Celebrate Small Wins

Having worked in business and church I can say with conviction that in the church we generally do not know how to measure success.

It’s easy in business, you must make a profit or you will not stay in business. You can celebrate small wins because you know they are the things that move you toward making a profit. However, in ministry “profit” is not the goal. In fact, many churches continue to generate income through tithes and offerings while never accomplishing much toward their mission. This is partly due to the fact that we are not clear on our mission!

In his excellent book 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, Andy Stanley states “It is possible for a church to become very efficient at doing ministry ineffectively.” This is because we do not have a clear picture of the end. We must work with the end in mind, or as Andy says it, we must clarify the win!

Yogi Berra once said “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” That characterizes many (if not most) churches in North America. When we don’t know where we’re going, we never know what or when to celebrate! We don’t know what the “small wins” are if and when they come. Without celebration, people lose vision, hope, and motivation.

In a church plant, we must have a plan of action! That plan must move us toward a clear vision and it must identify small wins along the way. These should be the focus of our intercessors (please tell me you have an intercession team), and they should be markers for celebration. I encourage planters to maintain a 90 Day Plan and to update it monthly. At least monthly you and your team should celebrate the small wins!

Throw Out Your Assumptions

For those of you who know me you know that I am big on planning. Part of this is my gifting and part of this is my OCD. My favorite TV show line comes from the old show "The A Team." Every episode the leader of the team ends the show by saying "I love it when a plan comes together." (You have to see the show to get it.)

I am very insistent that the church planters I coach create a project plan for their new church, even if it is a simple church. I love all the passages in Proverbs that affirm planning! I think they were placed in scripture just for church planters.

However, I am very aware while we prayerfully make our plans, the Lord directs our steps. I am aware that church planting is not a work of human effort, but a work of the Spirit.

With that said, I always encourage church planting leaders to re-evaluate their plan every 30 days. Is it still realistic? Does it seem to be in step with how the Spirit is moving? What progress are you making toward your milestones? What new things are you discovering?

One colleague told me that in a startup, you have to throw out all your assumptions every 3 weeks, while at the same time staying focused and moving forward.

This doesn't mean that your entire plan changes every 3-4 weeks, but it does mean that this venture is a journey into the unknown, and we must always be sensitive to what the Spirit of God is saying and doing. This is another value a good coach brings to the church planter - he is an advocate who can help you discern, evaluate, and make mid-course corrections as needed.

Always make good plans. But always monitor and evaluate your plan as you move forward! What are your thoughts?