by Walt Brock

How can I help this ministry to grow? We are not satisfied with the status quo and want to change and desire to grow, but how should we proceed? What if the resources are not there? How can we grow when it costs so much? Can we grow without major spending on buildings?

I know that I am not the final authority on growth in ministries, but over the years we at Ironwood have seen a good amount of growth, development, and certainly lots of change. I’ve often told our team that if they want a static ministry they should go to some other place, because we are a growing ministry and growth requires change. We annually change our organizational chart, repositioning people and reassigning duties and responsibilities. It is not easy to constantly do our office homework (management work), redo the organization chart, and re-write the job descriptions; but doing so keeps us all sane and meets the needs of our team as we grow.

For years I equated growth with new, more, and bigger buildings, but assessing growth by buildings is a deceptive way of gauging real growth. It is also very dangerous to consider facilities the key to growth. I’m not opposed to adding buildings. In the ministry that God has given us, we have experienced our share of facility expansion. For years I struggled, asking God to increase our ministry by increasing our buildings; I was so hardheaded in this that it took God many long years to soften my resolve. Eventually, He penetrated my thought processes, and it has been a blessing to finally learn that lesson.

Growth in a ministry is a multi-faceted gem. There are five facets of growth, and they need to be addressed simultaneously.

Facet 1: People Growth First. The growth of people is the key factor in any ministry’s readiness to grow. Is the team ready? Has the leadership team grown in ability to manage and lead? Are we faithful with what we have now? Are we being good and profitable stewards of God’s present resources? Perhaps we are floundering at our present level, maybe even thinking the key to our challenges is found in more facilities. Are we and those around us ready for growth? In order to have more ministry growth, the first needed step may be people growth within our own ministry family. In Matthew 25:15, God gave talents (areas of responsibility) to each servant according to his own ability, indicating God will open the doors of growth when He knows we, His servants, are ready and able.

Facet 2: Policy Establishment. Policies and the philosophy behind them are the underlying reasons and principles for why we do what we do and how we do it. Policies must be well articulated, organized, and available for all to use. In the wake of growth, knowing and understanding these policies is foundational for a ministry to stay on course toward its purpose. Without policies in place, growth may send a ministry on a tangent God never intended. Perhaps there are times when God prevents ministry growth because this element of stewardship has been neglected.

The entire book of Deuteronomy is set up much like a policy manual, outlining the basic way the people of Israel should go about the business of life. For that matter, the whole Bible is God’s written policy manual for us, our families, and our local churches. When Saul was anointed king by Samuel, God had Samuel write out a job description and policy manual for how the kingdom should be operated. First Samuel 10:25 says, “Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD.” According to the Ryrie Study Bible notes on this passage, this book included the rules given by God for kings found in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

Writing something like a policy manual may not be something you enjoy, but those you manage deserve to know not only what, when, and how, but also why they do what they do.

Facet 3: Program Performance. Program is our ability not only to do the ministry we say we are doing but also to do it at a level of excellence that says to everyone we serve that we are ready for the next step of growth. If we must convince others that we are ready for the next step, we probably are not. Besides the issue of quality within the scope of what God has currently placed in our hands, there is also the issue of credibility. If we currently state in our promotional material that we are doing x, y, and z, but are only doing x and half of z, our credibility is at stake. Maybe God is waiting for us to align what we are doing with what we say we are doing or with what we could be doing without blaming the lack of a building for our status quo. Luke 16:10 says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” God knows when we are ready for more; what we are doing with what we have is His stated barometer of our readiness for growth.

Facet 4: Procedure and Details. Following established procedures is about doing things decently and in order, glorifying God with what we have and in the way we use it. Those procedures would include the behind-the scenes operations and the process of getting the job done right, on time, and within budget, so those we serve will say “WOW, this is great!” If those we serve are not awed by our service and the excellence of how we do what we do with what we have, then we are not ready for more opportunity. Merely doing okay or fine never communicates that our ministry is ready for more opportunities and challenges. Mediocrity in service never excited anyone to sacrificially give more so that we can just do more of the same ol’ same ol’. If we often hear the phrases like “dropped through the cracks,” “dropped the ball on that one,” or “I’m not sure whose job that is”; maybe some growth in procedures is in order.

Facet 5: Property and Facilities. Just as the picture frame is added after the painting is finished, additional facilities frame the picture of a well-run, God-glorifying ministry. Made properly, the frame shows off the picture and never draws attention to itself. Adding more land, another building, or a new piece of equipment is often seen as the first step to growth, but it is not. We first ought to ask, Have we been good stewards with what we have? Are our current resources used well, both efficiently and effectively? Do we need to learn to appreciate and use better what God has already given us? Are we truly content, yet not complacent? Are we doing our best to glorify God through full usage, cleanliness, and maintenance of what He has currently given us? Do we know why we are doing this ministry? If any of the five facets should come last, it is property. Nothing says “waste” to our constituency or to the unbelieving more than getting something new and being unable to use it well. If we cannot do the job with what we have, adding more will just add to our problems.

Real danger comes in thinking that property is the key to growth and that it must precede the development of the other four facets (people, policy, program,
and procedures). Further danger exists when one believes that the other four facets will come naturally as property is added. In actuality, adding more property, a new building, or a new piece of equipment may make things worse if the other areas are neglected. That is why I look first at myself and ask, “Am I ready for this growth to take place? Have I grown in my current responsibility?” Then I look at our team and ask, “Are they ready to be stretched, or are they floundering where they are?” Ask yourself the same kind of questions about each of the areas. Be honest and remember that this is not the place for wishful, hope-so answers. Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them.” We must concentrate on growth and development in all the facets at the same time, and then see what God will do!