One of the hardest things as a leader I think is doing less for more. Doing less is not the goal, but doing less so that you can focus is. The concept of simple church to me is not just keeping things simple just because. The simple church model is still VERY hard on the staff and volunteers.
The idea that I am starting to really buy into is the reality of doing less so that you can give your time, energy, and passion to fewer things. This will in the end give you a greater return on those goals. Another way to say it is your productivity will go higher.
One of the hardest things we fight in the church is to be all things to all people. The reality is one church can't do that. We have to find what God has called us to be and fight hard not to let the newest program or peoples wants to determine what we focus on. The season I'm in right now is this...I am truly asking God what and who have you called our church to be. I don't want to be like any other church but I truly desire to be the church God has called us to be.
This has caused me to ask questions like:
- what do we do well
- what do we do because we feel we have to
- what comes naturally to us as a church
- what slows down our momentum
- what do the people in our community actually want from a church...and should that 100% control what we do
- what are the things that keep us up at night because we are passionate about it
- what are the foundations we see in the first church in Acts that must be at the core of who we are
- what are ways we can begin to grow as a church body and see more people come to faith
- how are we supposed to impact the world globally
This is what I am working through these days. Would really love it if you could help me pray through these questions and so much more. I am not asking God to make us the best church in Chattanooga but what I am asking God is to help us BE the church that He has called us to be and reach the people he wants us to reach with the gospel.
Sometimes I just think it's so easy to get distracted with the urgent that we miss the important.
