You are not the first one to wonder why a book on church growth has such a strong emphasis on organization and management. However, if a pastor fails to develop this aspect of his ministry, the outreach and evangelism parts will most likely fail as well, and his church will not grow.
Perhaps the best analogy is that of a farmer. If all you desire is a few acres of row crops, then delegation is not really needed. But the larger you want your farm to be, the more you will need to involve others. A farm with several thousand acres requires many farm hands, specialized skills and equipment. One man just cannot do it all. You either develop your organizational and management skills to oversee several dozen workers or you will be forced to stay small. The same is true of a church.
I encourage pastors to start this process when they are small before they actually need it. To wait until you need it is to wait too late. It takes time to select, train and organize volunteer workers. It is often a two to three year process, and hopefully, with two or three years of solid growth, you will need those workers and leaders.
The greatest need in churches today is for individuals capable of being placed into leadership. God rarely sends you ready trained leaders. Most often He gives you raw materials and expects you to train and develop needed leaders. This is what Jesus did with the apostles and it took Him over three years to get them ready. Start now!
Every church should work toward developing the basic leaders and ministries most needful for sustained growth: Ladies, Men, Youth, Music, New Convert Care, Sunday School, Outreach, Home Bible Study, Visitor Follow-up, and Bus Ministry. Each needs a customized job description. Next you must manage them: Annual Planning Retreat, Departmental One-Year Plans, Monthly Group Planning Sessions, and Weekly Tag-ins. This takes time! If your church is small and leaders are limited, start with just three or four departments, but still implement a complete management program. Know that you are laying the foundation for a church ten times larger than your current attendance.
Church growth seldom happens by accident, but most often comes from an intentional, methodical and tenacious effort. So take the first step: purchase Total Church Growth. Read it carefully and share it with your current leadership. Call 1-800-800-0247 to order.
