A church-planting mindset includes risks and discipling leaders to grow and mature.
Part 2 in a 3-part series on church planting: (1) “Principles of church planting”
Structure for Mission
In the last article we began to discuss how a church planting mindset was a healthy thing to develop for every church, not just church plants. In that context, we talked about developing a healthy spirit of desperation in our personal and corporate prayer lives and a more conscious awareness of mission. In this article I hope to encourage you towards intentional innovation and embracing the benefits of small communities.
“Perhaps the biggest challenge in keeping local mission fresh and effective is the natural tendency for human beings to love routine.”
Intentional Innovation
Perhaps the biggest challenge in keeping local mission fresh and effective is the natural tendency for human beings to love routine and predictability and to resist change. But a commitment to living missionally means a commitment to embrace thoughtful God-led change. It means a willingness to continually evaluate what we are doing and why, and to be honest about effectiveness. It means taking risks and using failures as learning opportunities instead of barriers to future change. It means taking seriously the warning in what are widely considered to be the seven last words of the dying church: “We’ve never done it that way before.” Intentional innovation is the sibling of missional awareness.
“Intentionality refers to our willingness to stop and pray about things. To listen for our Lord’s voice and direction.”
Intentionality refers to our willingness to stop and pray about things. To listen for our Lord’s voice and direction, expecting that as the world around us changes, he will lead us to make adjustments to reveal his nature and work more effectively. It also means implementing change, something very few people enjoy.
“Sometimes believers see planning as evidence of lack of faith, expecting that God is going to make all of the changes. We forget that we are co-workers with Christ, not merely observers of his work.”
Sometimes believers see planning as evidence of lack of faith, expecting that God is going to make all of the changes. We forget that we are co-workers with Christ, not merely observers of his work. In fact, within the context of the road of discipleship, Jesus warns of the need for advance planning to avoid failure:
“Often we have become prisoners of the expectations of others, not of God.”
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ ” – Luke 14:28-29
“By allowing my congregation to put all the responsibility for ministry on the pastors and a few lay leaders we were building exactly the opposite of what Jesus intended.”
But even when we know we have to take action it is often difficult to know where to begin. I often hear pastors and church leaders complaining “when am I going to find time to do this? I barely have time to do the things I am doing now.” I hate to say it but often we have become prisoners of the expectations of others, not of God. I remember being shocked when the Lord opened my eyes to the application of Ephesians 4:11-12 – “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.” I understood that by allowing my congregation to put all the responsibility for ministry on the pastors and a few lay leaders we were building exactly the opposite of what Jesus intended the church to become. Building a church focused on body ministry became one of the first changes we had to make to move forward.
“We are not just trying to create a new program or ministry – we are working to build something that effectively brings glory to God.”
Jesus promised that we too would “do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:11-12. Therefore the starting block is the same for us as it was for Jesus, intimacy with the Father:
He is the One who tells us where we need to go. Intentionality is how we get from here to there. So how do we do this? What are some principles we can apply?
“Needing a perfect plan is paralyzing. All we need is something that will move us forward.”
- Begin with the end in mind. Any of you who have read Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will be familiar with this as Habit 2. We need to know where we are going, even if we don’t quite know how we will get there yet. What do we want to accomplish? We are not just trying to create a new program or ministry – we are working to build something that effectively brings glory to God and fulfills his purposes as best we understand them. Once we are clear on the end goal, we can begin to move forward. Even when our programs are no longer effective, God remains at work in the community around us. We need to seek after the Lord and find places where he is already at work. We can start by looking carefully in our own congregations. There are likely to be at least one or two small effective ministries happening quietly in the hidden places. Meals being cooked, the sick being visited or an unofficial youth ministry taking place at a basketball court. Something small that is growing and needs more attention: more prayer, more workers, more finances. Perhaps a need rises to the surface that would be perfect for some of our church family to take on. As the Lord unveils and directs us, we discover the direction we are being called to move in.
- Always rooted in prayer, we ask the Lord to help us imagine effective ways of doing what we feel needs to be done. Whether it’s a new ministry or making changes to an existing one, we are not looking for a perfect plan. Needing a perfect plan is paralyzing. All we need is something that will move us forward. We can adjust it as we go.
- Give it a shot. Create a pilot group to try out what has been imagined, or go all out and jump right in. Make sure that they have all of the resources they need.
- Intentional review. Every few months you should be stopping to review if your changes are effective or not, and if not, pray and consider other adjustments. As you do this you will build a culture of continuous incremental change and continuous improvement. Sometimes we rebel against the idea of intentionally reviewing and adjusting what we do in ministry – as if it were somehow ‘human effort’. But if we intentionally pray and seek the Lord’s guidance in every step, there is nothing humanistic about it at all. The way I see it, we owe the Lord’s work no less effort than we put into our secular work.
Intentional innovation needs to be baked into the culture of our communities. We also need to be very aware that most people are risk-averse and have a highly developed fear of failure. At least some level of failure needs to be accepted as evidence of that people are open to change and innovation. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you consider the road ahead:
- Program leaders should know why their program exists. Why was it started? What was it supposed to accomplish? Does it still have the same mission as it did when it began? If not, what is the current mission? Is this current mission consistent with the church’s mission and the Gospel? If leaders are taught to focus on mission rather than the program itself they are more likely to evaluate the activities they lead based on mission effectiveness rather than attendance. Here is a common example: That women’s ministry that started to help young moms cope with the challenges of parenting and give them homemaking skills. When was the last time a young mom actually came to the group? Perhaps there are no stay-at-home mothers in the area. They all work and are tired and don’t have time for this type of group. Is there another way to serve these ladies? Is there another group of women who could be served instead?
- Every program in our churches needs to be open to self-evaluation, probably once every year or two. We need to build into our leaders the passion for mission rather than just for meeting, and to adjust their groups and programs so that they continue to ‘hit the target’ of the stated mission.
- People generally struggle with change. Small adjustments are much easier for people than extreme mid-course corrections. Continuous evaluation leads to the small bite-sized changes that are more palatable to people. It may also be helpful to ask activity members for feedback. People are less resistant to changes they have had a hand in developing.
- Group and program leaders should be regularly reminding their group members about their mission and engaging them on how to help the group stay on mission in a changing world. People generally dislike change when it is imposed from the outside. Teaching them to be the source of change often eliminates that problem. As Christian leaders our job is not to create little safe zones for our congregations, but rather to find ways to motivate them to go into the world in whatever way the Lord calls them.
- Some long-term groups will never accept change. They want to do what they have always done in the manner that they have always done it. Love them and let them, but don’t give them too much of your energy or your precious resources. Grow new effective missional groups or programs right alongside the old. You might be surprised to discover that people in existing but stagnant groups get excited about things they see growing around them and want to participate in new energetic efforts.
A culture of intentional innovation is challenging to develop in any church. It means taking risks and discipling leaders to grow and mature. It might mean a different model of leadership that is more consultative than authoritarian.
Intentional innovation is not about abandoning the old, but faithfully stepping into the new. It’s not about flashy lights or social media trends, but about reaching people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Churches that embrace innovation with wisdom, prayer, and humility can experience renewed energy, deeper community, and greater impact.
The world will continue to change. The question is — will the Church adapt in ways that honour God and reach people effectively? With intentional innovation, the answer can be yes.
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References
- Wright, N. T. (2013). Simply Jesus: A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters. HarperOne.
- Barna, George (2009). Churches That Heal: A Guide to the Healing Ministry of the Church. Baker Books.
- Covey, Stephen R. (1992). Seven Habits of Highly Successful People Simon & Schuster
- Hirsch, Alan & Frost, Michael (2013). The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church. Mission Alive.
- Blackaby, Henry T., & Blackaby, Richard (2007). Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda. B&H Publishing Group.
- Wagner, C. Peter (1990). Your Church Can Grow: Seven Vital Signs of a Healthy Church. Regal Books.
- McClung, W. (2008). The Power of Small Groups: How to Build Your Church Through Small Groups. Bridge-Logos Publishers.
