12 Key Ministry Leadership Gaps and Their Solutions

One of the biggest frustrations of church leaders are the gaps in ministry leadership - a frustration totally steeped in reality. What’s the cause of these gaps? And even moreso, what’s the solution?

In my experience, these are the leading causes for gaps for serving in church leadership::

1. Wrong-Sizing: Many churches try to retain the same number of ministries and committees that they once had as a much larger church. Right-sizing for the currently engaged congregation needs to be implemented..

2. Everything for Everyone: When a church tries to be all things for all people, it often ends up being little to nothing for no one. With this approach, servant leaders become burned out and no longer engage. Concentrate on one signature ministry the church could focus on, become known for, and have the greatest impact in the community.

3. Low Expectations: In an effort to coerce prospective “volunteers” to say yes to being asked to serve, those who are asking minimize the responsibility, time, and commitment needed. Setting low expectations will deliver low engagement, dedication, and investment. Set honest and required expectations upfront.

4. Formation Deficiencies: Without the focus and pathway for formation (or dare I say transformation) of discipleship, why would we even expect people to give their time to an organization (in a time when institutional trust is at an all-time low)? And, those who served (or even attended church) out of a sense of obligation is shrinking every day. Be intentional and offer specific ways of forming disciples striving to become more and more like Jesus every day.

5. Paid Staff: When staff are hired to “do ministry” rather than be equippers, this becomes an on-going expectation and practice. In the healthiest of churches, staff are responsible to identify, recruit, equip, and deploy disciples into ministries. Anyone leading a ministry area (even unpaid leaders), must be able to build and lead team leaders.

6. Lack of Alignment & Inspiration: When ministries are launched without a direct alignment to the mission and vision of the church, the ministry often lacks congregational commitment and becomes a silo or pet project for a person or small group of people. Consequently, when congregants can see the direct connection with how the ministry aligns with the church’s purpose (mission) and will help the church live into God’s preferred future (vision), people are often inspired and more committed to participate.

7. Absence of Impact: Too often people feel like the time spent doing things with/for the church doesn’t make a difference or have any real impact. If someone decides to invest one of their most precious commodities (i.e., their time and energy), that person wants to feel like the investment is making a difference. The person wants to see how something is better, changing, or moving ahead in direct correlation to their time, talent, and energy investment.

8. Culture and Values Gap: Churches who struggle for congregants to engage in serving, have sometimes developed a culture of not serving. Maybe the church culture is to come for an hour on Sunday and go home. Nothing else has been expected or done in years or perhaps even decades. Shift a core value to a culture of every disciple serving.

9. Historical Irrelevance: Unhealthy churches struggle to understand that ministries are methods and not sacred. The historical importance of the forty-third annual event then outweighs the importance of effectiveness and people lose interest. Evaluate every ministry, event,and program on missional effectiveness and fulfilling its intended outcome.

10. Misunderstanding Personal vs Congregational Ministry: One congregant may have a strong interest or passion in a particular ministry. Because it’s a nice person or perhaps an influential person, the church is expected (and often does), take on the ministry. A person can participate or lead a ministry in the community (i.e. deliver senior meals) without it having to be a ministry of the church. In fact, healthy churches often encourage and launch people into ministry in the community when it doesn’t align with the church’s vision, goals, core values, or resources.

11. Insufficient Equipping: Church people often feel they do not have the experience, expertise, or training for a ministry. Having job descriptions with expected outcomes for every ministry position is an essential starting point. In addition, people need to be adequately equipped for the ministry they are being asked to serve. I personally like this five-phase, simple approach of mentor-style training:

    1. I do. You watch. We talk.

    2. I do. You help. We talk.

    3. You do. I help. We talk.

    4. You do. I watch. We talk.

    5. I mentor another person. You are now prepared to serve.

12. Endowments: Having money set aside is good stewardship, but large endowments often foster ungenerous congregations. These funds may be given to outside nonprofits with little connection to the church’s mission, offering feel-good giving without advancing Kingdom work. Too often, endowments allow unhealthy, declining churches to linger—funding buildings and salaries without making disciples, impacting the community, or fulfilling their mission. Ironically, the generosity that created these funds is frequently squandered, far from the original hope that new people would come to know Christ.

Which of these gaps can you identify with? How might you begin to close those gaps in your ministry context to create a healthier leadership and discipleship culture?