Management by Mission = Accomplishment and Achievement
Management by Mission (MM) is a similar idea to management by objectives that swept the business community several years ago. It is also the foundation for Pastor Rick Warren ’s book The Purpose Driven Church. Bottom line: this means everything a church does, every new ministry, every line item in the budget must be evaluated by the church ’s mission. As a leadership development exercise for lay leaders, why not circle five of the following benefits of Management by Mission and use them at your next board meeting?
MM — Shapes expectations: Careful attention to mission keeps the church’s reason for being before the people. This shapes what people expect to receive in church.
MM — Provides direction: Attention to mission helps all who direct ministries and programs see how necessary it is for them to relate their work to the church ’s mission.
MM — Prioritizes agenda: Defining question—are we doing the right things rather than are we doing things right. A strong vision of mission helps a church recognize specific needs related to purpose and keeps the church from dissipating its energy on secondary or counterfeit needs.
MM — Provides evaluation standard: Careful communication of mission helps a leader assess and even initiate new strategies for achieving mission. Strange as it seems, many people are not so much against new ways of doing but against adding more and more activities that fill up the calendar without ever omitting something.
MM — Helps leader and laity re-evaluate: Purpose, environment, strengths, weakness, and uses this knowledge to design plans for the future.
MM — Expects results: Management by Mission might be called management for results rather than for activities. Incredible results begin to appear when the people of God are aware of what Jesus said He wanted His church to be.
MM — Motivates workers: People always work harder with greater effectiveness when they see some higher—or should we say some eternal—dimension to their service to Christ, His Church, and His world. A clear vision of mission challenges people to make decisions about their involvement.
MM — Shows church’s uniqueness: A clear understanding of mission helps everyone understand the important ways the church is uniquely different from other businesses and organizations.
The interaction among lay leaders that comes from forming a mission statement and then sharing the results with the congregation tends to help all involved see the big picture of what God wants done through His Church in your location.
Transforming our churches into active mission forces will require us to view every ministry of the church through the eyes of evangelistic goals. How we proceed must say mission every bit as much as what we do!
Dead-end Streets – Comparison and Competition
Where did the idea start that pastors were in competition with each other? And who hatched the silly notion ministers should compare themselves with colleagues and peers. Both “c” words lead to coveting, jealousy, and envy—a destructive trio of friends for any minister. There is a better way—another “c” word—conviction. Try assessing your ministry by these convictions adapted from Craig B. Larson’s book Pastoral Grit [Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1998, p. 102].
God . . .
. . . assigns my place and task (1 Cor. 10:13-16)
. . . determines the breadth and focus of my ministry (2 Cor. 12:4-11)
. . . gives me the gifts He wants me to use (1 Cor. 12:4-11)
. . . makes me fruitful (1 Cor. 3:6)
. . . opens and closes doors (Col. 4:3)
. . . lifts people up (Ps. 75:6-7)
. . . bestows positions of high visibility even to the lowliest of people (Dan. 4:17)
What the Lord does with someone else is not my business. I purposefully choose to live by convictions and leave comparisons and competition forever. I feel free already!
Helping Lay Leaders Keep Spiritually Fit
Since the Church is a spiritual organism, it is important the Church’s decision makers see themselves as a team of spiritual pilgrims rather than a cooperate board of directors. Some have called the official group a church within the Church. The question then is; How can pastors help lay leaders become spiritually sturdy people?
► Preach on the Biblical requirements for lay leaders as found in Acts 6:3.
► Open board meetings with a short Bible study that highlights spiritual qualities of leaders in scripture.
► Use prayers as part of the decision process with your decision makers.
► Encourage prayer partnerships among your leadership team. Model this by dividing your board into small teams at the beginning of a meeting with assigned prayer tasks.
► Invite leaders to join you in specific times of fasting.
► During board meetings, ask for testimonies from your leaders regarding their personal efforts to influence others for Jesus.
► In the letter you send to church members informing them of their nomination for election to the board, stress the spiritual qualifications necessary for board members. Review and interpret those qualifications at your first board meeting.
Investments made in the spiritual lives of your leaders will return amazing dividends. Spiritual leaders will be better able to exercise godly influence, to communicate the church ’s vision, and to accomplish great results for the Kingdom.