7 September, 2024
Search

Questions to Ask Before Starting a New Ministry

by | 18 December, 2015 | 1 comment

By Michael C. Mack

This is prime time for planning a new ministry in 2016. Here are some questions to ask, and answer, before venturing forward (these are compiled from various sources):

  1. What’s the purpose of this ministry?

12_BP_chalkboard_JN2. Why do we need this ministry? (Is it really necessary?)

3. Would (or could) people do this ministry naturally without creating a program?

4. Are other people already doing this (and could we partner with them)?

5. Are we keeping the main thing the main thing, or is this ministry just one more thing to do?

6. How does this ministry connect to the church”s mission (and Christ”s Great Commission)?

7. Would there be any noticeable impact if we didn”t do this ministry?

8. Are we the people to carry out this ministry?

9. Would this ministry create a heavy burden for leaders or anyone else?

10. Whom will this ministry serve and what are their needs?

11. How will we provide the services these people need? What tactics will we use?

12. Who will be the key leader of this ministry?

13. What does leadership of this ministry entail?

14. What kind of team is needed to execute this ministry?

15. What kinds of training and support are needed?

16. What does our feedback loop look like?

17. What does a “win” look like for our ministry?

18. What do we want this ministry to look like three years from now?

19. How do we measure qualitative criteria?

20. How often and in what specific ways will we evaluate?

Michael C. Mack

Michael C. Mack is editor of Christian Standard. He has served in churches in Ohio, Indiana, Idaho, and Kentucky. He has written more than 25 books and discussion guides as well as hundreds of magazine, newspaper, and web-based articles.

1 Comment

  1. R. C.
    R. C. on 3 December, 2015 at 12:31 am

    Too many questions. That does not help us actualize Matthew 28:18-20.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Columns

The Solomon Foundation Doesn’t Just Believe in this Movement, We Believe in You!

by

There is no doubt that we at The Solomon Foundation really believe in this movement and that we put our resources and energy to work every day to help the person in a hard and resistant urban environment, the ministry volunteer in a rural church virtually invisible to the world outside of its community, the preacher trying to figure out how to connect more effectively to the community while lifting up the name of Jesus, and the church leadership wanting to reach out to new communities through multi-site. We don’t just believe in this movement; we believe in you! 

New Discoveries on Medical Care for Transgender Youth

by

Gender dysphoria is real. To treat them with anything less than compassion is not Christian. What is up for debate is the efficacy of the current practices in transgender healthcare for youth. Recently, England released a scathing review that challenges the established gender affirming care model.

Rules of Engagement

by

Faced with the inevitability of conflict, how should Christians conduct themselves? What are our rules of engagement? With Scripture as our frame of reference, here are some, but certainly not all, of the rules. 

Follow Us