Four Ways to Continue the Simple Church Conversation

You should frequently discuss your simple process. Discussion will lead to understanding and ownership with the leaders. Consequently, the process will be planted deep into the culture of the church.

Perhaps it is time for you to begin the ongoing conversation . . . to get things started.

Pace yourself. This process will take some time. Don’t make the mistake of trying to make up for lost time in a few weeks. The discussion must be ongoing. It takes time for understanding and ownership to develop.

Following are four ways to surface and resurface the simple process in discussions among the leadership:

1 – View everything through the lens of your simple process.

When you evaluate, evaluate through the lens of your ministry process. When decisions are made, refer to the process. When programs are analyzed, view them through the lens of your ministry process. Bring conversations back to the ministry blueprint.

2 – Surface the process in meetings.

The simple process must be discussed in meetings. Sometimes it needs to be an item on the agenda. Other times it just needs to be interwoven into discussions. By using your ministry process language frequently, you will establish a new vocabulary at your church.

3 – Test the leaders on it.

No one likes tests, but we took them for years because they provide objective measurement. They actually work. As much as people abhor tests, they hate not passing them even more. It’s a bit embarrassing.

Hand out a figure of the visual illustration with fill-in-the-blanks, and have the leaders fill in the answers. Then walk through the visual illustration with the entire group. Don’t call people to the front to write in the answers. It is not an algebra class. Simply discuss each part of the process as a group. Let it sink in.

Once a test is given to adults, they will do their best to be prepared for the next one. Make this fun, not serious. Regardless, people will get the point.

Several weeks later, do it again. Several months later, do it again.

4 – Brainstorm new ways to communicate it.

Here is an early warning. Your process will get old. It will lose its freshness. You will one day be tired of the verbiage you chose. At some point the leaders will be sick of talking about it. If you are a type A personality who thrives on change, you may even want to start over.

Ironically, it is just at this point that people in the church are starting to get it.

When the process starts to feel old, brainstorm fresh ways to communicate it. Brainstorm new ways to present your process, and involve other leaders in this. New ideas will keep things fresh and will help you focus on the execution of the process.


Adapted from Simple Church (B&H Publishing Group, 2006)