Churches can experience significant growth but still think like small churches think. Here are 7 ways to stop that and think like a church larger than your current size.
1) Not every individual should speak into every decision.
When you are small it’s not an issue to get everyone in the same room. As you grow that’s not possible. Place those with the right gifts over each ministry area. Trust them to get the input they need to make good decisions.
2) Not every decision must flow from or through the senior pastor.
This worked fine when decisions were less frequent. Now, every decision must still fit the vision set by the senior pastor. But that vision should be clear enough that team members can easily recognize what does and does not fit..
3) The best solutions don’t always come from bigger churches.
It’s great to learn from bigger churches. But copying practices without fully understanding them can do more harm than good. Filter outside ideas through your strategy and don’t be afraid to innovate on your own.
4) Not all of our ministries should receive equal promotion.
Determine the few best next steps for your weekend attendees and promote them heavily.
5) Not every purchase requires prior approval.
With a smaller budget, you probably needed to approve every purchase to protect limited funds. Today, your financial systems may be slowing down progress. Set a maximum amount each department can spend without prior approval.
6) Excellence is not too expensive.
Excellence is doing the best you can with what you have. You have been trusted with your resources, now more is required of you. Strive for excellence, stretch yourself, go for one step further than you were planning to go.
7) “All hands on deck” is not how things get done.
When you were smaller, every major project required everyone’s involvement. Today, you have dedicated leaders to maximize each area of ministry. Give them the freedom to stay focused on the priorities you have set for their areas.
Paul Benger 