Growth

Stop What You Are Doing!

Maximized Leadership: Stop What You Are Doing!

I once read an interesting metaphor describing church strategies. It noted that Dakota tribal wisdom says:

“When you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.” 

However, churches often find themselves trying other strategies.  Consider the following ten ways that churches and organizations deal with the problem of riding dead horses:

10 – Provide additional funding to increase the horse’s performance.

9 –   Provide training to teach people how to ride dead horses.

8 –   Appoint a committee to revive the dead horse.

7 –   Change the person riding the horse.

6 –   Say things like: “This is the way we always have ridden this horse.”

5 –   Appoint a committee to study the horse.

4 –   Harness several dead horses together for increased speed.

3 –   Pass a resolution declaring: “The horse is not dead.”

2 –   Arrange to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses.

1 –  Buy a stronger whip.

Churches and organizations are really good at starting programs but have much difficulty stopping them. One of the keys to your progress may be to put a ministry or program to rest.  Is it really making a difference for the Kingdom? Questions you should ask about each program or ministry:

  1. Does this fit within the framework of our purpose? If not, it should be put to rest. You cannot pour energy into everything and surely should not waste time on those things that do not fit what you are called to do.
  1. Do we have enough leaders to do it well? In some cases ministry or programs may need to be suspended if adequate leadership is not in place. A ministry done poorly can sometimes do more harm than if the ministry is not even functioning at all.
  1. Do we have enough resources to do it well? Not everything requires money. But, some things do. The comments above apply here once again.
  1. Do we have a passionate person providing leadership? When something is everyone’s responsibility, it tends to be no one’s responsibility. Someone must take the lead and must do so with passion.
  1. Is it essential, important, or good? If it is good, stop doing it and focus on those things that are essential and important.

Many churches and ministries struggle because they try to do too many things and/or they do too many things poorly. What is the last ministry you stopped doing? It may be time but it sure will not be easy. Check in next week to learn more about stopping ministry. It is a skill that is lacking in many churches and organizations.

The Key Element in Growing Groups

Maximized Leadership: The Key Element in Growing Groups

I trust we can agree that the more people studying the Word of God on a regular basis, the better. In addition, as more people are studying the Word together in your church, the more lives you will see changed, the more leaders you will see developed, and the more people you will be blessed to see come to faith in Jesus. Therefore, you need not apologize for wanting your groups to grow. Please understand that there is not “a key” to the growth of your Bible study groups. I wish it were that simple and that I could share “the key.” Unlocking growth is more like a combination lock where several things must align in order to see the groups grow and multiply. You need to also understand that it is not enough to simply “teach the Bible.” Certainly that is critical but if it was the “key” then all groups that study the Bible would be thriving. Don’t get me wrong here. Good Bible teaching is essential and the effort is wasted if people are not engaging and applying God’s Word.

 

I have been helping leaders grow groups for over thirty years. The work cannot result in disciple making without good Bible study but there are skills involved in growing the number of participants in the groups as well as the number of groups that meet. For example, effectively communicating the purpose of the groups, understanding how to enlist people into the groups, how to minister to people in the groups, how to organize groups, how to develop the leadership of group members, how to engage the group members in reaching out to the unchurched, and how to get the members to help create additional groups are just a few of the skills that are needed as the group studies God’s Word together in order to open the combination lock of group growth.

 

I want to share one key skill that is like the first domino that if tipped will in turn cause the other dominos to fall. That one key is the equipping plan for your leaders. What are you doing to systematically train your Bible study group leaders to give them the skills that I just described? Trust me….the application of these skills do not occur spontaneously. Most Bible study leaders focus on…..Bible study. You can do that week after week and fail to apply the skills needed to grow the groups. What is the result if you fail at this point? The fewer lives you will see changed, the fewer leaders you will see developed, and the fewer people you will be blessed to see come to faith in Jesus. Don’t apologize for wanting to grow your groups. And trust me, it rarely happens where the leaders are not equipped. I do have research to prove my point. But, to get the Biblical underpinning of my commentary, take time to study Ephesians 4:12-16. Paul made this point long ago. How are you applying it?

These Meetings Are Killing Me!!!

Maximized Leadership: These Meetings Are Killing Me!!!

Do you ever feel like you are a “P.M.A.?”  That would be a professional meeting attender. The fact is that any organization with more than just a hand full of members or employees has a lot of moving parts. Meetings are a necessity to enhance good communication, foster alignment, and to sharpen strategy. But, not all meetings are created equal. John G. Miller says that “outstanding organizations simply don’t waste people’s precious time with meaningless meetings. Someone once said that the worst of all murders is the killing of time.” While his second sentence is certainly exaggerated I hope you caught the key word in the first sentence….”meaningless.”

Perhaps you have responsibility for leading meetings on some occasions and granted, they are often necessary. If so, here are a few pointers to make the most of the time in your meetings:

  1. Have a clear leader for the meeting. He/She should take charge, stay on point, and move toward accomplishing the goal of the gathering.
  2. Have an agenda. What will you talk about, in what order will you talk about it, and can you stick with it?
  3. Try to limit the list. Fewer items can actually allow for greater focus.
  4. Focus on the right things. Spend time planning and problem solving. Do not waste energy discussing someone else’s job. The greatest expertise resides in knowing how someone else should do their job! Your meeting’s purpose is to discuss how to best do yours.
  5. Choose the right time and place. Choose an environment as free of distractions as possible while attending to a degree of comfort. Try to schedule at a time when participants are not anxious to get out due to other responsibilities.
  6. Invite the right people. One thing worse than a dull meeting is a dull meeting that is totally irrelevant to the person attending.
  7. Prepare. If you are not prepared you are wasting people’s time. Get your ducks in a row in advance.
  8. Be punctual. Start on time and finish on time or finish earlier. No one ever complains about finishing too early.
  9. Herd the cats. If you are leading then you bear responsibility for keeping on task. Is it okay to chase a rabbit? Yes but keep him in the meadow.
  10. If someone is done let them leave.

I have to lead a lot of meetings and try hard to model the best practices. But I am open to suggestions and I hope you would be likewise for those who often find themselves in your meetings. Outstanding organizations utilize meetings to energize their team members and bend over backwards not to drain team members with meetings. Let’s all take this principle to heart. I must run now… I have a meeting to attend.

 

*Adapted from Chapter Eight of John G. Miller’s Outstanding; 47 Ways To Make Your Organization Exceptional

Tools Trump Slogans

Maximized Leadership: Tools Trump Slogans

“Attitude is everything!”

“Dare to Achieve!”

“Just do it!”

Statements like these can serve as great rallying points for an organization.  John G. Miller states that “slogans may sound great, but in order to take the organization to higher levels, people don’t need platitudes – they need tools.” Allow me to illustrate this premise with the job of a lumberjack. Suppose you want your lumberjacks to produce more. Therefore you develop a slogan to inspire them to chop faster.

“Swinging our axes like there’s no tomorrow!”

“The Sahara was a forest before lumberjacks moved in!”

“Lumberjacks for Jesus – Chopping until the Kingdom comes!”

The lumberjacks get inspired and begin to swing harder. They drive their trucks to and from their work with fresh bumper stickers crafted to inspire. But there is a problem. The axes are growing dull. They are swinging harder and actually producing less. These lumberjacks do not need a slogan, they need a tool to sharpen their axe. An even better resolution would be to purchase chainsaws. Mind you that the slogans are not wrong and it is not wrong to have a slogan. But, in the most effective organizations tools always trump slogans.

The easiest way to do one’s work is the way that one has always done it. But that may not be the most effective approach. It is human nature to cling to the status quo and what is familiar when a crisis is not at hand. However, failure to change, adopt, or adapt will ultimately lead to a crisis as the business or organization begins to falter and at that point the needed tools may be out of reach, unaffordable due to eroding resources, or of lesser value because the proverbial hole is too deep to dig out of.

I do not consider myself to be “tech savvy.” I have noticed that some leaders even take pride in ignoring emerging tools and technological developments. That is tragic because leadership and (personal) growth go hand in hand. I am very “tech aware” and continue to try new technologies in an effort to strengthen my leadership. What is new with you? Are you seeking new tools for your work, your leadership, your organization, your ministry? While slogans can motivate, it is the tools that allow you to do your work more effectively. Focus on getting your team the best tools possible. Or else you may go the way of the organization with this slogan: “Our buggy whips can’t be whipped!” Really?

*Adapted from Chapter 7 of John G. Miller’s  Outstanding: 47 Ways to Make Your Organization Exceptional

What to do When You Anticipate a Low Attended Sunday

What to do When You Anticipate a Low Attended Sunday
 
Having a large crowd at church can be energizing and having a small crowd can be discouraging to those who have responsibility for preaching on Sunday. It is in no way unspiritual to desire that more people, rather than less, to be present to hear a message from God’s Word. In North America, the two lowest attended Sundays of the year are generally the one closest to July 4th and the Sunday following Christmas. The reasons are more practical than spiritual. More families are traveling on these weekends for family or leisure. I propose that you pour greater energy into Sunday’s like Easter when you can anticipate higher attendance. The reason is that you know guests are likely to be present on those special days and it actually takes less effort to get more results. I unpack this in detail in my book The Coffee Shop That Changed a Church.
 
However, you should not totally neglect those two Sundays of the year when attendance is anticipated to be lower. While pointing out that more guests are present on higher attended Sundays, that does not mean that no guests are present on the low attended weekends. Therefore, here are a couple of thoughts on preparing for what you know will be a low attended service.
 
1.     Acknowledge in advance that many of your members will be traveling. Wish them well and encourage them to visit another church if they are traveling. That way you are not only encouraging the faithfulness of your members, you are helping a pastor in another community.
2.     Promote the subject of your message in advance. Give people a reason to be present by proposing a compelling subject that people want to hear about. Give your members a reason to invite friends.
3.     Are you going to be traveling yourself? Some pastors utilize these two weekends to be out of the pulpit themselves.  Here is the key. Do not advertise your absence to your congregation unless you have a speaker who you know will draw people to your services. The same principle should be communicated to your Bible study leaders. Whenever a leader announces his absence in advance, the attendance suffers even more. I appreciate that the members should be mature enough that it does not matter but not all of them are.
4.     Challenge the members who will be present to invite friends and family. Apply the law of large numbers: Many invitations result in more guests and fewer invitations result in smaller numbers of guests. While you have no control over attendance, your members do have control over how many guests are invited.
5.     Execute the service in the same way as if the worship center is full. When those leading worship “go through the motions” and fail to give their best, you are feeding a culture in your church that says that the July 4th and Christmas weekend services are the ones to miss. These services are tough enough as it is without adding to it.
6.     Plan to preach the gospel! It is always  relevant to any sized audience and though attendance may be lower, it could be a life-changing day to that guest in your service.
 
Don’t be discouraged by what you expect to be a low attended Sunday. Members being out of town is not a reflection of failure but of the blessing that many can get away for a break or to visit family. But, give them a reason to regret missing the service because another Sunday is coming a week later!

Fight the Fat

Maximized Leadership – Fight the Fat

To put you at ease at the outset I will say up front that this has nothing to do with your weight. I probably weighed no more than 140 pounds when I came out of college. Now I weigh approximately a lot! This is not about my weight or yours. You will also be glad to know that it is not about fighting against those who may be struggling with their weight. Though the subject is certainly worthy of our attention the context of the title has to do with the “fat” in an organization.

Marvin Schwan, the founder of the multi-billion dollar route delivery food company once said that “Sales covers sins. And lots of sales cover lots of sins.” In this context he was not discussing “sin” in the biblical sense but rather the mistakes, errors, and wastes within an organization. He points out that when times are good, organizations tend to let their standards slip and tend to be less attentive to budgets, efficiency, and spending. The good times enable the organization to look past the “sins.” The problem is that good times don’t last forever and the consequences of neglecting standards and budgets result in major challenges that are very frustrating to the team members when times get tougher.

How do you avoid being placed in that situation? He suggests that you operate the organization at all times as if “times were tough.” Always “fight the fat,” by keeping the sins of waste and inefficiency to a minimum and when tough times do come you will be positioned to deal with them in a way that is much less adverse on members of the organization.  How about your ministry? Your budget? Are you seeking to “fight the fat?” While this applies to any organization, those involved in ministries would do well to heed this advice given the cultural direction and the prognostications in books such as The Great Evangelical Recession. An effective leader acts as an optimist and plans as a realist.

Until next week….

Off to College…Out of Church?

Maximized Leadership: Off to College…Out of Church?

In John Dickerson’s book The Great Evangelical Recession, you will find a sobering statistic about the students who grew up in your church and graduated in May. If they fit the typical profile of today’s college age young adults, two of the three will be leaving the church. I am writing this article in mid-summer because now is the time for your church to take action. As Tom Crites and I conducted research for our forthcoming book, Why They Stay which addresses how to help parents and church leaders make investments that keep children and teens connected to the church for a lifetime, we learned a valuable lesson that you should know about. The next 120 days are critical to the faith journey of those youth group members who just graduated.

Our research unveiled the importance of making the transition from “home church” to “a new church” in college for those who moved away from home. Almost 70% of High School graduates will enroll in college and what happens in the fall semester has a huge influence over whether they will still be attending church a decade later and beyond. Our research revealed that a student who moved off to college and immediately connected with a new congregation during the transition was 138% more likely to still be in church a decade later than one who moved and did not make the connection. I said that to say this. When students graduate from High School and are members of your congregation, the discipleship responsibility of the church has not concluded. I fear too many churches wash their hands at the conclusion of the High School career of their youth group members as if the “job is done.” It is not and the four to six months following graduation are critical. What is the strategy of your church to help those who graduated to connect with a new church in the place where they will be moving?

I don’t think the answer is complex but it does require some initiative. Here are a couple of quick thoughts:

  1. Someone has to take responsibility. Who in your church will take the lead in following up and ministering to the grads who move away in the next few months. It could be the pastor, a staff member, a Bible Study leader, or a volunteer. The key is that someone must take responsibility.
  2. Plan several forms of personal contact with the student who moves away in the summer and fall months. The object is not to “hound them” but to maintain a connection. They are more likely to get involved with another church if they are receiving ministry and encouragement from the home base.
  3. Send (or communicate) to those who move away recommended churches to visit. Many, if not most, have never had to look for a church before. Their parents have always taken care of that aspect of their lives. Orient them, prepare them, and take one step out by providing good recommendations in advance.
  4. Make occasional personal contacts and ask the question(s) straight out: What churches have you visited? Are you connected with a church yet? Even if the answer is “no,” you are keeping the subject on their spiritual radar and they are more likely to be in church next Sunday than if no one posed the question.
  5. Send “care packages” and remind them of the value and blessing of a faith community. They will have distractions but a taste of the past can serve a glue to keep them bonded.

Parents can apply these same principles. Look for the book, Why They Stay, coming in October. To learn more now, view a sermon I recently preached on this subject at Why Thy Stay Sermon or listen to this podcast which provides an in depth discussion and interview at Why They Stay Podcast.

Don’t Confuse Motion with Progress

Maximized Leadership: Don’t Confuse Motion with Progress

Have you ever had opportunity to get on a stationary bike for exercise? The actions taken by your legs replicate what you would do if riding a bicycle outdoors and the exertion is certainly a good way to improve your physical condition. However, the stationary bike cannot help you get anywhere. While the motion made by your legs is similar you will find yourself in the same place once your workout is complete. It is a good illustration of the difference between motion and progress.

I once heard a leadership talk that contrasted these two actions. I want to borrow that concept and make a few observations and comments that can strengthen your leadership. Have you ever thought about the difference between these two forms of movement? Both motion and progress require movement but motion will not necessarily get you to your preferred destination. Yogi Berra once commented upon getting lost on the way to an engagement that “we were lost but we were making good time.” The key need of any organization is ultimately progress. However, employees can sometimes substitute motion for progress and fool themselves and others into thinking that they are being effective when they are not. As a church leader I often see this in congregations. Many churches have a lot going on with activities but are in decline and are not making disciples. I have observed employees who always appear busy but never seem to produce substantial results. How about you and the organization that you serve, the place you work, or the church you attend? Are you in motion or are you making progress? How about you personally?

Progress requires objectives, goals, or outcomes that you are seeking to move toward. These would equate to a destination if you were taking a trip on a bicycle. The stationary bike can replicate the motion of riding a bike but will not get you to the destination. The bicycle has the capacity to get you to the destination but will not do so if you do not pedal, steer, and just as importantly, move in the appropriate direction. Be sure to identify objectives before determining activities (how you will spend your time and energy). Otherwise you will be in motion and may confuse the activity (motion) with progress. Once you determine your objective(s) make plans that move you in that direction and consistently evaluate your progress. Take a few moments to think about your job, your leadership role, or the organization you serve. Which best characterizes your leadership? A person in motion or a leader making progress?

Does God Want Some Churches To Die?

Maximized Leadership: Does God Want Some Churches To Die?

If God wants our church to live, it will live, and if He wants it to die, it will die!” A church leader in a dying congregation made that statement to a friend of mine. His sentiment was in essence; “we are not changing anything even if we have to close the doors.” Of course, he spiritualized the issue in an effort to forfeit his personal responsibility. Churches do close their doors sometimes but it does not have to be. There are alternatives. The problem is that the alternatives require sacrifice, require the relinquishing of power, and result in changes. Some people would actually rather the doors close than sacrifice, release power, or change. The irony is that after the doors close, change has taken place, the facilities have been sacrificed, and power has been relinquished. However, since the doors have closed, no ministry takes place, no disciples are being made, and the gospel is not being shared from that location.

I appreciate that there are several layers to this issue including the fact that the church is not a building but rather resides in people. But, a local church is a gathering point where people network and serve together to worship, serve, and touch lives. It is always sad when any of these local gathering points disappear. Fewer of these gathering points results in fewer opportunities to accomplish the aforementioned. That is why we plant churches, in order to establish more of these gathering points or perhaps mission points or service points might better make the point. What are the alternatives for the dying congregation?

    • They could merge with another congregation.
    • They could allow a strong, healthy church to adopt them and give the sponsoring church full authority to make changes needed to survive.
    • They could turn the church over to a church planter and be absorbed by the new congregation.
    • They could invite a healthy church to send several families as missionaries for a year to give a leadership boost.
    • They could move services to 8:30am and give the 11:00 hour to a church plant to share their facilities.

 

None of these options is intended to eliminate the best possibility of all and that is for God to lead the congregation in a miraculous turn around. But, how often does that happen when the congregation falls well below twenty and into the single digits? The answer is “rarely.” Do not read too much into the numbers here because there is no wrong size church. But why let a congregation totally shut down when there are alternatives? If God wants a church to die, as the gentlemen suggested, that is not much of a compliment to that congregation or to its leaders. This is what I know; if the Lord tarries, I want my church serving and sharing Christ 100 years from now and beyond, even if I am no longer in control. If I am, that will be another miracle as I celebrate my 156th birthday. Can’t wait!

Firing an Organization

Do people ever fire companies? According to John G. Miller, they do. As a matter of fact, you have done it too. Have you ever had a bad experience at a restaurant, hotel, or a retailer and vowed never to eat, stay, or shop there again? You fired them! I don’t know about you, but I never want anyone to fire the organization (ministry) that I work for. We often think of “firing” in terms of individuals, but let’s be reminded that it happens to organizations each and every day.

I always seek to honor the Lord by excelling in my work and I know that you carry the same attitude. It would pain me to know that my attitude, my practices, my competence, or any other factor would place me in jeopardy of being fired. But do I ever consider that someone may be considering firing the organization (ministry) that I serve? John G. Miller points out that while people fire organizations, they do not fire OUTSTANDING ones. I believe the goal for all of us should be to make our ministries and organizations outstanding. I work for a great ministry. But, we know it can be even greater because everyone on our team has room to grow. How about yours?