[Editor’s note: this is a shortened version of a longer version that I will publish next week]
Moses knew long days. He sat in the desert, hearing case after case, explaining God’s word to Israel. It looked holy and necessary. But Jethro, his father-in-law, wasn’t impressed: “What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out” (Ex. 18:17–18). Moses listened, delegated, and the ministry multiplied.
The point is simple: God gives His people not only His Spirit and Word but also wisdom to order their life together. Common grace, observation, and practical strategy are gifts. Planning is not unspiritual—it is one way we love well, avoid burnout, and keep the gospel central.
Stanley, Joiner, and Riggs’s Seven Practices of Effective Ministry distills this wisdom. These principles echo Scripture and experience. They remind us that effectiveness requires more than hard work. It requires focus. Among the seven, three stand out as essential for churches that want to see lasting fruit: clarifying the win, thinking steps not programs, and replacing yourself.
Clarify the Win
When Paul said, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22), he showed clarity. Preserving one culture was not the goal; salvation was. That was the win.
Too often, churches confuse the “ketchup” with the mission. Years ago, our fellowship meal was moved to Sunday morning. Everyone stayed. Visitors connected. It was a clear win. Yet the leader in charge worried only about a missing condiment. The food wasn’t the win—the fellowship was.
Every ministry needs the same clarity. What does success look like for your Sunday School class, your youth ministry, your outreach event? If you don’t define the win, people will chase details that don’t matter. When you do, it aligns energy, reduces frustration, and keeps the mission in front of everyone.
Clarify the win—or people will invent their own.
Think Steps, Not Programs
Jesus told fishermen, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). He didn’t expect instant apostles. He gave steps: follow, watch, try, go, lead.
Churches too often get stuck in programs that assume people will leap into maturity. But discipleship is built in steps. At one church, we wanted deeper community. Small groups were great for some, but too steep a climb for many. So we tried “four for four”—four families meeting for four meals over four months. Almost everyone joined. The smaller step produced a bigger result.
Programs have value, but the real question is: what step do people need next? If worshipers aren’t connecting, what’s the next step? If attenders aren’t serving, what’s the next step? People rarely move because we push harder on the same program. They move when we give them a next step they can take.
Think steps, not programs—because discipleship is a journey, not a jump.
Replace Yourself
Paul told Timothy, “What you have heard from me…entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Ministry wasn’t meant to stop with Paul—or Timothy. It was meant to multiply.
Churches often complain about volunteers. We scramble, plead, or burn out. But what if everyone serving asked one question: “Who will replace me?” Replacing yourself is more than filling a gap—it’s equipping saints so the body grows.
I learned this during a sabbatical. I had to hand off eight different responsibilities. When I returned, I never took them back. Others thrived. The church expanded. I preached better because I wasn’t stretched thin.
Jesus didn’t minister alone. He sent disciples, then seventy-two others, then commissioned the church. The New Testament model is not “one Moses for 600,000,” but a multiplying people. If we aren’t training replacements, we are hoarding ministry instead of sharing it.
Replace yourself—or ministry stops with you.
Conclusion
The seven practices cover much ground: narrowing focus, teaching less for more, listening to outsiders, and working on ministry, not just in it. But the heart of it is clear:
Clarify the win—know what really matters.
Think steps, not programs—help people move forward.
Replace yourself—equip others so the church multiplies.
These principles are not flashy, but they are freeing. They keep us from burnout, distraction, and wheel-spinning. They give us a way to love people well, raise up leaders, and keep the gospel central.
Like Moses, we don’t have to go it alone. God gives His Spirit, His Word, and His wisdom. If we’ll use them, we’ll see His church flourish.
Very good advice for every area of our lives. Thank you.