How to keep momentum going in your ministry to ensure growth

Don’t you hate it when your favorite football team gets up big and then they get complacent and relax. They stop scoring points on offense choosing to run out the clock instead of continuing to attack. In addition, their defense goes into prevent mode and starts trying to not get hit with a “big play” while the other team just moves the ball down the field scoring “meaningless” touchdowns. While the strategy normally works, I have seen it too often when it doesn’t as well. Do I even need to bring up Super Bowl LI?

Just as important as it is to keep the pedal to the metal in football, it is certainly important to keep momentum running strong in your ministry, as well. Sure, things could be going great! You’ve got great leaders involved, people are coming out and taking steps of faith and you seem to be really hitting the ball out of the park with basically everything you are doing.

Despite all things in your ministry going great, this is NOT the time to start running out the clock or playing prevent defense. Now is the perfect time to stay in attack mode to ensure momentum continues so that you can have growth long term.

Here are some things you can do to keep attacking your ministry:

• Keep evaluating your ministry. When you are up big you are doing a lot of things right. However, just because you are up big doesn’t mean you are doing everything right. Sometimes you are doing some things very wrong but because you are up big, you don’t look at it as much. Keep evaluating and looking for areas of improvement.
• Keep inspiring volunteers. Whether you are up or down big, your volunteers need to be continually met with and inspired. If things are going well, keep meeting and work on the basics and challenge them to work on some other areas and grow as a leader. If things are not going well, work on some of the basics of ministry.
• Keep sharing life change stories. No matter where your ministry is at, there is life change that is happening. Make sure you keep sharing those stories with the volunteers and the Church so that they can get excited with what is happening. After all, even if things aren’t going perfect, the more stories of life change you can share the more momentum you can build. And, if you are already ahead of the game and doing well, you can keep the momentum going!
• Keep learning. The only way you are going to be able to evaluate your ministry effectively, inspire volunteers and share life changing stories, is if you continue to learn. When things are going well, there can be a tendency to let up and not be learning as much as you were when you were just starting out or when things were not going as well. Don’t let that happen to you. Whether it is from books, podcasts, conferences or blog, keep learning and growing as a person and a minister.

Conclusion

Ministry growth doesn’t just happen by chance. You have to work at it continually. Don’t be that team that takes it easy with a big lead, thus letting momentum slip away. Keep evaluating, inspiring leaders to be all they can be, sharing stories that encourage life change and continually learn both personally and professionally. The more you can be doing this, the better your ministry will be in the long term and the more growth you can experience. You aren’t going to be up big forever so the more improvements you can be making now that you are up big, the more likely you can prevent a complete blowout loss when things aren’t going so well.

What do you think?  How do you keep momentum going in your ministry that helps it grow? Share your experiences below or on social media using #ymsidekick when you post.