Outcome Based Ministry

This past weekend I just completed the last in a series of visits to a great congregation of the Lord's church in Alabama. They have some very devoted and loving members and a leadership that is committed to spiritual and numeric growth

During our time together we focused on two important areas in the work and development of any church: 1) Helping members find their talents, 2) Targeting specific outcomes (goals) for the ministry programs in the church.

In our approach to Outcome Based Ministry we walked through a process of determining and allocating resources (people and things), we set clearly defined outcomes, and developed a strategy to achieve those outcomes. It was truly exciting to watch God's people come together for a common purpose and capture a vision for evangelizing their community.

The most exciting part of our time together was watching the ministry teams come together and see the synergy that exists when teams collaborate. The women's ministry partnering with the campus ministry in adopting college students. The college program working with ESL and the Spanish outreach. We have all experienced times when works in the local church seemed to be in competition with one another. How refreshing it was to see them looking for opportunities to collaborate.

It is amazing how much more gets accomplished in a local congregation when there are clear objectives and accountability for the work. I am thankful that God allowed me to be a part of something special these last few weekends.

I AM RESOLVED

Did you know that at the start of each new year there is a dramatic increase in gym memberships, the purchase of dietary aides and enrollment in financial planning courses. This phenomenon is driven by our tradition of making New Year's Resolutions. This year I am going to lose those 10 lbs., or quit smoking, or start a savings program.

New Year's Resolutions can be a blessing to our life, if for no other reason than it causes us to reflect on areas that need improvement. Few of us succeed in meeting all of our goals for the new year, but we shouldn't get discouraged. If you are starting to consider some changes you want to make for 2008, here are a few suggestions designed to help.

1. Pray daily about your goals. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." (James 1:17). David reminds us, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalms 37:4). What a difference it makes when we include God in the equation.

2. Set realistic, achievable goals. Rather than setting a goal of losing 25 lbs., set a goal to lose 2 lbs. a month. There is real power in small successes. Achieving a series of small goals gives you the confidence you need to take on bigger challenges. Jesus tells us that when we are faithful over few things, he will make us a master over many things (Matthew 25:14-30).

3. Find an accountability partner. Through the years I have been on again, off again in keeping a workout schedule at the gym. There was one year however when I consistently made it to they gym 3 to 4 times every week. That was the year I had a workout partner. If I decided to sleep in, or skip my workout, I knew that Alan would hold me accountable. The same is true of the two years I spent in a men's study. There were 11 other men holding me accountable for my bible study, memory work and my Christian walk.

I pray that God blesses you in your efforts in 2008. Always remember that "HE is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20).