Quick results verses long term sustainability in ministry

We are a people in a hurry.

We want results (and we should) but we want them now and often rather than ensuring that we do something well and sustainable, we opt for what we think will be the quick solution which usually fails in the long term.

We run ministry campaigns but can neglect the harder ongoing training in stewardship and generosity. We want people in groups but don't provide a long term sustainable model that keeps them there or grows their leaders. We want growth and put great energy into appealing services but don't close the back door through meaningful engagement of those who come - and thus many leave. We desire to train new leaders and design programs but don't mentor them through the process and give them opportunities to lead and grow and receive feedback.

Why do we so often neglect long term sustainability in our ministry efforts? Sustainability takes a lot more time and we want results now. Sustainability means that we know what we are going after, are committed to doing it well, have done our homework, thought through the issues, have someone who will lead the effort and are willing to start small and let it grow. In the short run it produces less but in the long run it produces exponentially more than going after quick results.

Take groups as an example. Almost every church values groups but most struggle to make it happen. They run programs to get them going and then they fizzle out and a few years later they try another tact. Yet there are churches (even very large churches) that have up to 75% of their adults in groups on a regular basis. In the first instance, the desire for quick results circumvents long term success. In the second instance, leaders have done their homework, built a sustainable model and are dogged in pursuing it for long term sustainability and success.

The next time you tackle a ministry initiative, ask this question: Am I going after quick results or do I have a paradigm for long term sustainability?

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Three questions to consider regarding what you do today

We are creatures of habit. Habits can be very helpful but they can also be counterproductive when we don't think through why we do what we do. I ask myself three questions regularly.

The first is "What do I need to do today?" Usually that it determined by what is on my calendar and to do list as this allows me to live out my priorities. In fact, if we are even asking the question of what we should do today it means that we didn't plan very well in our yesterdays. We should always know what we are up to long before we wake. But many don't!

The second question is just as important. "In what order should I do it?" Generally the right answer is that we should do the hardest thing first - the things we would put off if we could and may indeed already have done so. Whatever we are tempted to procrastinate on should get our first attention and then we can go on to do those things that give us life.

The third question is an interesting one: "Why am I doing it?" There are some things that we do by habit and never ask if we or someone else should be doing it, or for that matter, if we should be doing it at all! The things we do are not all equal and some things no one would notice if we just stopped doing them. 

We are all busy so being smart with our time is time well spent.

Posted from San Diego

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.