Solo pastors: 8 ways to make the most of limited resources and volunteers
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How can a church balance faith and practice? This is one common problem in solo-pastor churches. Churches thrive on big vision (faith) but face the reality of limited resources (practice). Here are some insights and tips to consider.
1. Faith and practice are not enemies but partners in ministry.
Vision and ministry fit together. A God-given vision requires a church to step forward in practical ways to connect with real people in ministry situations. Faith is needed to begin new ministries, but this implies strategic thought, not a blind leap.
God's Word suggests that faith is best balanced with facts. Proverbs 18:13 is emphatic in this case: "He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him." A paraphrase is more explicit: "What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!" (TLB).
When talking about discipleship, Jesus advised his followers to count the cost. "For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? . . . Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?" (Luke 14:28, 31).
Solo pastors have an urge to lead a church beyond its capacity. As Christians, we must count the cost of discipleship, but the principle applies to ministry too—godly faith leads to strategically planned ministry.
2. Healthy churches are vision critical.
Proverbs 29:18 reminds leaders, "Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained." This passage can be translated as the people "run wild" or "get out of hand."
Unless the vision is defined so people can see not only where to go but also how to get there, they'll be running wild. A healthy church knows in which direction it's heading. This requires that (1) people know, understand, and believe in the church's overall vision; (2) each person understands their place in fulfilling the vision; (3) people hear about the needs of the congregation and want to help; (4) victories and successes regarding the vision are shared with the congregation; (5) people hear about how the vision has changed lives; (6) communication channels are kept open and active; and (7) church leaders take responsibility to make certain the first six are done.
3. Solo-pastor churches have high hopes but few resources.
"Big vision, modest means" is a silent reality churches find difficult to manage. While a church doesn't wish to lower its dreams, it must strategically use the resources God has provided. This means sharpening the focus of the church on its primary resources: spiritual, people, facility, and money. Each of these resources overlaps the others, strengthening or weakening each one.
4. A solo-pastor church can start one major ministry a year.
A solo-pastor church can adequately add only one new ministry a year, and perhaps retool two other ministries. Hence, it's wise to consider if there are enough resources to complete any plan.
Ministry in a solo-pastor church requires that this question be asked and answered honestly:
How far will our resources stretch? As with building a building or fighting a war, beginning a new ministry and then running short on resources will lead to failure. Too many failures in a solo-pastor church create a fear of taking future steps of faith. A shortage of resources doesn't close the door on new ministry, but it does mean serious effort must be given to weighing the resource demands and costs.
5. Recognize the church's limits and narrow your goals.
Leaping from the ground to a rooftop several stories high sounds exciting, but it's possible only among fictional superheroes. In most cases, the best way to get on a rooftop is to use a ladder to climb up one rung at a time. Recognizing your limits and narrowing your focus help define priorities. By setting measurable goals, like rungs on a ladder, you can step progressively higher and higher until you accomplish your vision.
If the vision is too broad, it'll be like placing multiple ladders against numerous buildings. Which one do you climb first? Which is the most important? Which deserves the investment of time, personnel, and energy? With too many ladders to climb, you'll end up frustrated, with a sense of failure. You could do many good things this year, but you are not likely to do them all.
Do one thing—then another the following year.
6. Think of ministry as a long-distance run rather than a sprint.
Sprinters go all out, exhausting themselves in a short race to win. Contrary to sprinters, long-distance runners pace themselves to finish a longer distance. Doing too much too fast in a solo-pastor church brings overextension, disillusionment, and collapse.
Exhaustion will likely result in a ministry project with insufficient strength to survive. Pace the church's ministries so your people don't burn out.
7. Knock on doors of opportunity; enter open ones.
Don't give up on the larger, comprehensive vision, but invest your energy in meeting needs that match your present resources.
Wait patiently for other dreams to materialize as the resources to run and maintain them are brought forth. "We had a lot of school teachers in our church," remembers one solo pastor. "They were always pushing us to start a Christian elementary school. After giving it consideration, the elders determined the resources weren't there for a full-blown elementary school but that we could manage to begin a preschool. We walked through that open door, and five years later the preschool was so successful that we were able to start building an entire elementary school."
8. Deciding not to invest resources is not saying no, just not yet.
Use two criteria to determine when to say yes and when to say no to new opportunities. (1) Do your people "own" the vision? If it originated with one or a few, do others see it as a priority? It's best to delay starting a new ministry unless you have a minimum of five people committed to getting it started and keeping it running. (2) Do you have the emotional and spiritual resources, personnel, money, and facilities?
If God gives the vision and the resources (or honest anticipation of resources), it's an automatic yes. If either one of these is missing, or if conditions are uncertain, it's a not yet.
Excerpted from Chapter 6 ofThe Solo Pastor: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges of Leading a Church Alone,by Gary McIntosh. Published byBaker Books,a division of Baker Publishing Group (2023). Used by permission.
 | Gary L. McIntosh (PhD, DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) is president of the Church Growth Network and professor of Christian ministry and leadership at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He is an internationally known speaker and church consultant who has written more than 25 books, including his most recent book, The Solo Pastor: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges of Leading a Church Alone. He lives in California. Learn More » |
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