Leadership

Keeping It Simple

By jgiroux ⋅ August 2, 2008 ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Scott Hodge over at The Orchard Church has a recent post where he talks about the value and importance of simplicity.  For them, what they call simplicity, to others might just be known as understanding your mission and picking and choosing things that will fulfill your mission while maintaining your values.  Here’s what he had to say about simplicity:

1. We’d rather keep people freed up throughout the week to engage missionally in the community around them and to gather in small groups.  (Instead of keeping them inside the walls of the church three or four nights a week.)
2. We’re not interested in having programs JUST to have programs.  If we’re going to offer a class, environment, etc… we want to make sure that it is a STEP TOWARDS something else.  (See Seven Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley.)   On a side note - the only people who WANT a gazillion programs are churched people.  And that’s not who we’re trying to reach.  I NEVER get asked by an unchurched person why we don’t do women’s ministry.
3. By keeping things simple, it allows us to maintain a good amount of “asking equity” from our volunteers.  Since we don’t have to maintain numerous programs and events throughout the month, it keeps our volunteers fresh and focused on what’s most important.  This is especially helpful when it comes to things like FUEL - our monthly leadership gathering.  I’m convinced that the reason we don’t have a problem getting our leaders to FUEL is because we aren’t asking them to be at numerous other meetings throughout the month IN ADDITION to this one!
4. Keeping things simple allows us to pour a good amount of resources, time and energy into the things that we are most passionate about and consider to be missional priorities.  So instead of doing a hundred different things half-a**ed, we are able to do a handful of things very well.  It communicates to EVERYONE what is most important.
5. Being simple helps clearly define what we will and will not do.  This is beneficial all the way around!  For example, because of this, staff meetings can stay focused on what they need to be focused on instead of wasting hours having conversations debating and going back and forth as to whether or not we should or shouldn’t do a particular ministry or program.  Does it mean we don’t come up with new, innovative ideas?  Of course not!  But we don’t add just to add.  It’s always strategic and directly tied to the mission - or else we don’t waste time talking about it.

Now, with all that said, let me also say that keeping things simple is not always easy.  It requires a lot of “NO’s”, tons of vision casting and lots of reminders as to WHY we value simplicity.

These are hugely cool things to keep in mind as you program for ministry.  There are always going to be good things that churches can do, different ways to meet felt needs.  However, although everything is permissable, not everything is beneficial.  It is hugely important that leaders in their ministry areas stick to their guns when it comes to maintaining values and a focus on mission.

The original article can be found at http://scotthodge.typepad.com/