[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. Continue reading “Seven Practices for Effective Church Ministry”