Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.

(Workshop Notes: Danny Davis)

Introduction
Over the last several months (and today) many of you have began hearing and adopting
the language of the Africa Regional Vision. This vision is not just a new blueprint for doing the
same things in a new way; it is an entirely new “philosophy of ministry.” Let me explain it like
this: we are not just putting a fresh coat of paint on an old building - we are moving into a new
building. We are changing the way we see ministry, the church, the preaching of the gospel and
more. Let me assure you, however, that a change in ministry philosophy does not mean a change
in the fundamental doctrines of the church. It does mean that we are discovering new ways to
more effectively do ministry, lead the church and preach the gospel. Ways that will give God
glory and bring increase to the church.

With all changes come some fear but also the excitement of seeing God and His people in
new and exciting ways. As leaders of God’s church we carry the challenge of casting and
maintaining vision by learning new skills, acquiring relevant knowledge and, most importantly,
using these new skills and our new knowledge to build up the people of God. J. Robert Clinton in
his book, Leadership Emergence Theory, offers this definition of a Christian leader:

“A Christian leader is a person with a God-given capacity and the God-given

responsibility to influence a specific group of God’s people toward God’s purpose for the
group”1

Today we are gathering as UPC of SA leaders to acquire some of the tools necessary to
influence and move God’s people toward ministry in the local church. The assumption we are
making, because you are attending this workshop, is that you possess the “God-given capacity”
to lead/influence and that you are willing to accept the “God-given responsibility” of leadership;
and that you are committed to implementing all the elements of the Africa Region Vision in your
local church.

My task then today is to speak to you, God called leaders, about the fifth element of the
Africa Region Vision, that is, “Balanced Ministry.” We want to examine the “how-to” of
targeting and starting a new ministry in the local church. As we look at the “6 steps to effectively
starting a ministry” you may also discover why some of the existing ministries in the local
church are not being effective. If that is the case you can go back and evaluate where you may

1
J. Robert Clinton, Leadership Emergence Theory (Pasadena, Calif.: Barnabas, 1989).

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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have fallen short and make the necessary changes. Let’s begin by exploring what it means when
we say, “Balanced Ministry.”

What Is “Balanced Ministry?”

One of the major goals of the African Region Vision is to establish healthy congregations
who will then establish other healthy congregations. In my mind a healthy church is one that is
fulfilling the principles of Acts 2:42-47.
42
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous
signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in
common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every
day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes
and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all
the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Look at the characteristics of the New Testament Church:

1. Devoted to the Apostle’s teaching (v. 42a)

2. Devoted to fellowship by breaking bread and praying (v. 42b)

3. The people still had a fresh “awe” of God and there were wonders, miracles and signs (v.
43)

4. There was unity of purpose and sacrifice on behalf of the believers (vv. 44-45)

5. They had regular times of both corporate and small group worship where God was
praised (v. 46)

6. Their attitudes toward God and each other gave them favor with “all” the people (v. 47a)

7. The result was God adding to the church daily (v. 47b)

Looking at these characteristics tells most of us (including me) that we have a long way
to go to bring our congregations to a place of health. Nevertheless, it is not an impossible task
but one that requires work and vigilant leadership.

As leaders in the local church we have to remember and confess that we have
weaknesses. However, these weaknesses are really just opportunities for God to give other
people a chance to do ministry with us. Or as my pastor used to tell me, “As long as I have
weaknesses, you have a job!” So, we learn to bring those who have the necessary “gifts and

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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talents” on board, who are “in the vision,” and “part of the nucleus” in order to balance out those
areas where we are weak.

Operating the church through this vision (philosophy of ministry) has many wonderful
side effects for those who become involved in leading and influencing God’s people. Here are
just a few:

• People involved in ministry help to fill others needs but at the same time find their own
needs being met.

• People involved in ministry become much more aware of God’s grace and grow in their
knowledge of Him.

• People involved in ministry are much more fulfilled and likely to invest more of their
resources into the church.

• People involved in ministry are more likely to discover they have more gifts and talents
than they thought, which in turn means they usually are willing to do more to promote the
vision of the local church.

Therefore, when we speak of “balanced ministry” we are simply saying that God’s
people, who are committed to God’s vision and are committed to using their God-given gifts and
talents to produce and reproduce healthy, vibrant, and alive churches, carry out the work of the
church. Senior leadership then becomes responsible for determining what are the “relevant
ministries” or better put “needed ministries” of the local church so that God’s people can become
involved and so that needs are met.

What Is A “Relevant Ministry”?

The question that some may have is “what are the relevant ministries?” (Note: Key
element #4 of the Africa Region Vision mentions the need for “relevant ministry.” Relevant
simply means, “pertinent to the matter in hand.”2 It comes from a Latin word that means, “to
raise, or to lift up.”3 A relevant ministry, for the church, is one that meets the needs at hand so
that others will be lifted or raised up to be closer to the Lord. Therefore, each local church will

2
relevant. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/relevant (accessed: August 11, 2010).
3
Ibid

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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have different needs at hand because they have different people on hand. That means that a
ministry being implemented at one church may not be necessary for another (at least not at this
time). As the needs at hand grow then it is essential for the ministries of the church to grow.

For example, some of us have large numbers of single adults in our churches; thus, the
need at hand is to implement a ministry that will help single adults to grow in their walk with
God and be moved toward becoming a part of the nucleus of the church. Senior leadership
recognizes this need and acts by looking at the nucleus, discerning who has the best gifts and
talents to meet the needs of the single adults, equips that person with the vision he has for the
“single adult ministry,” and then meets the need by allowing that person to balance out his
ministry.

Every local church will have different ministry needs at different stages of its
development. As the congregation grows the ministry needs will also grow. In the early days of a
church there may only be a need to have 2 or 3 relevant ministries. However, as more people are
added to the church the “needs” grow as well. That means that senior leaders must constantly be
taking the “spiritual temperature” of their local church and assessing what needs the church must
meet.

Identifying real needs leads us to targeting relevant ministries that will meet those needs.
In turn, targeting ministry allows us to design the leadership structure required to head up those
ministries. Then, with a clear understanding of the type and size of the leadership required, we
can develop training for those leaders. Finally, we have to develop a clear and well-defined
administrative structure to contain the intended ministry within the boundaries of our vision.

As a Pastor you want to meet the needs of the church. You want to establish relevant
ministries to balance out the work of the church. Your desire is to put people into ministry
responsibility so they can be fulfilled and draw closer to God. So what do you do? How do you
know which ministries are relevant for this time?

Step 1: Target.

This is where you identify the real needs (relevant needs) of the congregation. This can
be accomplished by considering the following principles:

• Brainstorm with present nucleus. Pull the leaders together and talk about what needs

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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there are in the church.

• Balancing ministry nucleus with resources. Do you have the necessary financial,
physical, and/or personnel to fund and lead this ministry? If not, what will it take to get
it?

• “Sustainable” ministry as part of the plan. The goal of the ministry is to thrive for as long
as it is needed. Once the need is targeted begin thinking long-term. How will this meet
the need today, next year and in a decade?

Step 2: Plan.

One unfortunate reality of church life is that we have a lot of great ideas but often fail to
plan. We say things like, “The Lord will just work it out.” Well, this could be true but it is also
possible the Lord wants you, as leaders, to cooperate with Him in the planning of His work. The
work of planning is just that – work. “Planning is challenging because if it is to be done right, it
involves a great many people functioning together with a specific goal in mind.”4

It is in the planning stage that you must ask the “when,” “where” and “what” questions.
Think of it like this:

• What leadership is required to make this ministry successful? What gifts and talents
should they possess? What type of training is needed to equip them for this ministry?

• Where will this ministry take place?

• When do you think this ministry should be launched?

You are moving beyond just brainstorming and are now beginning to make plans based
upon the most important ideas that came up in the “Target” session. Please, when it comes to
ideas, remember Ahithophel. He was an advisor to King David who gave the king some advice
and the king decided it was not a good idea for the time. When Ahithophel heard the king was
not going to use his idea he saddled his donkey, went home, set his house in order and then hung
him self (2 Sam 17). Not all ideas are good ideas and not all ideas are right for the moment. If
your idea is not used – don’t hang yourself! The idea may work better at a later stage but you
won’t be around to see it happen.

4
Anthony, Michael, Management Essentials for Christian Ministries (Nashville, Tenn.: B&H Academic, 2005).

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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Step 3: Organize.

After you have established the plans for a targeted ministry it is time to begin organizing
the ministry. This is the point in the process where you begin to ask the “how” and “who”
questions.

• How will this ministry function within the vision? How will we promote this ministry?
How will we financially support this ministry? How will we train the leaders of this
ministry? How will we operate this ministry? How will the ministry leader know if he or
she is successfully leading the ministry (define authority and responsibility)? And
more….

• Who are the leaders in the nucleus that possess the gifts and talents we felt necessary to
lead the ministry (look back to the planning stage)? Who has the abilities to lead this
ministry? Who can we train in order to have someone who can lead this ministry? Who
will the ministry leader become accountable too? Who will train the ministry leader? And
more…

It is vital at this point that you remember what it means to be in the nucleus. Sometimes
in the midst of organizing a ministry you may discover that what you need in a leader is not
available at present. You may be tempted to bring someone in who is not a part of the nucleus
but do not give into the temptation. If this ministry has to be postponed until you can train
someone in the nucleus, who may only possess some of the required gifts and talents, you will be
better off in the long run.

Step 4: Train.

Once a decision has been made as to who will lead and how they will lead then comes
training. The training must be specific to the ministry you are targeting. This may require that
you look outside the local church to other churches that are in the nucleus of the UPC of SA.
Other churches may already have similar ministries that are operating effectively and you can
draw on their expertise. This does not mean you should do ministry exactly as they are doing but
seek to learn the principles they are working with and then figure out how those will work in
your local church.

Bear in mind that training is not a “one-time” event. There will be a need for further

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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training at a later stage. As the ministry leader throws him or herself into the ministry there will
be certain challenges arise that were not anticipated in the planning and organizational phases.
These challenges should not be viewed as obstacles but as opportunities to further equip the
ministry leader. After all, someday they will be asked to lead other ministries and the more you
equip them now the better things will be in the long-term.

This also means that as a senior leader you will need to establish regular times to meet
with ministry leaders both individually and corporately. During these times senior leaders can
discern problems or concerns voiced by the ministry leader and discuss how to handle them. You
may also discover that by bringing all ministry leaders together there will be some “common
challenges.” This will then help you, as the senior leader, to teach/train in a group so you are not
repeating the same teaching/training multiple times. Ministry leaders need to know that senior
leadership is willing to listen and care for them; and assist them in becoming what God intended
for them.

Step 5: Implement.

All the hard work of targeting, planning, organizing and training will fall short if we do
not properly implement the new ministry. A thousand well-trained leaders will do no good if no
one knows about the ministry they lead or how to get involved in it. A thousand problems can be
solved ahead of time by informing the church of what the ministry is, what it is meant to
accomplish, and who is leading it. Just because the ministry makes sense to the nucleus does not
necessarily mean that it makes sense to the general church attendee even those to whom the
ministry is targeted. That means the work of promotion must be done and done well. Those to
whom the church wishes to minister must be informed so they can “buy into” the ministry. What
are some steps you can take to properly implement the new relevant ministry?

1. Sell the Relevant Ministry to the Membership.

• What are the benefits of this ministry? How will it help the targeted group? Why
should they get involved in this ministry?

• What are the benefits of this ministry to the church as a whole? For example, what
benefit will the “single-adult” ministry have for the whole church?

• How will this ministry help the church develop current and recognize new leaders?

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How will it help to increase the nucleus?

• Answer questions people may have about the new ministry. Remember: questions are
not objections they are simply opportunities to further promote the benefits of the
ministry – so handle them with care.

2. Once the people have bought into the new ministry then publicly recognize the leaders.

• Bring them before the church and introduce them as the ministry leader.

• Have the Elders anoint the ministry leaders for service.

3. Oversee the new ministry with the intention of allowing more and more freedom

• Work closely with the ministry leader during the first days/months of the new
ministry. Answer their questions, listen to their concerns, and help them understand
the nature of people.

• As the new ministry leader grows in his or her confidence and ability give them more
and more “accountable” freedom. They are never to be given complete independence.
The church is not independent but inter-dependent.

• As time progresses begin to work with the ministry leader to identify others who are
in the nucleus and can be directed toward ministry.

Step 6: Administrate.

Like it or not as senior leaders we must ensure that ministries are properly administered.
If we fail to do this all the effort placed into the first five steps will fall apart. Administration
makes certain that ministries are being properly operated, functioning optimally and leaders are
being held accountable to set standards. Proper administration also helps to create an
environment of trust in the church. If the church knows, through transparency of the senior
leadership, how things are administrated they will be more likely to trust the leader and invest
more into other newer ministries. If, on the other, the church is kept in the dark as to how
financial and human resources are administered then there will be an environment of mistrust
that will lead to terrible problems, especially, if a Pastoral change occurs. As a senior leader it is
in your best interest to make sure that the finances, assets and people of the church are
administered so that you can leave a legacy of integrity.

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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What does it mean then to administrate the ministries of the church? First, administration
does not have to be cumbersome or complicated but it must provide you with accurate and
necessary feed back. However, in order to properly administrate and evaluate a ministry there
must be some form of “Job Description” for the ministry leader and a statement of purpose for
the ministry.

Job Description

Rev. Grosbach has provided some sample job descriptions in your material. They are
located on the page titled “Suggested Local Church Ministries Structure.” These will provide
you with a general outline of the duties and responsibilities of such ministry leader position as:
Outreach Director, Home Group Director, Leadership Development Director, and more.

As a leadership team you will need to look closely at what each ministry leader should be
responsible for and write it down. This gives the ministry leader a base of understanding of what
he or she is responsible to do and what authority they are permitted to exercise in carrying out
their duties. The job description also provides senior leadership a guide by which to evaluate
whether or not the ministry leader is performing well. This should not be viewed as a plan to
catch people doing the wrong thing but should be a measurement tool that reveals where the
ministry leader may need additional training or assistance.

Ministry Statement of Purpose

It is vital that each ministry have some sort of purpose statement. These statements
should briefly summarize the intention of the ministry. The purpose statement should answer
three basic questions: 1) What purpose does this ministry fulfill; 2) What will this ministry do;
and 3) Who is the target of this ministry? For example:

The single-adult ministry of New Life Church exists to edify and evangelize those
members of our church and those outside the church between the age of 18-25
who are not married. This will be accomplished by planning regular times to
gather as a group for prayer and Bible study, organized efforts to reach out to
peers and having an annual single-adult retreat that will speak to relevant needs
of this group.

Having a stated purpose for each ministry (that should be included in the job description) helps

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Targeting Ministry: Six Steps to Effectively Starting Ministries in the Local Church.
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to clearly define what the ministry will do and how it will do it. This then becomes another tool
by which you can effectively gauge the effectiveness of the ministry and the ministry leader.

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