As time goes on, ministry is one of those things that we tend to make more complex than it needs to be. Our number of programs increases. The complexity of organizing those programs increases. And as a result, our church’s efforts get less and less directed towards the mission.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Join us for this conversation with Chris Hughes, Co-Founder of The Ministry Mechanics, about avoiding complexity in our churches. Chris has a lot of wisdom to share from his years of experience in leading (and consulting) churches.

This is a really practical conversation about leading strong and maintaining a clear focus on the actual mission each of our churches are on. Chris shares personal experiences, simple advice, and direct challenges to make avoiding complexity a simple reality we can pursue.

Here are some key takeaways:

1. Leading a church is hard work. I loved when Chris said, “If you want to be the good guy all the time, you better start selling ice cream instead of pastoring churches.” Leading strong is hard work and it involves tough decisions.
2. We have to be willing to say no to things that don’t fit within our mission. First off, we need to know who we are and where we’re headed. And beyond that, those things need to actually influence the opportunities and ministries we pursue as a church.
3. We need to honor the past. Many programs in churches today were once more effective than they are now. Chris shares a lot of great wisdom on honoring the wisdom and faithfulness of those that have gone before us, while still pushing back against complexity moving into the future.

 

Links to Resources Mentioned

• Support the Ministry of 95Network
• The Ministry Mechanics: Building the Church. Equipping the Leader. Check out their new book! (Dale’s face is on the back cover!)
• The Ministry Mechanics Website
• Access the Bonus Episode: Developing Leaders and Letting Go of Ministry

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Episode Transcript

You can read or download a PDF transcript of the podcast by clicking here.

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