One day I was intending to go for a bike ride, so I got dressed in the appropriate clothes and went down to my garage to get my bike and go. Upon examination I noticed that my tire was flat, so I grabbed my pump and put some air into it. That will do the trick I thought, so I got on my bike and started to ride.
I made it only a short way down my road when I noticed that my tire was losing air, so I turned around and headed back to the garage. Well, now what, I thought. (What would you have done?) I decided to pump some air into the tire again. Upon doing so I discovered that air was leaking out of my tire. I determined that it would be pointless to continue to try to keep pumping air into the tire as it would only leak out again. Clearly, I needed to dig deeper to discover what the problem was. No matter how hard I worked at pumping air back into the tire it would only leak right back out again.
It became clear to me that I needed a new inner tube so that I could move on down the road on my bike. I got a new tube and put it in the tire and pumped it up. I listened and heard no leaks so I jump on my bike and started back down the road. This time I got further down the road, but again I started to lose air and my tire went flat.
I got my bike back home and took the new tube out and discovered that there was a hole in it. Was my new tube defective or was there something else causing my tubes to pop? I took my tire and tube off to examine the rim. Sure enough there was a broken spoke poking out that was the source of my problem.
So, I fixed the spoke, replaced the tube (again), pumped up my tire (again), and hit the rode enjoying a nice long ride on my bike.
The Point:
Most churches do not dig deeper to discover the source of what is keeping them from moving forward in mission. Rather than changing their approach to ministry they double down on their efforts expending a lot of energy on a solution that will not solve their problem. An ineffective solution will never solve a problem no matter how much effort you put into it.
When your solution is not solving the issue before you it is important for you to keep digging to find a new way to move forward. The way you are currently doing things is perfectly designed to produce the results you are currently experiencing. If you want different results don’t double down on your efforts on an ineffective solution.
Look for a creative, fresh approach designed to solve the specific challenge before you. This must be done according to your unique gifts, strengths, abilities, and local context.
Doubling down on your efforts on an ineffective solution is like trying to install a new app that is incompatible with your operating system. At the core of your operating system is your organizing principle. Your organizing principle is what all of your systems and processes flow from. WHAT IS YOUR ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE?
What is the core of your church out of which everything flows? Without clarity on what this is it will be impossible for you to discover and execute a solution that solves your problems that hinder you from moving forward in mission.
We would love to explore how we can help you discover your organizing principle, so that you can apply appropriate solutions to the challenges that are before you.