At one time I was employed as an efficiency expert. I taught others how to work smarter, not harder. Here are a few of the principles I taught. They will work in a church as well as in a business.

A major determinate to accomplishment is divisiveness. When everybody is pulling in their own direction the organization tends to go around in circles and never accomplishes its goal. Here is a lesson from the old days. When plowing a field, the farmer would harness two horses together and put blinders on them so they could not see to the left or the right, but only straight ahead. The farmer would guide them to the predetermined goal without detour. The application is simple for us, Pull Together.

First decide on your goals, reaching people for Jesus. Second, decide on a leader (Pastor). Third, harness yourselves together (everybody working on the same task). Finally wear blinders so you are not tempted to do the many good things along the way that are not the best thing which God has previously told you to do. 

Second, Finish One Thing at a Time. Did you ever go into someone’s garage and see one half-finished project after another sitting there? You know the type; a broken table, a half-finished chair, a lamp needing a cord, etc., all relatively simple but undone. Many churches are a series of unfinished projects. Remodeling half done. New classes were promised but not established. Visits intended but not made. Good intentions but no follow through. Well, this principle applies here. Discipline yourself to choose your projects well and finish them before you begin another. What do you do with the other important projects that come up while you are finishing? Delegate! Finish one thing at a time. 

Third, this brings us to my final suggestions for this time. Put the Monkey Where it Belongs. How often does a member of your staff or congregation come in and say, “Preacher we got a problem, we need to fix this situation, or we need to get this done. The church needs to do something.” If it is a valid need and the church should help, so you say, “I’ll take care of it.” WRONG. Why should you take care of it? The correct response should be something like this. “Tell me more about it… I believe you have the right idea. Try that and let me know how it turns out.” The more ministry performed by the congregation, the more ministry accomplished. We already are doing all we can.

If we take on something else, we must drop something. However, if we enlist someone else, we have expanded our church’s ministry. Put the monkey where it belongs on the back of the person God gave the burden to!