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Resources - Leadership
March 2002
LEAD BREAK
The Power of Purpose
Rev. D. Groenenboom
I have just completed a project I have planned for about a year: I have constructed an outdoor dining table and chairs for ten adults. I used recycled hardwood facia, scummed from a demolitions place, dressed it, worked it, constructed it, and finished it. No small feat for someone who has no trade background. I take great pleasure in saying it actually looks great, and when you drop in to see me, you can enjoy a cappuccino and see for yourself.
One thing was critical: I had to know how I wanted it to end up. It was critical for me to have a complete understanding of how it would look before I began. Otherwise, I could have worked the timber to a mirror finish – nice for an interior piece, but not functional for something that has a more rough hewn and bushy look. All this is to say that I needed a clear understanding of my purpose, my plan, and my goal. I needed that before I began.
A slice over ten years ago, our then Youthworker, Martin Hanscamp, said something that applies to building outdoor settings as well as it does to building Christians and churches: what we do should be purpose driven. When we know what we are aiming for, we are more likely to achieve it. If we don’t know what we are aiming for, how do we know whether we are being effective in what we are doing?
Of course, I am assuming that we want to be effective in our ministry, I mean, what are the alternatives, and do they sound attractive? “I’m kinda happy with being ineffective…” “It doesn’t matter too much whether things aren’t working too well here…” “Sure, some kids have slipped through the pastoral net, but hey, you can’t win ‘em all…”
True. You can win ‘em all. But Scripture demands a purpose driven approach to leadership. Leaders are consistently called to lead their people to maturity in Christ (Eph 4:11-16). Their prayer is that God will bring His work to completion in them (Phil 1:3-11). Skim through the letters in the New Testament, and see how consistent is Paul’s desire for his people to become mature in their relationship with Christ. This is one of his most basic motivations in his ministry.
Better still, think of Jesus Christ! His ministry was purpose driven: He came for the lost sheep of Israel (Matt 15:21-28), He resolutely set out for Jerusalem, knowing His purpose was to die and rise again to rescue His people (Luke 9:51-56, Matt 16:21).
Every church leader (Sunday School, compassion ministry, elder, or Cadet leader) must have a clear understanding of their purpose. This is the God given key to effective ministry. By the same token, when leaders are unhappy about the condition of their ministry area, they only need to look in the mirror to find the cause. Mark Mittelberg writes
The shape of an organisation will simply be a magnified version of the shape of its leaders. The mission of an organisation is an extension of the mission of the leaders. The values that permeate the culture of an organisation are the values that flow out of the people who run it. (Building a Contagious Church, p.89)
Crunch time: what is your specific purpose in your area of ministry? Does your church have a clear understanding of what you should be doing? Does everybody understand and agree with that purpose? Does it match the purpose that Scripture calls for in the New Testament? If you cannot answer these questions in a specific and detailed way, how can you ever know whether you are doing what God wants you to do? There couldn’t be a more critical question for leaders to answer!
Discuss
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Acts 20:28 – what are the two ways leaders are described here?
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What sort of actions does each title involve?
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What is the purpose of each role?
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Phil 1:3-11 – This prayer reveals several of Paul’s purposes in ministry – what are they? (hint: purpose is generally revealed by clauses like “that” and “so that”).
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If your ministry were to be governed by these purposes, how would you need to do your ministry differently?
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If these purposes governed your ministry, what results would you expect in the people you serve?
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Identify any barriers that prevent your ministry from being driven by these purposes and, and work towards the removal of those barriers.
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