Too many directions at once?
I’ve had a few conversations lately about new areas of ministry that our church is considering. I have not been alone in wondering at what point pursuing every opportunity that comes our way may becomes counterproductive, and may stretch us too thin. I am of the mindset that it is better to do a few things well than a lot of things poorly. We see so many needs around us, and there are so many opportunities to serve, it’s hard to say no. But the way I see it, whenever you say yes to something, you are saying no to any number of other things. When I say yes to serving on a new committee that meets every Wednesday night, I am saying no to spending that time with my family, or with friends, or praying, etc. How does a church (or an individual, for that matter) make these decisions about when to slow down and concentrate on excellence in what is already happening? Is there a way to do that and remain flexible enough to follow the Spirit wherever it may lead?
I know some folks who have quite a bit of money, and are generous with sharing it. The other day I was talking with friends about their strategy of giving money, that it is does more good to give large sums to a few organizations rather than smaller amounts to many different charities. I wondered if our “ministry capital” works the same way. God has infinite resources at his disposal, but individuals and congregations are only called to be stewards of the time, gifts, and resources that they have. I wondered what would happen at our church with 300 very capable people, if we picked two or three issues in our city and encouraged everyone to focus their time and energy on those. In a small city, with some real problems in areas like affordable housing and public education, a group of 300 committed people could have big impact.
Is committing to just a few things a good idea for a church, and if so, how do you get there?
Hi James. I think this is an interesting topic. I want to hear more about how you think this might work. I have questions. I’m thinking about Mums and Buds and if when I first proposed it what it would have been like for me to hear something like this: “We care about mothers and young families but as a church we don’t feel called to that particular ministry. Will you instead spend the energy you would have spent on Mums and Buds on (fill in the blank)?” I think I would have been able to accept that decision. I respect leadership with a clear, Spirit-led vision. Mums and Buds is a specific ministry designed to serve a limited group of women. Perhaps it is too narrow? What are your thoughts?
Comment by Brittany — March 13, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
Mums and Buds seems exactly like the kind of thing we should encourage. From what I know of it, it seems like there is a lot of life there, and the people involved are excited about it and committed to it. I think I am more discouraged by the kinds of projects that we have to actively recruit for and persuade people to fill roles that they may not really be excited about or gifted for. I’m not sure what the best method for narrowing our focus could be, but I don’t think discouarging people’s visions and dreams for ministry is something we want to do.
Comment by James — March 16, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
I guess part of focusing is saying no to new things that don’t fit our vision, and also saying no to old ministries that seem to be fading in spirit and effectiveness.
Comment by Brittany — March 17, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
Brittany, your last comment is dead-on. In my experience, putting ongoing or old ministries to rest is extremely difficult in congregations. Those who participate in the ministries may draw much of their identity from them. There are numerous stories of pastors losing their jobs because they ended or altered certain ministries. That’s not to say your point isn’t correct — I think it is refreshingly so — but that it is difficult to stop something a church has done for a while.
As for the topic of the post, I would agree that it’s generally better to focus on a few things than several things. I’m sure there’s a crude analogy between churches who focus vs. churches who don’t and In-N-Out vs. McDonald’s here. This goes to a question of discernment. We all come together with different interests and concerns. If I agree that God is calling my church to work for affordable housing (to use your example), but my concern is with addressing nuclear nonproliferation, then I might be called to sideline (partially or in toto) my personal passion in order to work with the whole. It’s difficult difficult but good work to convince people of this.
Comment by Tyler Watson — March 20, 2007 @ 1:47 pm