I recently finished reading The Unstuck Church by Tony Morgan. It should be required reading for every pastor. I have never read a book that so clearly articulates the steps necessary for a church to grow, even those churches who have been stuck for years.
I’m sure I’ll be sharing ideas and thoughts from it for years to come, but in this post I want to share and define the four elements your church needs to develop a plan to move forward.
- Mission
The mission defines the primary purpose for the church. Jesus laid it out pretty clearly as recorded in Matthew 28, and churches have put their own wording to it. Basically it should answer the question, why do we exist, in twelve words or less, according to Morgan.
- Vision
Many churches and pastors get mission and vision confused or think they’re the same thing. They’re not. While the mission answers the question, why do we exist, the vision should answer the question, where are we going? The vision should have a timetable of between three and five years, and it should be specific and measurable. Bigger vision is always better, as long as it’s realistically possible with the help of God.
- Strategy
Now that you have your mission and vision, you need a strategy to accomplish it. Tony Morgan would say that the first step is identifying your growth engines. What are the areas in your church that are most likely to help you grow? For some it’s kids’ ministry. For others it’s music. For others it’s preaching. Step two is defining what’s important now. What are the changes that need to take place? Hires that need to be made? Those types of things. In order to grow, a change is going to have to come.
- Values
What are the principles that are going to shape the culture of your church? Your values should drive the actions and decisions of every member of the team. Morgan suggests focusing on internal values first because the character and personality of the leaders will ultimately shape the culture.
I’m a church growth strategy junkie, and these simple definitions were so helpful to me. I love the clarity that Morgan brings to each one.
I would encourage you to take the necessary time to sit down and think through each of these four elements for your church. You will see that these four will form the foundation of everything you do.
Have you taken the time to define each one of these for your church? Why or why not? Leave a comment and let me know, and while you’re here don’t forget to subscribe in order to get tips on church growth, leadership, and more delivered to your inbox each week.
