We all want to reach more people with the Gospel and help them grow in their faith. Accomplishing that vision takes many forms, such as worship styles, outreach efforts, programs and more. However your church seeks to communicate the Gospel, vision and systems are certainly key factors.
Vision is where it all starts. Perhaps your senior pastor wants to add another service on Sundays or start a new outreach program. Either idea will require volunteers, communication, coordination, supplies, plus myriad other details.
That's where the second component — systems — come into play. Systems are the procedures you put into place in order to achieve the vision.
Vision-supporting systems include:
- How your church recruits, trains and retains volunteers
- Effective communication using a variety of methods (announcements from the stage, videos, social media posts, emails, bulletin inserts)
- Coordinating the scheduling of staff and volunteers
- Following up with a guest who filled out a visitor card last Sunday
- Providing a clear, simple process for enabling individuals to signup for a small group
- Guiding people from first-time guest to fully engaged member
- Training and mentoring volunteer leaders
- Planning special events
While systems can feel more like business sometimes than ministry, they actually make ministry happen. For example, if you don't have a good system in place to train volunteers, they won't know what's expected of them and likely won't stick around for long if they don't feel like they're succeeding.
Healthy systems provide predictability, stability and excellent care of people.
Do you want all guests to receive a phone call or email by Monday afternoon? Then you need a consistent process for handling visitor cards.
Is your pastor an advocate for having everyone involved in a small group? Then you need a clear system for developing small group leaders, communicating the value of being involved in a small group, and an easy way for people to sign up.
Administration, which includes development and implementation of systems, is a spiritual gift. We know from Acts 6:1-7, that the apostles appointed Stephen and others to organize and coordinate distributing food to widows in the church.
"Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." — Acts 6:3
We all have a role to play in spreading the Gospel, being the hands and feet of Christ and making disciples. God equips each of us with certain talents and abilities. Our responsibility is to use them for His glory and to serve His children. All gifts are valuable.
It's easy to look at vision and get excited about where God is leading your church — and that's a good thing. While you're looking to the future, start developing systems now that will make getting to that place of growth easier and more successful.
