifying what will inspire someone else by handing that task off to them.
The urgent task that only you can do needs to be completed immediately. The not-so-urgent tasks that only you can handle require your attention to decide when you will address them. The urgent task that someone else can do needs your attention to determine who on the team is best suited for that assignment. Once again, you must be willing to delegate. Additionally, the not-urgent tasks that someone else can tackle may help you finally resolve some of the ministries and time consumers that need to be eliminated once and for all. This can be challenging, but remaining silent to avoid hurting someone’s short-term feelings may lead to longer-term problems.
The mission and message of your church are sacred, but the methods should not be. In dying churches, methods have become sacred, while the mission is no longer sacred. Honor the past, but do not let it define how you function and live today. Be open to learning better ways to carry out God’s mission. Consider your context, but always remember that contextualization involves understanding where people live and meeting them there. However, it should never compromise theology. The key is gospel clarity, not the comfort of the listener.
