In last week’s blog, we talked about the power of the question. Now that we have come to appreciate the power of a good question, let’s look at some specific questions your leadership team might consider processing as we begin to enter into this post-pandemic world. What might occur if your board/council would forego its regular reporting agenda and instead wrestled with some of these powerful questions? These five questions will get you started in uncovering the power of questions.
Have the decisions we’ve made taken the church backward (i.e., re-open) or have they empowered the church to be catapulted forward (i.e., re-launch) into a new future?
Going back to 2000 is “doing church” for a culture that no longer exists. The pandemic offered the opportunity for churches to start fresh. If you need a re-launch plan, take a look at the Ultimate Re-Launch Playbook.
How does the way our council/board make decisions and align our resources provide focus and momentum for the congregation to fulfill its disciple-making purpose?
Often the way churches are organized and the decision-making processes (habits) in place inhibit timeliness, flexibility, and most of all alignment with the Great Commission. Churches who simplify their structure and practice the empowering and healthy accountable leadership method are better equipped and focused to live out its purpose. If your congregation is stalled by its structure and decision-making practices, check out this resource to help move to a healthier and accountable structure.
What are the absolute essentials for being the church?
We often confuse traditions and methods as the mission and/or what’s sacred in the church. While our disciple-making purpose remains constant, how (methods) we make disciples must adapt. Embrace the mission not the methods.
How well does our congregation resemble the community in which we are called to reach?
Sometimes the surrounding community demographics have shifted yet the congregation’s demographics have not. If the congregation’s demographics don’t reflect the neighborhood’s demographics, there is a disconnect with our mission that must be addressed.
Because the world has changed forever because of the pandemic, how is our church adapting to the changing culture to ensure our relevance and missional effectiveness?
To be a relevant and culturally competent faith community who helps people know Jesus, there are some adaptive leadership shifts we must make. Failing to make these shifts will only widen the gap of the church and the post-modern, post-pandemic culture. Those required shifts are identified in this new book.
Discussing these types of questions at our council/board level will provide a more mission-focused conversation that can enable us to move beyond maintenance to actual empowering and inspiring new steps in becoming the church we are called to be to reach this now post-pandemic culture. Consider at least one powerful question as part of your regular board/council meetings. You’ll be amazed at the difference a question can make!