Structure doesn’t cause growth; the structure of your church determines how fast you’ll grow and the size to which you’ll grow. There is no clear organizational structure in the New Testament, and I think God did that intentionally so the church can adapt to different stages, ages, and cultures. God gives us broad principles and not narrow rules. There is no perfect structure.
As we study Scripture, we learn two general principles about organizing and structuring for growth. First, God wants us to organize around the purposes for which he created the church. And, second, God wants us to organize around the gifts of our members. Purpose and giftedness determine how you should organize your church.
Here are some advantages to a simple, gift-based structure:
It focuses the church on ministry, not maintenance.
When organization is overemphasized, a church can lose its focus on ministry. I heard about a grease factory that, as it became more and more successful, had to build more machinery to produce the grease. But, they also had to use more of the grease on the machinery they were adding. Pretty soon, they closed the marketing department because all the grease was being used on their own machinery.
If you streamline your structure, then you can maximize ministry and minimize maintenance. If you cut out about half of your meetings, your church would be more effective. I noticed the other day that my peach tree is covered in peaches; in fact, there might be 50 small peaches blooming on one branch. This week, I’m going to have to go out and remove about half of them. If you want big fruit, you have to get rid of about half of what you already have. That’s true in ministry, too: You have to focus if you want big results.
It makes better use of talent.
I remember many years ago when we were looking for land for Saddleback Church, I asked people who had a background in real estate or development to show up at my office the next night. There were 14 guys who showed up, and I didn’t know half of them. They went around the room, introduced themselves, and said why they should be on the task force.
The first guy said, “My name’s Tom, and I buy all the sites for Kmart.” You’re in, Tom.
The next guy says, “Last year I did $91 million in land acquisition.” You’re in.
Next guy: “I’m vice president of First Interstate Bank.” You’re in.
All the guys were highly qualified – far more than I was. I said, “I believe God wants us to have 50 acres of land for our church; your task is to go find it. God bless you. Meeting dismissed.” That’s what you call liberating the members for ministry. I’ve had this philosophy for more than 30 years, and Saddleback has gone far beyond what I could do because I released people to do what they are good at doing.
The more successful a person becomes, the more impatient they will become with meaningless meetings. The last thing you want to do is put a go-getter on the flower committee. Committees discuss what they want other people to do; ministries just do it.
It builds morale.
Why? Because ministry is more fulfilling than maintenance.
It allows spontaneous growth.
If someone has a burden for ministry, then they can start it. We call this the “You’re It” principle. I can’t tell you how many people come to me and say, “Pastor, what the church needs is …” My job is to release and equip the saints for ministry. When people see something missing in your church, they’re often revealing their giftedness. Don’t treat it as a criticism; realize that they are revealing their passion.
In 1992, a young guy named Shane came to me and said, “This Internet thing is really going to take off, and the Church isn’t doing anything about it.” He wrote a three-page, critical letter about how we weren’t getting anything done. So, I hired him. As a result, Saddleback was the first church in the world on the Internet. Instead of getting defensive, I said, “Take it. Run with it.”
Don’t go around popping bubbles all the time. I’d rather someone try and then learn that it can’t be done than for me to tell them that it can’t be done. And, it may be that they are finally the right person for the ministry that has failed in the past.
Sometimes we start ministries from sermons. One time I did a message on how we need to care for one another. I thought, “We should start calling people just to see how they’re doing.” And I said, “I’m going to start a ministry right now called ‘Care Callers.’ If you like to talk on the phone and want to go through the directory and call people up and ask for prayer requests on my behalf, then please sign up on a card.” We didn’t do any long-range planning, but we started a valuable ministry.
It promotes growth.
Structure will be as creative as you allow it to be. If you allow people to expand and stretch, then you’re going to have a creative church. But if you have bureaucracy – “We’ve always done it this way” – then creative people are going to leave your church. They’ll go find a place where they’re allowed to blossom.
It allows more efficient decision-making.
Have you ever seen a church waste time on a trivial decision? Often, the more trivial the decision, the more time it takes to resolve the issue. In congregational meetings in small churches, decisions are often based on the popularity of the speaker. Also, the smaller the church, the more power the most negative person has. Many churches operate by management objection. The most negative person in the church is allowed to kill an idea.
A simple structure is more stable. The more complicated a structure is, the easier it is to break. How do you simplify your structure?
- Reduce the number of meetings you have in your church.
- Reduce the number of items you vote on.
- Release ministries to make their own decisions.
- Let your budget determine your priorities. The way you spend your time and your money determines what’s important in your church.
Pastor Rick – This is a great article. How do you recommend getting your board and pastor “on board”?
This is very good. But my question here is; what about a pastor who does not like to apologize or take responsibility of his own actions? Should a pastor be involved in the day to day collections every Sunday instead the church’s treasurer? I think pastors should allow members to do their duties in the church without interruptions.
The church has lost so much trying to compete with the world while leaving out the essentials, but now we see we must be rather spiritually focused in a demon-infested world.
God has given you an amazing ability and you are using it.
Thank you for a simple yet powerful outline of true ministry. I appreciate the candor in outlining the heart of what it is all about – ministry, not maintenance.
Some Pastors feel that it is with too much activities that there church will be seen to be spiritually sound. TRUE?
Pastor Rick,
This article blesses my heart. This a word for me for the moment for this is where many of us fail in leadership. God richly bless you.
You are a blessing.
Sammy.
I HAVE BEEN CALL NOT TO BAPTIZE BUT TO PREACH, LEAST THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS OF NONE EFFECT. FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT ARE PERISHING AND FOOLISHNESS, BUT UNTO US WHO ARE SAVED IS POWER OF GOD. PASTOR RICK WARREN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT REVELATION . YES OUR CHURCH SHOULD BE BASED ON GIFT ENS,
I agree that when it comes to organizational meetings, less is often more. Rick, you have been one of my mentors over the years. Thanks. See http://www.stoneglenchurchofgod.org for free spiritual growth resources under “More.”
churches are to focus on ministry not maintanance a church is built on the foundation of the apostels profetes gift that have to operate in the church churches focus more on making money then getting people into the kingdom of god
Thanks Pastor for the wonderful message am so bless with them. Please keep it up Asunta you share with Ismail your idea like this one one mind is open for the new thing.
Sory! My hand touch what I didn ‘t type below my message!
Pastor Rick:
Thank you so much for this wonderful article on “Organizing Your Church”.
I have actually gotten burned by a lot of attractive titles like yours, only to find that the author goes fifteen lines down and is then wanting to sell me a book. You gave wonderful information, but you didn’t ask for money. Thank you so much.
PS I am using much of your material in my church because the corporate synod people have no idea at all about organizing things. As an example even bible study is left to the minister to find his own material or create it.
Thank you again.
My experience has been similar. And they usually wont change. It is hard to be lead by no vision, no passion, no purpose. You have to move on because they don’t/can’t speak the same language as you. Rarely will they come around this late in life. Too many people are stuck and don’t even know it. I had to move on and find learners and real leaders. Purpose driven people.
I am reading through a book titled The Secret Teachings of Jesus. From the book: Jesus parents (Mari and Yoasaph) were Esseness meant they both possessed insight into the scriptures as well as an understanding of the overriding meaning of life. Jesus’s Jewish name was Yeshua. Two historians of the time wrote of them….true servants of peace….
Bendiciones, gracias por tan excelente reportaje de como hacer crecer una congregación. Tomare en cuanta sus consejos..
Great insight on how to grow our churches.
Why is it that discussions of church organizational structure always seem to leave out what Paul says in I Corinthians? It is obvious that the church in his day, and apparently intended for us as well, was organized around the principal that ALL believers were given a gift or gifts to edify the body. Therefore, the structure of the church needs to be established in a way that enables all believers to participate when they gather together. We should remember that a pastor is not a job title assigned to someone with the best resume, education, or experience. A pastor is someone gifted by the Holy Spirit to be given to the church for its edification. In addition, there is ample evidence in the New Testament that the structure of the church, especially as regards oversight, is to be done by elders. This is a plurality of leadership not a one man leading everyone else. I think Dietrich Bonhoeffer was right – the church should not be in the business of owning property and buildings. We adapt our structure to the common everyday not-for-profit structure that, in most cases, is not biblical and is most definitely not a living, breathing organism, as the Body of Christ is meant to be on this earth.
Gary, you’re right. Every church needs a structure that allows every “member” to be a “minister” and for the administration to be handled by a plurality of elders. What I’m not sure of is where the idea came from that elders are a body of laypeople separate from the pastors. In our view, pastors and elders (and bishops too) all refer to the same overseers/shepherds. So we lead by a plurality of pastors/elders.
What exactly is a layperson in the kingdom of God? I thought we were all equals in the kingdom?
Pastor Warren I am a minister in a small church in louisiana that physical and spiritual growth is dimenishing . I have been apart of this ministry for about 13 years and the church has been existing for over 50 years with different Pastors and the Pastor now is a jem but there has never been any structure established just church and my shoulders and heart are heavy trying to seek how and where to start to frame a great foundational church with substance.Please help me know where to start
Dear Pastor Rick. What do I do as a junior pastor in my church who will be heard; as I have failed in my many attempts to draw the leadership attention to the you article above.
Dear Pastor Rick. What you are talking about on this subject is very painful to the Body of Christ. In my observation as i studied how some Churches are structured, i discovered that those committee decision making members, most of them if not one have never been pastors before, however they are the ones who run the Church. Therefore, the only thing they know is to go by the laws made by themselves of which in most cases have nothing to do with growing a Church. This is the reason such Churches even if they plateaued to ten people in attendance, the committee remains. Could we be reminded of the seven letters in the book of Revelation, they were addressed to the Angel of the Church, pastor or leader and not Church committes. God continue to bless you as you bless his Church.
Pastor Samuel Mabina South Africa.
“When organization is emphasized, ministry becomes the focus.” Is there something wrong with this sentence or is it just me?
Thanks for the heads up!
The sentence should have been clearer, such as – ‘When organization is over-emphasized, a church can lose its focus on ministry.’
My bad. I should have caught it in the edit.
[email protected]
Based on my person observations, a possible revision could be; “when organisation is emphasised, administration becomes the focus.”
I should add: Rick, I hope it’s OK to use this in training with Africans and Asians. Because I will, anyway! (it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission).
Good stuff, Rick. This is the logical terminus of our old discipler Al Broom’s progression of (1) Reaching New People (2) Training Them in the Basics (3) Equipping Them to Reproduce Spiritually (4) Mobilizing Them for MInistry According to Spiritual Gifts. A good way to put muscle and skin on the basic skeletal outline of Eph.4:11-13.
A good article ! A simple and flexible structure will ensure there is zero unemployment in the congregation. As was pointed out, we all have gifts and talents that need to be recognized, cultivated and channelled into the four/fivefold purpose of the church. But ministry won’t get too far without the help of the background maintenance guys who keep the engines running smoothly. “They also serve who only stand and wait ! ” (Milton)