7 Practices of Effective Ministry

If you are in church leadership, I highly recommend 7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley, Reggie Joiner and Lane Jones. All three of these guys are on the leadership team at North Point Community Church in Atlanta. I think they’ve written the best book on church leadership that I’ve read since The Purpose-Driven Church by Rick Warren. The straightforward and insightful strategies they offer in this book could certainly be applied in any ministry setting. I felt like I was getting an insiders look at one of America’s fastest growing churches.

I won’t outline the seven practices here, because I really think you should buy the book. But, here are some of my favorite thoughts from what I read:

• "The tendency in business, or in church work for that matter, is to mistake activity for progress. We think that just because people are busy and doing a lot of stuff that we are being successful."
• "Don’t be so concerned about keeping the folks you’ve got, that you neglect the folks you’re trying to reach."
• "Unfortunately, churches have a reputation for doing ministry without an end in mind…the gravitational pull of a church is usually toward overprogramming."
• "Ministry becomes diluted because it is flowing in too many different directions. Years of adding and never subtracting have created layers of programs that all feel necessary."
• "Today’s church needs wise and courageous leaders who will simplify their activity and refocus their mission."
• "You can drastically improve how much people learn if you teach less."
• "Too many churches are hiding behind what is convenient and comfortable while an entire generation is being left in the dark."

I could go on and on. This is the type of book you should purchase for your entire team and take a chapter at a time to discuss. There are too many churches that are making ministry complicated and difficult. This book will open your eyes to how simpler may actually be better and make it easier for people to take their next steps toward Christ.