One of the most frequently asked questions in recent weeks has been what have you learned from the churches you’ve visited in recent months? Here are a couple of quick observations.
There isn’t a magic formula. There’s more than one way to “do church.” You’d be amazed at all the variations of leadership styles, structures and strategies that God is using to reach people.
It makes me laugh at people who get very opinionated on blogs or Twitter about the right way to do church. It may be their preference. And, it may be working in their community for the way God has gifted them as a leader. However, it’s very obvious to me that God uses different leaders to build different ministries that reach different people.
There isn’t a magic bullet. Most churches don’t explode with growth overnight. One of the key differences between healthy, larger churches and those that aren’t is that the leader remained faithful. That includes years of commitment to the church. And, frankly, it also involves years of commitment to maintaining a healthy marriage. Lack of faithfulness in either area will certainly negatively impact the health of the ministry in the long run.
In other words, if you want to grow your ministry and your influence in people’s lives, you have to stick with it. You can’t give up. You have to battle. You have to bring others around you that support you in that mission. And, honestly, it takes time.
Now you know the secret to success.
Good stuff man. Is there going to be a part 2? Or do I have to wait until the next network :-) The part about being faithful for years was good to hear. It has been just over 3 years now in this church plant and commitment to both the church and my marriage have kept me going on those days when you wanted to throw in the towel and get a “real” job. If you are not commited to your wife then she is not going to be there when you just want to bail. And, I cannot imagine not having her around in those times. She is a big source of hope and inspiration. Thanks man!
the magic is gone
You’re so right. And if we’re not careful, today’s methods become tomorrow’s traditions. Then the whole cycle of transitioning starts over! We can love the vision but must be careful not to love and become possessive of the methods.
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