Three Thoughts on How to Design a Ministry Strategy
During the Great Awakening, George Whitefield and John Wesley preached and ministered faithfully. Most would say Whitefield was the superior preacher. He was known as the phenomenal communicator of his day, even impressing Ben Franklin with his oratory skills. But years later, as historians compared the impact of Whitefield’s ministry to Wesley’s, they believed Wesley’s […]
Four Essentials to a Simple Ministry Strategy
As a football season is about to begin, imagine a head coach stands in front of the team he leads and, with great passion, declares, “Here is our strategy. We are going to win! We are about winning! Let’s go win!” The team breaks from the huddle with no idea how they will win. Practice […]
Three Ways to Define and Demystify Ministry Strategy
For many the term “strategy” sounds very unspiritual and not something a ministry leader should be concerned with. After all, when you read the Bible, you will not find a verse that encourages pastors to be strategists, nor will you find “strategic” listed in the qualifications of a pastor. A church needs godly, biblical, Spirit-filled […]
Five Ways Leaders Can Get “Fresh Eyes”
There are a plethora of upsides to tenure. You learn the organization over time. You understand the context better and better. You build relationships with the team and the people you are serving. For the most part, tenure makes leaders more effective. But there is a major downside to tenure; leaders can lose their fresh […]
Three Reasons Leaders Must Constantly Ask “Why”
Wise leaders constantly ask “why.” Not because they find joy in questioning everything but because they want to ensure the thinking beneath the decisions is sound and the motivations beneath the actions are pure. Instead of mindlessly executing, they think deeply about what is beneath the execution. Instead of simply implementing, they care about the […]
7 Basics for Better Staff Meetings
Though it is common to lament staff meetings, to take jabs at their usefulness, and to breathe a sigh of relief when they are canceled, the reality is that staff meetings are essential. Teams must communicate. Without effective staff meetings, over time, people and teams will move in a plethora of directions. I have been […]
Servant Leadership and Strategic Thinking
Last week I gave a sketch of the Eishenhower Matrix, which has challenged leaders to focus on the most important things and to not allow the urgent to dominate and derail them. As a reminder, here is a sketch of the matrix: While many leaders have been served well with the thinking behind the framework, […]
Churches and Cruises to Nowhere
Carnival Cruise Lines offers cruises to nowhere out of Norfolk, Virginia. You pay for a ticket, pack your bags, board a boat, and cruise to nowhere. You live on a boat for a few days—a boat that is going nowhere. In fact, here is a screen shot of the publicized itinerary for an upcoming cruise. […]
Mapping, Making, and Meshing in Ministry
In his book Die Empty, Todd Henry provides a helpful framework to plan, execute, and develop yourself as you work. He divides work into three broad categories: 1) Making: This is what many consider the actual work. It is the doing of the work. 2) Mapping: This is the planning of the work, the necessary strategic thinking that happens before […]
The Illusion of a Strategy
The illusion of a strategy is worse than not having a strategy. For the person who wants to lose weight, the illusion of a diet/exercise plan is worse than not having one. Because when you don’t have one, you at least know you don’t have one. For the person attempting to save for retirement, the […]