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Book Reviews

7 Practices of Effective Ministry

7 PRACTICES OF EFFECTIVE MINISTRY
Andy Stanley
Reggie Joiner
Lane Jones

 
Practices, not Programs

  1. Clarify the win –If you give people a clear target, then they’re more likely to hit it.
  2. Think Steps, Not programs – Because you shouldn’t start anything that doesn’t get you where you want to go.
  3. Narrow the Focus – Because if you try to do everything you’ll end up with nothing.
  4. Teach Less for More – Because everyone doesn’t need to know everything. It is more important to get the right information to the right people.
  5. Listen to Outsiders – I’m talking about listening to people outside the church for answers, not questions.
  6. Replace Yourself – If you want your church to stand the test of time, then you have to be replaced. A process of mentoring and teaching another to do what you do and to do it well.
  7. Work on it

THE PROBLEM WITH COMPETING SYSTEMS
 
            The operating system is the invisible part of the computer that determines how the computer functions. It provides the computer with an internal code that drives its behavior. It sends signals to the hard disk to control how it looks and performs. If you try to boot up a computer with competing signals from two different systems, the computer becomes unstable and has a mental breakdown.
            In some ways, your church is like a computer. There is an operating system that runs in the background of everything your church does. This operating system continually sends signals that basically determine how programs are designed, how ministry is organized, how communicators teach, how your target audience is reached, and how daily decisions are made. This internal code holds the key to the behavior and appearance of your entire organization. …..       
            Churches are notorious for creating competing systems, wherein unclear direction and conflicting information threaten to cause a breakdown and paralyze the ministry. Instead of replacing old systems, we tend to just download and add whatever is new to what already exists. ….
            Too many churches desperately need an upgrade. They need to reformat their hard drives and install a clean system. They need to rewrite their code so everyone is clear about what is important and how they should function. (p. 64, 65)
 
Thus it is possible for a church to become very efficient at doing ministry ineffectively. (p. 71)
 
HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS?
 
A different set of questions comes to mind when we talk about what it means to win.

  1. Do attendees feel comfortable inviting their unchurched friends.
  2. Are members recognizing the need to give a percentage of their income?
  3. How many individuals are successfully connecting to small groups?

Do our people understand how to apply the scriptural truths we’re teaching in their daily lives? (p.71)

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