How you think about what you do in ministry is very important. The mindset you bring in to your ministry can be a make or break factor in your church’s ability to impact your community. Over the last few years, I’ve had the honor of talking to hundreds and hundreds of church leaders for my podcast or my latest book on church growth. Through my interaction with these leaders, I’ve started to sense that there are some common traits or mindsets among them. I see some common approaches to life and their ministries as I’ve interacted with them. Here is a collection of what I have observed and continue to pick up as I talk with these leaders. How do you resonate with these mindsets in your own leadership and ministry?

Time is Short

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12 (NLT)

One of the most striking similarities of church leaders who are leading thriving ministries is that they realize the fact that they have a limited amount of time to do what God has called them to do; in fact, they take this point very seriously. There is an urgency in their actions that ripples through everything they do. This drive is more intense than just an “entrepreneurial drive”; it is deeply rooted in a sense of the frailty of the human condition and their own limitations as leaders.

5 Signs That a Church Leader Knows Time is Short

Maximize Their Effort // They are constantly asking if they are leveraging their time and energy with greatest efficiency to reach people with the message of Jesus. They know that time that is lost doesn’t come back; hence, they are working passionately to maximize the time they do have.
Looking for Return on Kingdom Investment // These leaders invest the resources they’ve been given to steward in a manner that helps them get optimal returns in changed lives. They don’t spend resources (time, finances, people) in a haphazard manner, but are constantly focusing and refocusing on making new efforts.
Multiplication Focused // These leaders are constantly seeking ways to multiply their efforts through leadership development and expansion of ministries. They are keenly aware that their ministry might be stymied with a bottleneck going forward and are therefore, looking to multiply their influence through lifting others up.
Next Generation Obsessed // A sure sign that leaders are keenly aware of the brevity of life is that they are focused on passing the ministry onto the next generation. They know that because their own time is limited, they need to consistently invest into those that are coming behind them.
Open to Innovation // These leaders are constantly seeking better ways to “do” ministry. They find themselves attempting new approaches despite the underlying risks. They’re proactively involved in innovative approaches not for innovation sake, but for a deeper desire to reach more people for Jesus.

Come & See plus Go & Serve plus Stick & Stay

Leading churches are a curious mix of attracting people to their services while simultaneously sending people into the community to make a tangible difference, all while working hard to get people deeply plugged into community within the church. This tension of being both a deep and wide church is common among churches which are making a difference today. Church leaders from growing churches see themselves trying to balance out these tensions in perfect harmony. Here are some common elements of these aspects of ministry that we come across in many churches today:

Common Come & See Elements

Invites to weekend series. // Churches will often develop compelling tools (physical & digital) that their people can use to invite their friends and family.
“Big day” strategy. // Prevailing churches will take advantage of 3-4 Sundays every year as a key invite tool for their community. [ref]
Teaching that connects with real life. // While remaining true to what the Bible says, these churches ensure that the teaching focuses on application on real life challenges facing their community.

Common Go & Serve Elements

Mass community outreach events // A few times in a year, the church will work towards motivating a high percentage of it’s community to get out of their seats and go into the streets to make a difference. [ref]
Community Partnerships. // These churches often partner with community service agencies who are looking to make a difference. The church provides volunteers and funding to these third-party organizations.
Talking about the poor. // The New Testament makes it clear that the church is supposed to serve the “least among us.” These churches don’t shy away from calling people to live out this reality today.

Common Stick & Stay Elements

Regular volunteering onramp. // On a consistent basis, successful churches are taking obvious next steps to getting plugged into a service opportunity within the church. [ref] Some even do it every week!
Circles are greater than rows. // There is a healthy focus on the importance of “small groups” as the primary engine for care and growth of people in the church; this includes a robust strategy centered on getting people connected to groups.
Everybody is included! // These churches stress that the church is for everyone and are doing everything they can to remove the barriers towards service and community.

Everything is an Experiment

“Let’s try it and see what happens.” Church leaders in growing churches see much of what they do as a learning process rather than opting for a settled “best practice”. They are constantly making small course corrections on much of what their church does. They firmly hold the message of the church but are flexible enough to leave an open hand on how the church accomplishes its mission. They are more like scientists testing out new theories all the time than a baker executing the perfect recipe.

5 Areas to Experiment at Your Church (and not lose your job!)

We all would like to try out some new things at our church. Yet, we’re looking for “safe places” to take some risks before rolling them out for the rest of the church.

Kids Ministry // I’ve said it before … I’ll say it again … the best ideas consistently come from kids and student ministry. These leaders are always turning out amazing new ideas.
Off Service Time // Do you run a Saturday evening service? That would be a great place to try something new before moving into the “biggest service” on Sunday mornings.
Declared Experiment // You’d be amazed how much leeway people will give you when you simply declare that you are trying something new and that you’re not committed to it long term.
Summer Time // Most churches experience a small, temporary slump in momentum during the summer. This can be a nice time to fine-tune aspects of your ministry before the fall ramp up.
Today Not Tomorrow // Seriously, what’s holding you back from trying something new today? Take some action on something you’ve be...