We hear a lot about “sustainability” in the news today. In fact it was on the front page of The Costco Connection, August 2011 edition. No, I don’t advocate that this magazine was written for the church. While most the news articles on sustainability, i.e. Costco’s, refer to the production of an agricultural or business product or plan, I wonder if churches are negligent by NOT considering the sustainability of ministries we undertake.
There has been many times in my ministry when I asked the question: “Can I/we keep doing this?” This question usually followed a few weeks after the new ministry began.
I found that starting a specific ministry in the church is really the easy part. Sustained ministry, that’s the hard part. As I read through the Costco article and a few other magazine articles I was struck by several key points regarding sustainability.
Sustainability is not the product, but the production or process. If sustainability does not figure into our ministry plans then we might as well close the door now and save the effort and heartache. Church plants start, outreach ministries begin, prayer groups form only to see them quickly end. The toll it takes has not only crippled churches, absorbed finances and shut doors but it has also burned out many gifted and trained ministers, both lay and clergy.
To ensure that a plan or production can be sustainable it must have the following factored in:
Ongoing Demand of Truth, Forgiveness, Salvation, Love, Faith, Hope
All people NEED these, … right?
- Do people know they need these? Some do, some don’t others don’t care. Not much help here.
- Are YOU convinced they need these? Is YOUR CHURCH convinced their community/world needs these? How many products do you use today that you did not need until convinced otherwise? How many ads have you watched that were directed at reminding you of what you need? Great effort and cost are taken to inform people of their need. The expenditure of great effort and finances measure our conviction to the need.
Renewable Resources
More than funds, facilities and food, the most needed resource required for sustainability in ministry is the making of disciples of Christ. If we fail at that, forget the sustainability of your ministry. In an agricultural world ‘Renewable Resources’ are huge. For something to be labeled as a Renewable Resource it must be both natural (in product and process) and of benefit. A true disciple is a spiritual process that is to be the natural/normal ministry of the church. A true disciple is one who benefits the cause of Christ in the church and the world.
Transferrable
I have done it and I’m sure you have too. We go forth in what is possible for us in ministry with little consideration as to what is possible for others. The process or production is based on our skill sets, gifting and experience rather than others. So when we give out or leave, the ministry goes as well. I wished I learned this earlier in ministry. Some of the needed ministries I created were productive, but I built them around my strengths, so they died when I left. Later on I decided that I would create ministries that were built around the gifting of the church and many of them continue today.
Networking
There is a reason why social networking is huge today. It is meeting a social need that has seriously been lacking in the family and the world. Networking is a key to sustainability. The connection or networking of your church people with each other will do more for the life and growth of your church than most anything else you can do.
Data Driven
You will never know if you are growing if you do not know if a given ministry is being effective. There is great benefit to viewing detailed data rather than what, “I heard John say…” or, “I feel we did…” There is way too much ambiguity in ministry. A data driven ministry gives more attention to what happened or didn’t happen as to what was felt. Great and simple tools are available to help you collect the data needed to better evaluate the growth of your church. My passion for a simple church management online program grew out of my frustration with complicated programs that required a geek to do. FYI… In my churches I was the geek who managed the tools but couldn’t get anyone to help me. So when I left, the programs were dumped along with the data.
One final note: the writing of this article was motivated by the number of communications from pastors I received regarding their church closing. It saddens my heart when I hear of a church closing. I know that fighting the good fight is hard. I have had a church close its doors. If I can be of any encouragement please email me at mike@churchofficeonline.com
God can and does sustain us: “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.” Psalm 3:5
We are called to persevere: “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:36
Mike Smith
Church Office Online