Originally Posted May 10, 2009. Reposted May 3, 2011.
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Once outwardness has captured your heart you must make it a part of your battle plan. Too many leaders talk about outwardness but don’t develop a good plan that will help their people live it out. So how do you make it a part of your plan?
1. Develop Community Partnerships – Find organizations in your city who are always ready for small groups make arrangements for your ministry to serve them regularly. Pastors, you should establish at least three community partners so your groups will have some options.
2. Set A Metric – numerical goals feel unspiritual to some, but the bottom line is that measured performance gets improved performance. Establish a numerical goal number related to groups living outwardly. Then shoot for that goal! Remember, he who aims at nothing hits it every time.
3. Cut Out Competitors – there are things we do in church that unintentionally compete with outwardness. Many times the resources and programs we create are the competition. For example: your people will not be outward if they are handed a 13 week Bible Study to complete. They will tend to meet once per week and finish the numerical goal of a 13 week study rather than completing the “less-defined” goal of ministry in the community. Give them tools that equip them to BE outward not just sit in circles and talk about it.
Here are a few ideas that you might consider implementing to help your groups think outwardly:
- Theme: Live Summer Differently – Rather than studying and praying together this summer, ask your groups to serve the community every week.
- Partnerships: Establish ministry opportunities at housing and apartment complexes in your city. Have a huge block party in each of those areas and ask groups to serve at the block parties.
- Metric: Set a goal that 90% of your groups complete 5 mission projects each this summer.
- Competition Killer: Replace your regular weekly curriculum with weekly 60-minute ministry projects. Groups will be able to get together with little or no planning and follow the instructions in the week’s “mission curriculum” to complete a community ministry activity.
That’s a lot of information fast, but hopefully this will give you some great ideas to chew on. Aim at Mission…aim at outwardness…then you hit something that really matters!! The battle is raging. Make plans to win it!