Creating and Sustaining Momentum

Three Things, New, Improved and Improving!

We have to do something new, we have to tweek it, and then sustain mometum by constantly improving. In church world, significant improvement is expensive. But it is better to shut down 5 mediocre programmes to initiate one very good programme. Those mediocre programmes are not bringing about momentum, they are SAFE. And safe is NOT significant!! Why pour resources into mediocre things if it means we are robbing resources that will actually bring momentum. Momentum is essential in penetrating cultures and making a difference in communities. NEW triggers momentum and improvement allows momentum to be sustain. Even significant improvement has a shelf life.


In the church world, we leave things going way too long. How many versions of the ipod is there? Why do we as Christians leaders settle for "okay". Seems like everyone in the in the world knows this but the church. There are 9 versions of Colgate toothpaste. Why? Because they want people to know that if people buy into their product, they should not have a reason to leave. Variety, so that there is something for someone. So if there is a breakthrough in the world of toothpaste then Colgate is there.


As long as cost is the lense that we see an opportunity, then we wont have the courage to move forward. Everything should always be on the table when progress is key. We need to step back and see what is our vision, what we are doing, what is our preferred future, what is our mission in the community, and be honest about what is best to reach the goal. And if we are really honest, we will see the fog. Need to think steps, not programmes. Ask the question, where do we want people to be, where are they now? How do we get them there? Is it an easy step, a strategic step. Is what you are doing going anywhere? Do people know of what you are doing. Disregard things not because its not effective or people are not attending but because its no longer a step that will get people where they want to be.


This is the same with volunteers as well. Which is the bulk of the church. Confident people want to know they are doing important things. Strategic minded people want to know that the hours they are putting in is strategic and is actually going somewhere. We have people in the parking lots directing traffic who SHOULD understand that what they are doing is strategic.


Even significant improvement has a a shelf life. We as church people run programmes and leave them on the shelf far too long. Know that even a breakthrough has a shelf life. Be honest. Even if we have fallen in love with it, even if our reputation is on it, even if we made a name for ourselves on it. Its all about re-branding. Its not changing much but just giving the appearance of improvement. Even if its a name change of the children's ministry lessons. Continuous improvement requires systematic evaluation. In church setting its easy to fall into "evaluation by story". So our programme is great because someone said it was great, or that we heard people enjoyed it. We need to have systematic evaluation. So get the leaders together and work it together. These evalution has to be built into the system of the organization.


It is brings the perception that we are on the cutting edge of our industry. But at some point it wont be perception, but a reality. When we rebrand we give the opportunity to make things better. The reason we do it is for the people, not ourselves. So we need to keep improving, keep pushing momentum and sustain momentum!