Overview

The Seven Practices for Effective Ministry are not church growth principles, but they definitely make an impact on how we grow.

• They are not the same as our mission, but they are strategic in helping us accomplish our mission.
• They are not the same as our values, but they determine how we apply our core values.
• They are not theological principles, but they compliment our passion to teach truth with relevance.
• They are not the only practices, but they have become some of the most critical practices for our church.

These seven practices have helped us to

• protect the simplicity of our organization
• keep our staff and volunteers moving in the same direction
• create environments that are focused and relevant
• evaluate the success of our ministries and programs
• export our style of ministry to new and existing churches

Clarify the Win

Key Quotes:

• "Define what is important at every level of the organization."
• "The church should be more determined than any other kind of organization to "clarify the win" simply because the stakes are so much higher: Eternity hangs in the balance."
• "If the win is unclear, you may force those in leadership roles to define winning in their own terms."
• "A church really does need a scoreboard"

When you clarify the win, you:

• help your team stay on the same page
• manage your resources more effectively
• create the potential for positive momentum

 Four Steps to Clarifying the Win

1. Sum up the win in a simple phraase
2. Keep the win as specific as possible
3. Restate the win frequently and creatively
4. Meet to clarify the win at every level

Think Steps, Not Programs

Key Quotes:

• "Before you start anything, make sure it takes you where you need to go"
• "Where do we want people to be?"; "How are we going to get them there?"

How to Create an Effective Step

1. Every step should be easy
2. Every step has to be obvious
3. Every step must be strategic

 Organization Advantages to Thinking Steps, Not Programs

• You encourage your teams to depend on each other
• You discourage individuals from becoming territorial
• You erase the hard lines that exist between departments
• You are more likely to uncover anything that is not working
• You become more intentional about simplifying what you do
• You position leaders to constantly think in terms of the big picture