Momentum is the most significant indicator of the movement of God with a group of people. With the “Big M” almost anything can be done, but without it, almost nothing can happen. Once it has left it’s difficult to see it return anytime soon. Therefore, rejoice if you have it!
Consider these versions of what might promise to aid momentum, but are nothing more than drag chutes.
Overthinking. “Shaving the yak.”
There is something healthy & positive about conferring in a group setting, to a degree. Sometimes this is helpful – on the other hand, it is a common excuse for not taking action. Computer scientists at MIT call that, “Shaving the yak.” It will make a lot of steps and a team of people to succeed. Just don’t require that things line up first. Get going and deal with all the details in due time. The key is to get going and stop entertaining potential barriers.
Smugness.
“We’ve done that and more. We are deserving!”
Arrogance.
The affliction of, “We know better…”
Defensiveness.
When a church is defensive, and that’s the way that their leadership lives, it is highly unlikely that they will live to see something great and beautiful come about as a result of their leadership.
Too many meetings.
Over-reliance upon meetings in a church is a familiar sight. One survey of several of both for-profit and nonprofits groups, an astounding 70% of a group’s weekly staff time was still spent in meetings. Anyway, you look at it; it’s a ridiculous number. With numbers like that only 30% of staff time is reserved for actual ministry and personal thinking time if you are approaching that 70% mark, you are living out a “slow death by meetings” to use a Patrick Lencioni term.
Ponder this: The people of your church give to the cause of your church in good faith that authentic ministry is going on. That’s code for, “Lives are changing.”
Can you honestly continue to invest in more of the “meeting after meeting after meeting” version of a strategy?
