For Meaningful Ministry, Start with “Why”
How many of us relate to (or are guilty of) this announcement?:
“The Christian Education Team needs 20 people to sign up for 45 minutes to be with the kids during Sunday School this Fall.
We’re asking all parents to take their turn. You don’t need to do anything beforehand since the lesson is already prepared. Once you complete your turn, you are done until next year.”
Not so inspiring. What about this, instead?
“Sally, you know that the new vision of First Church is to proclaim, enjoy, and share the good news of God together as disciples of Jesus Christ.
This year, we are blessed with a class of 25 toddlers. We want to nurture their formation as disciples of Jesus on Sunday mornings.
We believe you have unique gifts for this ministry. It’s an opportunity to live out our common calling, to nurture your own faith, and the discipleship of our young people. Would you prayerfully discern if you feel called to serve in this way for the next four months?”
Same topic, different approach. Vital churches start with the “why,” the big reason for which the church exists. Every ministry and detail of the church should flow from and come back to that.
People are generous and exceedingly gifted by God. Is it not true that we — ministers, staff, and laity — want to share our gifts toward something whose purpose we understand and believe in?
To do this effectively, a church needs a good vision. Some people call this a vision statement. Others recommend that a church have a vision and a mission statement. I use the terms interchangeably. The goal is to identify the purpose for which your church exists. A few key points:
- It should come from God’s story.
- It should connect to scripture.
- It should be concise, and easy to remember.
- It should be relevant to all people in all their diverse incarnations.
- Finally, It should be really important. Something you want to base your life – not just the church’s ministry – around.
Even if you haven’t thought about your church’s vision in a while, or if it’s number nine on a list of ten things to tackle with the church board during its spring retreat, attention to this matter among the body of Christ is time very well spent:
A church that lacks a clear vision sets itself up for unnecessary conflict, malaise, and apathy.
A church that knows, believes in, and lives out a great vision is a church empowered to effectively share and enjoy the promises of God.
It will take some time and some faithful people to spiritually discern or reform your church’s vision. Once you have it, make sure you repeat it. People have a lot going on. They may not hear or “take in” the vision the first fifteen times it’s announced. The vision should be present enough so anyone walking in the door will know what the church is about:
- Each Sunday, have someone share aloud the vision of the church in worship. Print it everywhere.
- Start each gathering and meeting by reflecting on how the activity relates to the church’s vision.
- Teach it to your children, talk about it when you are out and when you are at home (Deut. 6:4-9)
- Here is a good litmus test: If the church doesn’t consider a vision important enough to occupy that much space in people’s lives, then the vision it has is probably not important enough.
People become a part of congregations whose actions and behaviors match the values and vision they set for themselves. Make sure new and long-time members, staff, and ministers are good stewards of the vision.
In a rule, people trust, and open themselves up to those who “walk the talk.” Of course, a bunch of humans, however Christian we are, will not always get this right. That’s okay. People outside of the church are not looking to join a bunch of “perfect people,” either. But a statement that acknowledges our authentic attempts to live into something that makes all the difference in our world and in our lives — and honest confession when we fall short – provides a model pattern for the Christian life.
I have a colleague whose church asks new members to sign a covenant promising two things:
- “I will deal with conflict God’s way,” and,
- “I will be a steward of the vision of my church.”
The church is growing, my colleague says, because those within and around the church have rejoiced to see the consistency between what the church says it believes, and what it actually does.