In the last post, we called a congregation’s mission/vision statement its “poetry.” Congregational leaders often spend a lot of time, effort, and dollars to craft it. And this poetry is absolutely necessary because, if it is crafted well, it articulates in a pithy, memorable way who the congregation is and where the congregation is going.
However, poetry is not strategy.
While the congregation certainly needs the clarity and inspiration of the poetry, they also need a simple strategy to know how they are going to personally participate in what the poetry describes and promises.
For example, if a congregation’s mission is to live a life of love as they join Jesus on his mission, what is its simple strategy for how they will disciple their people to participate in such a lifestyle? In other words, what is the plan, process, or series of steps needed in order to train, mentor, or prepare people to join Jesus every day?
The problem is, most congregational leaders don’t have a clear, simple answer for that. They crafted the poetry but never constructed the strategy.
Instead, when asked about strategy, leaders often point to a long list of congregational programs, activities, and options and – as if they were hosts at a buffet – invite people to choose what seems good to them. Unfortunately, these leaders are falling for an age-old leadership fallacy: They are mistaking activity for accomplishment. Because they don’t have a simple strategy for preparing their people for a lifestyle of mission, they instead offer a long list of options hoping a few missional disciples somehow pop out on the other side.
And, of course, it doesn’t happen. At least, not very often and certainly not very regularly. The mission remains nothing more than a poetic dream. And, worse, the neighbors in the community who need someone to love them with the love of God, continue to struggle without it.
So, what is your congregation’s strategy for discipling your people to participate in the mission as a daily lifestyle?
Let’s tackle the strategy-challenge by addressing two basic questions:
What makes for a good strategy?
How do you create one for your congregation? (Which we will tackle next time in Part 3.)
What makes for a good strategy?
As congregational leaders, you will want your strategy to be able to answer “yes” to the following five questions:
Is it biblical?
Is it relational?
Is it intentional?
Is it clear and simple?
Does it work?
Let’s briefly look at what each question is getting at.
Is it biblical?
Within the context of a Christian congregation, our strategy should reflect the strategy Jesus has already given us for accomplishing his mission. We don’t have to make up a new strategy. We only need to follow the strategy he has already laid out for us in the Bible.
And why should our strategy reflect his strategy? There are a number of reasons why, but perhaps the best one is this: because Jesus’ strategy actually works. The more our strategy strays from his strategy, the less effective our strategy becomes. All that congregational effort, all that money, all those volunteer hours, all that leadership horsepower is watered down as we stray from the simple, effective strategy Jesus already gave us in the Bible.
The bottom line is this: If the mission of Jesus is to transform human lives, we better follow Jesus’ strategy. Jesus’ strategy results in human transformation. Our strategies do not. They might be positive, but they are not transformative.
So, what precisely is Jesus’ mission? And what is his strategy for accomplishing his mission?
Often people think Jesus’ mission is to “make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28:19). But, strictly speaking, making disciples is not his mission; it is his strategy for accomplishing his mission. His mission is to redeem and restore all people to his Father’s love.
Jesus’ strategy for accomplishing that mission is to make, mentor, and send out disciples who know how to join him on his mission. What does it mean to make, mentor, and send out disciples?
1) Jesus makes disciples: He redeems and restores our true identity as beloved children of the Father through the forgiveness of our sins.
1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” Everything else is fueled by this good news of his abundant love and forgiveness for us. We are invited to believe it, receive it, live in its abundance as a daily lifestyle, and share it with whoever else needs it.
2) Jesus mentors disciples: He then invites us to be in relationship with a smaller circle of fellow Jesus-followers for two reasons: a) so we are mentored by one another in how to actually experience and live in his abundant love as a daily lifestyle; b) so we are mentored by one another in how to share that transformative love with neighbors who also need it so badly.
John 13:34-35, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Hebrews 13:7, “Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” By cultivating friendship and community within a smaller circle of fellow Jesus-followers, we help each other remember our true identity, experience God’s abundant love through one another, and rely on each other for the support, example, and accountability we need to go out and offer God’s love to others. In this way, we are regularly filled up with God’s love in order to go out and offer God’s love to our neighbors.
3) Jesus sends disciples: Every day, we join Jesus looking for neighbors in the community who need a little of the love we already have in abundance, and offer it to them.
Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” This is how we join Jesus as he accomplishes his mission day-by-day, person-by-person.
And that’s the goal for congregational leaders too. You want to articulate a strategy for your congregation which reflects Jesus’ strategy so you see his mission being accomplished in your community through your people on a regular basis. Woohoo!
[Note: for a simple but thorough dive into how Jesus made, mentored, and sent disciples, you can read my book, “Joining Jesus – Show Me How: How to Disciple Everyday Missionaries,” which is available on Amazon.com.]
Is it relational?
One of the most common mistakes congregational leaders can make is undervaluing and not prioritizing the importance of relationship for their people. However, as we saw above, the strategy of Jesus for accomplishing his mission has relationship at the very core of the process. Jesus loves us and then we love Jesus back, love one another, and love our neighbors.
As you craft your strategy, reprioritize the importance of relationship for your people.
Is it intentional?
If the strategy is intentional, it sets up your people to deliberately take action for the good of others. The language is action-oriented and leads your people to be intentional about making a difference in the lives of others. It puts your people into position to intentionally look for neighbors who need a little of the abundant love they already have and to offer it to them.
You see, intentional action impacts others. It affects others. It makes a difference in the lives of others.
That’s why the best strategy will use biblical, relational, intentional language.
Is it clear and simple?
Some of the hardest work leaders must do is to distill all the goals, activities, and possibilities of a congregation into a pithy strategy that people can understand, remember, and engage.
I have a friend who often consults with Lutheran churches (my tribe). He once told me that in his experience Lutherans are “the master of the semicolon.” I laughed when I heard that because it is so true! If you want a thorough theological dissertation with a lot of semicolons, come to us. However, if you want a concise, pithy summary, we tend to struggle with that. (Can you relate?)
So, why is it important for congregational leaders to do the hard work of crafting a strategy statement that is clear and simple? It is so that people can understand it and remember it. If they don’t understand it and can’t remember it, they won’t be able to engage it as a daily lifestyle. A vague, complicated strategy will leave even your most willing people confused and unsure of what to do next. However, if it is clear and simple, everyone who is willing will be able to understand it, remember it, and engage it. And the result? You will see Jesus’ mission being accomplished on a regular basis through all of them! Woohoo!
(More on how to accomplish this in Part 3.)
Does it work?
In the end, the only value a strategy has is if it actually works. Does the plan or process successfully make, mentor, and send out experienced Jesus-followers to join Jesus in accomplishing his mission?
If that’s not happening, either the congregational leaders need to evaluate and refine the strategy or the leaders are not effectively engaging the congregation in the strategy. (Both are common.)
However, if the strategy is working, leaders will see the lives of neighbors in the community being transformed because their people are going out full of the Father’s abundant love and mentored in how to look for neighbors who need it too.
And that, my friends, is what makes for a good strategy. It’s what your poetry is looking for.
Next time, in the third and final post, we will look at how to create a strategy for your congregation.
Discussion questions to process with congregational leaders:
What was something in the article that caused a light bulb to pop on for you?
What is the mission of Jesus in the gospels? Is our current “poetry” more of a mission or strategy statement? Why?
Are we seeing Jesus’ mission being accomplished by our people in the community? Why or why not?
Do we have a strategy? If so, discuss how it is biblical, relational, intentional, clear and simple. Does our strategy seem to be working? Why or why not?
If we do not yet have a strategy for our congregation, why is that? What would we like to do about it? To prime the pump for next time, start brainstorming words and phrases that are biblical, relational, and intentional (action oriented).