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Carey Nieuwhof writes, “Churches that love their method more than their mission will die.”
This has recently become one of my favorite quotes—almost a mantra if you will. The mission must be greater than the method or we are in trouble. This isn’t just a church problem, but a business problem as well.
Think of some massive companies a couple of decades ago, like Kodak or Blockbuster. Kodak owned the market on film and cameras. Blockbuster was everywhere. Where are these companies now? They didn’t survive the digital transition. There are probably a lot of reasons behind this, but they didn’t change their method. They didn’t take risks and try new things, but instead, stayed with what had worked in the past.
What got you to where you are isn’t necessarily what will take you to where you want to be (or need to be) as a company, organization, church, or even individual.
When we elevate the method over the mission we miss the motivation to move us forward. The mission is what gets people excited. The mission is that preferred future—the place where you are able to effective and impactful in what you are doing. The mission is what people sign up for and why they stay. A clear mission is essential.
Methods must change. The way we did things just won’t always work. The church world has really been slow to grasp this. Churches often live in the past and do things “because we’ve always done them” not necessarily because it is the most effective way of doing something.
If we are going to be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ, if we are going to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations of the world, if we are going to be disciples who make disciples, we must be tied to the mission of Jesus and adapt our methods.
Here are three ways we can elevate mission over method:
You cannot be tied to something that is unclear. If you have no personal mission (purpose) in life, or if your business or church or workplace does not have a mission, start asking some questions. Maybe there is a mission that just has not been articulated. Start the conversation. Know what you are working toward and why you are doing what you are doing. That is what the mission is.
As you articulate and write out the mission, make sure to also separate the method from the mission. What I mean by that is this: the method is what you do; the mission is who you are. Who you are, the core of a business/organization/church, is what should drive what you do. Separate the method from the mission so you know what to be tied to and what you will compromise on. Don’t compromise who you are, but you can make compromises on and develop over time the “what” that you do.
It can be difficult to evaluate something, especially if it was your idea. When I evaluate our youth ministry, sometimes it is difficult to see with clear eyes because I’ve implemented many of the things I’m evaluating. If something isn’t working it’s because something I tried was wrong and is the reason we aren’t being effective in an area. That can be hard to own. But, the more we evaluate, the clearer the picture we get. When we evaluate our method it helps us keep in mind the mission and how the what lines up with the why. Don’t be afraid to take some risks and don’t be afraid to change.
How can you start implementing this where you live and work right now? This can even be something you work into your individual and family life. Develop a family mission or a personal mission and see how it changes the way you approach every day. Try it out and see what happens!
Photo source: istock
 | Ben Marshall is a Pastor at Pathway Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He works with teenagers and young adults. He is passionate about leadership and raising up the next generation of biblical leaders. He is a blogger, guitar player and sports enthusiast. Ben currently resides in Beaver Falls with his wife Connie and their two daughters, Aliya and Sophie Learn More » |
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