A plan for getting there!

I recently had the opportunity to fly to a couple of different areas of the country.  On both instances, I noticed that, although, the airplane was the source of travel, there were a lot of things in place to make sure that both the passengers and the plane were able to make it to where it was supposed to go.  For the passengers, there is a solid system in place of what happens with luggage, what happens with passengers, what happens at security check-points and even what happens when boarding the plane.  For the airplane itself,  there are teams of people directing and guiding the plane to where it should be.  Additionally, the airplane is pointless without a runway for takeoff.  Someone had to think of how all of this would work in order to accomplish the overall purpose of actually riding an airplane from where you are to where you want to go.  A system is simply a plan or structure for doing something that will consistently get you from where you are to where you want to be.

In ministry, our main goal is helping people become who it is God has made them to be by reaching them where they are and helping them to get where God wants them to go.  That is our goal.  But how do we get there? Is there a process, a system, strategy, or a structure in place that will serve as the runway?  The truth is, many times we want the big goal, but fail to put a system in place to accomplish it.  I’ve noticed that having a system or structure is, in fact, a Biblical principle.  If you examine Scripture, you start to discover that God is a God of order and plans.  He has overall goals that He wants to accomplish, but He usually uses a system to accomplish it.  Explore the first chapter of Genesis, the book of Nehemiah, Jesus sending out the disciples, the plan laid out in The Great Commission, Acts 1:8, God’s redemptive plan of Salvation.  In all of these, you can see some sort of structure that was used to move toward the desired goal.

I’ve also noticed that not only is structure a Biblical principle, it is also necessary for us to be able to efficiently accomplish the overall goal.  Below are a few things that help us better understand how it is necessary:

A system is necessary to:

• Focus our Efforts.  We need to work smarter, not harder.  In order to do this, we must have a plan to include others in the ministry.
• Minister in our Context.  There are needs that exist around us that can’t be met if we don’t PLAN to meet them.
• Work with a Team.  If we’re going to all work together in the same direction with the same goals, it must be structured.
• Communicate Clearly.  We should be able to communicate our vision and our plans simply enough that even a fifth grader can understand them.
• Stretch our Faith.  As we develop our ministries, we will dream bigger than before, reach further than before and trust God even more in the process.
• Get us There.  We need to have a system or systems in place with an overall goal that we can see is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time sensitive.  The system doesn’t just help us get there, but it helps us know when we accomplish the objectives of our ministry as well.

The system created must always connect back with the overall vision of the church.  This will ensure that all of the ministries of the church exist to accomplish the overall vision of the church in the community and beyond.  It must also work in unison with all other ministries of the church.  We shouldn’t create anything that competes with or conflicts with the goal of another ministry of our church.  As we develop our system for a specific ministry, it will give us a framework for allotting our time as well as our resources.  Additionally, it allows us to know if we’re moving in the right direction towards our goals or away from them.

As you develop your structure and begin to move forward, it should provide vision for change and focus for the ministry.  It should also give your team, not just a plan, but also a sense of purpose and make it easier to bring others into the ministry.  As I have been developing ministries, I have discovered that failing to provide a clear plan and structure will continue to  cause confusion and frustration for all who are involved.  I would encourage you to start  developing some simple systems that will help you get to where God wants you to go.

The reason I started this blog, www.insideministry.me, is to provide system and structure ideas for various ministries and other random thoughts as I discover new truths in ministry.  If you have any questions or would like help in moving forward with systems, I would be glad to help.  I have just recently started coaching individuals through personal, professional, and ministry related decisions and would be glad to tell you more about it if you’re interested in coaching.  You can go here to find out more.

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• Plan to Reach More People with the Gospel this year! (insideministry.me)