Just two years ago, I would have never imagined a need, nor the desire, to consider a shift in our ministry model. I mean, things were by no means perfect, but what ministry is? We were thriving and moving forward. We had some of the most amazing servant leaders we could ever ask for in our children and student ministry. They wholeheartedly loved God and served our youngest members of the congregation with love.
But, then the pandemic hit and my heart was impacted in a way that I have never experienced before. Instead of managing teams and approving craft supply orders, I was now spending triple the previous amount of time engaging with parents on social media and sending personal text messages to our servant leaders to ask how they were holding up. Talk about making it personal. I became more curious about the education status of their children and what they were eating for dinner because I genuinely cared and concerned myself with them more than ever before.
These are not normal times, and we cannot be “normal” leaders (whatever that means.)
As a leader, I needed a new approach.
Then, this fall, I had an opportunity to pilot a brand new leadership training course through Orange Masterclass. Led by Reggie Joiner, this course was called Redesign Your Ministry to Last, and that concept matched exactly with the ideas I had been wrestling with in this season. What do I change? How much can I change? What should always stay the same? Where can I innovate, and what exactly do I innovate around?
This course was an amazing journey. I was reminded of many practical tools that served as guides back to the strategic thinking that I absolutely knew was necessary in order to move our organization and ministry forward in this season.
I examined what our timeless values were.
I was challenged to consider which new values might have needed to be included.
But, the challenge that truly brought my photo back into frame was the idea that ALL of this was in fact, so much bigger than me.
Yikes. Had I become overwhelmed making this about me not failing miserably or was I sincerely and genuinely concerned about my community? By now, I believe both were probably true. Of course, I was concerned about serving my community well, but I wanted to be sure that I did not let them down. I needed this new perspective.
In the first module of the masterclass, Reggie introduced the idea that if I wanted my ministry to last I needed to start acting like my ministry was bigger than me.
And if we truly believe our ministries are bigger than ourselves, we act like two things are true:
- You will never leave your ministry—so you will remain relevant.
- Someone will take your place—so you learn to delegate.
This truth stuck with me:
When you redesign a ministry that’s not about you, it makes you more valuable to your ministry.
I was reminded how important it is to think strategically in order to create a ministry that lasts. Because ultimately, it’s our strategy, not our mission that will determine our success.
Think of our strategy as a road map. Where are we going and how are we getting there?
Having an intentional strategy serves as an indicator that you have an expectant end goal in mind for the families you serve. It’s both counterintuitive and counterproductive to presume that we will arrive at our mission without becoming intentional about our strategy.
The next generation of 21st century thinkers and leaders will be impacted and influenced by the decisions of today’s leaders.
Who do we want them to be?
How can we be intentional about setting them up for the win?
Remain curious about these questions and then design your ministry so that it prioritizes what we say we value.
The good news is that the Redesign Your Ministry To Last course through Orange Masterclass is a phenomenal and practical tool to help you create a culture and ministry that prioritizes those timeless values, helps you think through your strategy, and design a ministry that is bigger than you.
The work of the church is needed now, maybe more than ever before. And it’s up to leaders like us to make sure we’re designing ministries that will last regardless of a cultural shift, or programming change, or even a global pandemic.
Learn more about the Redesign Your Ministry to Last course at OrangeMasterclass.com.
