Ripples in global ministry

You have seen the pictures. A pebble is dropped in a still pond and the ripples flow out from the center. Or raindrops on that same pond, each drop creating its own ripples and together the multiple ripples create a mass of energy - ripples against ripples until the whole pond is dancing with ripples.

When we think of mission strategies we need to think of ripples. All ripples count but the more and larger ripples we can create the more influence we have for the gospel. It is possible for missions to ripple on very large numbers of people globally - if they think strategically.Here are some ripples moving from small to large that together can create huge mission impact.
Ripples of evangelism
A small ripple but one that every missionary should be committed to. Every time we lead someone to Christ a ripple occurs and if they are healthy Christ followers they will ripple on others down through their lives.Ripples of church planting
God chose the local church as His means to reach the world. Every time a healthy church is planted it creates a ripple - especially if that church is committed to reproducing itself.Ripples of training/coaching/mentoring multiple national church planters.
Now the ripples start to get larger because instead of concentrating on a single church plant, mission personnel are seeing themselves as coaches and trainers of multiple 'national' church planters who are far more capable of planting and pastoring a church than from someone outside their culture. Here we move from addition to multiplication.Ripples of formal and informal theological education
Training pastors, twenty, forty, one hundred, multiple hundreds creates even greater and multiple ripples leading to even greater multiplication of influence. While formal theological training is vital, the informal training of lay bi-vocational leaders is critical if we are going to maximize our impact. In order to reach large numbers of people it is necessary to train far more leaders informally than through formal education.Ripples of holistic ministry
In a poor and needy world (54% of our world lives on less than $3.00 USD per day) bringing needed help through education, medical assistance, micro development, crisis relief, community development and any number of services opens hearts, opens conversations and becomes a wonderful, powerful platform for evangelism and church planting - especially among populations that would not otherwise be open to the gospel.Ripples of coming alongside movement leaders or entire movements
God has gifted the church with amazing movement leaders around the world who are missional, deeply committed to reaching their people for Christ but who are looking for partners who can come alongside them and partner with them. Think about this. When you partner with, help, encourage a gifted movement leader, all of a sudden you have multiplied your kingdom influence to touch all the people that this movement leader touches. This is huge multiplication!

In the same way, when we come alongside movements around the world, be they movements of 10,000, 200,000 or even larger to provide training, teams, specialized help - in order to help these movements be more successful and missional the influence one has is even greater. Again, huge multiplication.Ripples of mission movements
When missionaries can help other national movements become mission sending movements there is extraordinary opportunity to extend kingdom impact. Missions is about 'all people' reaching 'all people.' Every time we can partner with a movement to enable them to send missionaries and then partner with them in those mission efforts, together we create synergistic ripples that makes God smile.

There are many other kinds of ripples. I think of MK educators and service personnel who make it possible for others to be involved in the kinds of ministries I have outlined above. They ripple on more people than they know because their service makes possible the service of others.

We can think addition or multiplication in missions. The more we think multiplication, the more we think strategically, the more kingdom influence and impact we will have. Here is an amazing thought. Never in human history have there been more people on our planet. And with globalization, ease of travel and modes of communication, never has it been possible to reach more people for Christ more quickly than today. Not that it is easy in many places. But globally the opportunity is amazingly huge, if we will think strategically, think multiplication, think ripples.

Is your mission primarily doing addition or multiplication?

Big Rocks, Pebbles and Sand

One of the most frustrating aspects of church leadership is the tendency of boards to deal with minutia and present-day details rather than the truly significant issues that drive ministry forward. Leadership boards are not supposed to handle all rocks and pebbles, only the big rocks.

Big rocks are values, mission, vision, ministry initiatives, the spiritual leadership of the congregation, policies and church health. What characterizes the big rocks is that they affect the whole church, have to do with the spiritual health of the organization and are more related to how we can do ministry more effectively (future focused) than they are to day-to-day management.

Pebbles and sand are day-to-day management issues, staff management, the development of specific ministry plans or strategies, and details of church life that can be delegated to others.

When boards think of their work, there are always more rocks than they can effectively handle in the time available. But here is the good news. Leadership boards are not supposed to handle all rocks and pebbles, only the big rocks.

Some principles for effective board work include:

Build agendas around big issues, not small ones
Some issues are board issues: many issues that come to boards are not. When building agendas for board meetings, it is important to ask, "Is this a big rock or a small rock? Is this an issue that others can deal with, or does it need to be a discussion of the board?"

Concentrate on direction, spiritual health and policies - not management
Boards do not exist to manage but to exercise broad leadership for the congregation. Full-time staff members or volunteers manage day-to-day issues of church life - not the board. When management issues arise, before they become board issues, ask, "Is this a management decision? Who should be empowered to deal with these kinds of questions? And do we need to develop a policy so that others can make the decision in the future?"

Spend more time on future plans than on present issues
Leadership is about the future and leading your congregation into greater ministry effectiveness. Leaders think ahead of the congregation. If you are spending the majority of your board time on day-to-day issues, you are probably deep into management rather than directional issues, spiritual health, values, mission, vision or ministry initiatives. Keep track of the time that you spend in a month on current issues compared to future plans and opportunities.

Delegate regularly
Here is a general rule: Don't do anything as a board that others could do. We give staff members and volunteers far too little credit for what they are capable of doing. If an issues comes up that others can figure out, either delegate it outright or, if necessary, ask someone to come up with a proposal and bring it back to the board.

Always use a written agenda for board business meetings
Boards use agendas as a tool to prioritize their work. A carefully written agenda provides a road map for board work and requires the discipline to place big rocks first and pebbles later.

Stay within agreed-upon time parameters
Church board meetings can proceed endlessly. When you ask leaders to serve, you are asking them for their most precious commodity: their time. If your meetings regularly run longer than 2 1/2 hours, you are probably not exercising discipline in the conduct of your meetings or the size of the rocks you are dealing with.

Meet twice a month - once for business and once for prayer
One of your gatherings ought to be a business meeting where decisions are made and the business of the church can be conducted. With rare exceptions, the business of a church should be able to be done in 12 scheduled meetings per year. Because the spiritual level of the congregation will rarely rise above the level of its leaders, wise leaders invest half of their time in praying for one another and for the church, studying Scripture together and dreaming about the future.

Agree on principles of decision-making
Healthy boards are made up of people who can engage in robust dialogue that can result in creative solutions. Boards often make one of three mistakes: (1) They don't honestly engage in creative conflict due to conflict avoidance; (2) they engage in healthy conflict but don't seem able to resolve that conflict, leading to difficulty in decision-making; or (3) they allow one or two board members to create and perpetuate conflict that holds the rest of the board hostage from moving forward. I recommend the adoption of a board covenant that clarifies how the board will work together.

Communicate board work to your congregation
The trust of a congregation in its leadership is essential for a healthy church. Too often, work of a church board is shrouded in secrecy or mystery. While some issues must remain confidential, most work should be regularly communicated to the congregation, especially general directional issues.

Institutional or organic church?

What is a church? Most people, when they think of 'church' immediately think 'institution.' After all, churches in the developed world context usually have a building, a full time pastor, who has a degree and a bunch of people - house church movements excepted. Because that is our 'model' of church, by in large, we often duplicate that model in the places where we do missions.

Actually, the New Testament does not define the church institutionally but organically. It describes the local church as a group of believers who gather regularly with Christ at the center for worship, fellowship and ordinances under recognized leadership. A local church is really very simple and can exist in any economy, social context or political situation.

Think how easy it is for this organic description of the church to multiply across a city or a region in local cells of groups of believers. It costs no money. It requires no full time pastors. It requires no formal degrees.

When we define "church" institutionally not only do we move away from a simple biblical understanding - but we face a major problem in our church planting efforts. It is much harder to multiply buildings, formally trainged pastors and full time staff.

Think about this. 54% of our world lives on three US dollars a day or less - over three billion people (world population is 6.5 billion). 94% of our world lives on $10,000 or less per year. The reality is that we live in a very poor world.

In this world, the organic definition of church is able to reproduce easily while the institituional is not.When we export, or encourage an institutional model of the church that includes real estate, and a full time pastor who has a degree we immediately have a problem. In a poor world, that is a tough proposition and it kills the organic multiplication of the church. Simple, organic church works, institutional church does not.

Remember that in the first years of the church, having a facility was rare, having a full time pastor was very rare and there were no degrees. Yet, the church grew, spread and flourished regardless. It humors me that even the disciples themselves would not make it through many of the ordination processes that denominations have for their pastors.

It was assumed by many that the church in China would decline in 1949 when Mao Tse Tung came to power. Churches were closed, pastors were imprisoned and seminaries were shut down. There were about one million Christians in the country. But you know the story! Some 59 years later it is estimated that there are almost 70 million believers (some say more) and even in the darkest days, the church flourished.

My conviction is (and history bears it out) that God designed the church to be the most flexible organism on the planet that could and would survive and thrive in any economy, any political regime, and any social context.

This was true of the church in China in recent years and the Macedonian church in the early days, dirt poor as they were - and Paul applauds their generosity as he tries to chide the wealthy church in Corinth to be generous like the Macedonian church was (2 Corinthians 8-9).

Wise people engaged in missions do not impose or encourage models of the church that will not be able to reproduce naturally in the places they minister. That is why ReachGlobal stresses both formal and informal theological training and the use of bi-vocational pastors/leaders as well as full time credentialed pastors. And, the use of homes or inexpensive facilities for meetings until a local congregation has the ability to find a place of their own.

Churches are most able to multiply if they are healthy, self-supporting, indigenous, inter-dependent and reproducing. Our job in missions is not to create barriers to the natural multiplication of the church and to encourage models that fit the context in which we are working.


Keeping the church simple and organic in our church planting efforts allows for the easy multiplication of cells of believers. Some of these cells will grow into larger groups who may at some time be able to support full time staff who are formally trained. They may acquire property. But not starting with those elements allows for organic growth and multiplication without institutional elements which stall what would otherwised be natural multiplication.

Intentional Living

The key distinction between high impact teams and other teams is the intentionality with which leaders and individuals live their lives and pursue their ministries. We live in a day of huge needs, multiplied demands, out-of-control schedules and the tendency to be driven by the urgent, not the most important. Over time, our effectiveness is eroded, our hearts become tired and we know deep down that there must be a better way to live life and pursue ministry.


Three observations ought to give us pause. First, we are all busy. When people describe to me how busy they are and how fast they run in ministry, I am not impressed. Everyone is busy.


Second, we are all busy but not everyone sees the same results. Some people are exceedingly productive while others accomplish little.


Third, activity does not equal results. This is a critical distinction. Busyness does not equal results. That is why I am unimpressed with how packed one's schedule is. The question is not how much activity we are involved in, but what the results are of our life and work. Activity that is not strategic yields little for the energy expended and leaks away opportunity for Kingdom results.


People who see significant results of their work think differently than others. Rather than focusing on activity, they focus on results. They have identified the results they want to see for their lives and then strategically focused their activity toward those results. They are highly discriminating in what they do, the obligations they agree to, and how they schedule their days. Before they say "yes" to new opportunities they think and pray, determine whether the activity will contribute to what they understand to be the big rocks of their lives, and practice the power of saying "no.


"Intentional living is the discipline of knowing how God made us defining the big rocks in our life and work, and executing with an intentional annual plan that connects our schedules with the big rocks in a way that maximizes our God-given gifting and call.

Team Covenant

Every team has rules, written or otherwise, by which they operate. These rules can be healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy rules include certain topics that everyone knows are off limits (the elephants), or might be that nothing can ever be said that the leader might take as critical. Some teams are great at process but do not deal with accountability or results. Unhealthy rules prevent teams from having candid, honest, robust dialogue.

Only the leader can truly set the tone or culture of a team. Others can try but the leader has the authority to either encourage a culture of discourage it. The more a leader defines the team 'rules of how we work with each other' and then models that culture, the greater the freedom the team has to operate comfortably with each other. The following rules of engagement would typify a healthy team. It takes healthy emotional intelligence on the part of the leader and those on the team to make this possible.

TEAM COVENANT

We encourage robust dialogue where honest opinions, probing questions and potential solutions can be freely shared on any topic relating to the team's (or one another's) ministries. We commit to robust dialogue without attacking one another and to maintain on open, non-defensive attitude.

In the spirit of Matthew 18, we will always speak in love and keep short accounts when offense has taken place.

We will regularly evaluate progress of the organization or that part of the organization we are responsible for and do so with utmost honesty. We believe in timely execution and ministry results.

We practice autopsy without blame. We know things will go wrong and when they do we will do an autopsy of the failure so that we can learn from it without casting blame for the failure.

We keep our promises. When decisions have been made and assignments given, we are committed to fully executing those assignments on time.

We take full responsibility for corporate decisions our team makes and will not engage in leadership default. Our first loyalty is to this team and we will always represent this team well and fully support its decisions. Outside of our team meetings we speak with one voice.

We keep confidential those issues which are shared in our team meetings which should not be shared with others.

We are committed to thinking the best of one another, speaking the best of one another, praying for one another and supporting one another's ministries.

We agree to hold one another accountable for keeping this team covenant and we agree to allow others to call us on it if we violate this agreement

The five priorities of every leader

Good leaders must do at least five things well in their leadership role. There may be other things a leader does but if she or he does not do these five things well, they will not become great leaders. These five responsibilities are the five highest priorities in one's leadership role. How well they are done will determine the effectiveness of the team.

One: Personal Development - Ensuring that I live intentionally in my spiritual, family, emotional, relational and professional life.

By personal development I mean the core issues that make and keep a leader healthy spiritually, relationally, emotionally and professionally. These become a leader's highest priority because health in these areas determines their ability to lead spiritually and professionally and to model the kind of faithful, fruitful, connected life that the New Testament describes for leaders.

Two: Strategic Leadership - Providing strategic leadership to the organization or part of the organization you lead.

This is not about administrating the team. There is a crucial difference between 'activity' and 'results.' Good leaders are always seeking results that are consistent with the mission. Leaders do some administration but they are not administrators. Rather, they are always pushing the mission forward - which often gets lost in the press of activity. Strategic leadership is about keeping the mission of the organization central and the team aligned toward accomplishing the mission.

Three: Strong Team - Building a healthy, unified, aligned, strategic and results oriented team.

Newsflash: The higher the altitude at which you fly, the less you can do yourself and the more you are dependent on other people. Your ability to influence the organization you lead and advance the mission is directly dependent on the people who make up your team. Your success is tied directly to your team. So, the better the team, the more you will see accomplished.

Four: Leadership Development - Develop current and future leaders.

Are you developing current and future leaders for your ministry? It amazes me how many churches and organizations have no strategy or plan to develop future leaders and then wonder why they have trouble when new leaders come and create problems. Leaders pay close attention to identifying and developing new leaders for the future. I will have failed if I do not raise up the next generation of leaders for the organization I lead so that it flourishes into the future.

Five: Mobilizing Resources - Mobilize key resources necessary for the ministry of the team to flourish.

Team leaders are mobilizers of people, strategies, finances and other needed resources. Leaders use their authority, vision-casting ability and position in the organization to ensure that their team has the resources it needs to fulfill their responsibilities. This may mean negotiating with others at their level or higher for necessary budgets or cooperation.

Mobilizing resources is not simply about funding. Leaders are 'people raisers,' always looking for individuals who can contribute to the mission. They are always on the lookout for strategies that might work or people who have been successful in what they are trying to do. All to often we try to 'reinvent wheels.' Leaders point their team to those who have already figured it out and encourage them to explore successful models.

If a leader pays attention to these five priorities, they will grow healthy and effective teams.

The Profile of an Effective Church Leader

If we desire healthy church boards, we need to ask: "What are the characteristics of an effective church leader?" Consider some of the ways churches have traditionally filled leadership roles:

-We look for Godly individuals.
-People who have 'power' in the church get the nod.
-We try to balance 'power blocks' in the church by making sure there is representation of the various blocks on the board.
-There is an unofficial system that rotates key leaders through the leadership spots.
-We choose those who have been in the church a long time.
-Congregations simply nominate people; if they have the votes, they end up on the board regardless of gifting or qualifications.
-Leadership slots are filled even when there is a lack of qualified candidates. Priority is given to filling slots rather than ensuring leadership 'fit.'

Clearly, none of these methods is likely to result in a board of great effectiveness or impact. Nor are these methods likely to be 'leadership friendly' - motivating those with true leadership skills to serve.

The way we choose leaders and our understanding of what good leadership looks like goes to the heart of church health and ministry impact. Who you choose to lead will determine the impact of your congregation.

I would suggest that the New Testament implicitly or explicitly describes the kind of individuals who we should place in church leadership.

Exhibits godly character and lifestyle
This is the most critical, non-negotiable characteristic of a church leader. We are called to lead on behalf of Jesus Christ, as shepherds accountable to the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4). Paul made it clear in First Timothy and Titus that, above all else, a leader's life must be in the process of being transformed into the likeness of Christ. Only those deeply committed to personal transformation and authenticity can lead others in that direction.

Has a deep passion for Jesus
The church is about Jesus! He is its leader. We serve as leaders under Him. Thus, only those with a passion for Him are qualified to lead His people. Those we lead will be influenced by whatever passions drive us. It is painfully obvious when church leaders are more interested in power, ego or their own agendas than in leading Christ's people where He wants them to go. Remember, few congregations rise above the spiritual level of their leaders.

Displays personal humility
Leadership in the church differs in two significant respects from how it is practiced in other arenas. First, it is a leadership of service rather than power. As Peter wrote, "Overseers should be 'eager to serve: not lording it over those entrusted to you.'" Second, this leadership already has its agenda set by the Lord of the church. Our agenda has been set, and our leadership priorities are Christ's not our own.

Genuinely loves people
Ego-driven individuals love themselves, not others. Humble godly individuals love others as Christ loves them, and their leadership is fueled by genuine spiritual concern. The driving characteristic of God's pursuit of us has been unexplainable, powerful, unrelenting love, bathed in mercy, compassion, forgiveness and grace.

Is a lifelong learner
Leaders are learners. They are hungry to understand the leadership task. They are driven to lead well to become more effective. Nowhere is it more important for leaders to be lifelong learners than in the context of the local church. Healthy leaders are learners of God, of effective ministry options and methods and of leadership. Once leaders give up learning as a high value, their effective leadership days are over.

Understands and agrees with God's leadership assignment
I often ask leadership boards if they can clearly articulate their responsibilities. Invariably the answer is no, apart from generalities. It is my belief that God has given leaders specific responsibilities and every leadership board should be able to define its responsibilities.

Grapples with the future
To lead is to be out in front of others. True leadership is primarily about the future and secondarily about the present. While this may seem obvious, most leadership boards spend the majority of their time dealing with present-day rather than future issues.

Focuses on the team
Warning: Never elect or appoint to leadership an individual who cannot graciously work in a team setting - and publicly and privately support decisions that the team has made. Leadership teams require team players. Those who cannot function as a healthy member of a team will destroy the unity necessary for a leadership team to lead (remember humility). Mature, healthy leaders choose to subordinate their egos to the will of the group and deeply value the perspectives and input of others and the collective decisions of the board.

Leads willingly
Good leaders are willing leaders (remember 1 Peter 5). Willing leaders are ready to make the sacrifices necessary to lead, without inner resentment and frustration. It is a mistake to coerce individuals to serve in leadership positions. When we push people to serve before they are mature enough to handle the difficulties of leadership (such as conflict), they often have experiences that cause them to avoid future leadership.

Positively influences others
Real leaders have influence over others, whether they are in positions of leadership or not. This is the key: When considering individuals for leadership, ask the following questions: "Do they already have a positive influence over others? Do people look to them for leadership? Do they lead people closer to Christ and in positive ministry directions?"

Has an action bias
Leaders do things. They have a bias toward action and away from the status quo. They don't always know what to do but they will try things and see what sticks, what works. Leaders are never content with how things are but dream of how they could be - continually looking for ways to accomplish mission more effectively.

Is a purveyor of hope
Leaders are optimistic about the future and convey that optimism and hope to those they lead. They believe that positive things can and will happen because they understand that it is God who empowers and it is He who has promised to be with the Church until the end of the age. Pessimists are not leaders! Pessimists telegraph caution and see all the reasons why things cannot happen.

Rarely will a church rise above the personal, spiritual and missional health of its leaders. Who you select is a key either to mediocrity or to health. No one has all of these characteristics in equal measure but they are key questions to ask about those whom you put into leadership.