Ministry clarity is not just another church growth strategy. Ministry clarity is essential and will help us avoid common church leadership mistakes. So let’s ensure that this year will be the year that changes everything. Let’s define our ministry’s unique identity and our ministry’s compelling, shared direction, keeping us from mindless and disconnected ministry activity. Ministry clarity calls. Will we engage and answer the church leadership questions that define and liberate us to be who we are meant to be?
We’re all familiar with the classic definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results. Many churches are trapped in cycles of ineffective ministry patterns. These patterns give way to church leadership mistakes and reveal the urgent need for ministry clarity. So, let’s take a step back and get a broader view of these 4 types of church insanity to see if our ministry might be exhibiting them.
As stated before, this type of church insanity is the most prevalent and recognizable. It goes something like this: We program the same ministry calendars, week after week, month after month, and year after year, maybe with a little more ministry budget, and hope things will improve next year. In other words, there is no church growth strategy at all. We come by this naturally. It’s easy to shift into maintenance mode that unintentionally fuels this. In contrast, ministry clarity yields intentionality. What’s more difficult is to recognize three distinct variants that have emerged over the last three decades.
While best practices and peer conversations are important, it’s likely that their ministry context is far different from yours. What’s more, one may only look through a lens of location, demographics, or conviction and see that what works for their church likely won’t produce the same result for yours. On top of the peer conversations, resisting the temptation of podcast personas and author expertise takes a ruthless self-awareness of your unique ministry context. With this in mind, you can begin to see the importance of doing the work of ministry clarity. Church growth strategy flows from clarity. Taking the time and making the investment to answer church leadership questions that mine out ministry clarity:
Your clear, sticky, compelling, and catalytic answers to these five foundational church leadership questions will honor your unique place in the Kingdom.
Refreshing your external marketing and internal furnishings will always be worthwhile. However, changing outward appearances without changing (think stopping or starting things) inward practices will only produce short-term benefits, if any. Slow down and peel the onion a layer deeper to look thoughtfully at your church culture. Understandably, your answers to the church leadership questions above will give you vibrant language that informs and excites your marketing efforts. Ministry clarity deepens and expands from the inside out.
This variant sprung out of the global pandemic of 2020. The world and our culture have changed, yet our church’s growth strategy has not. Many of our programs for engaging people and methods for discipling people have not adapted. Consequently, it seems the farther back we reach, the fewer results we see. Ministry clarity sets Christ-led outcomes as worthy benchmarks to pursue.
As every pastoral leader continues to wrestle with leadership in this new reality, it’s important to insanity-proof your thinking. It’s not too late for 2025. We cannot repeat the assumptions and actions of this year with an expectation of impact in the next. You are perfectly designed to get the results you are getting.
Example: Because the church has not done the essential work of ministry clarity, every fall, Pastor Mark scheduled the same “Back to Church Sunday” campaign they’d run for the past eight years. He sent out the same postcard mailers. Hosted the same potluck afterward. And regurgitated the exact same worship order. The team would pray for new families to show up, but each year, the same faithful crowd returned, and the sanctuary remained half-full. During a staff meeting, a younger staff member finally asked, “What if the community no longer connects with this approach?”
Routine trumped relevance.
Insight: Repetition wasn’t the problem. The lack of honest evaluation based on ministry clarity was.
Example: Because there was no ministry clarity that defined their uniqueness, after attending a conference, a pastor in a small, rural town tried to copy a multisite urban church’s “coffee shop + co-working space + church campus” model. He invested heavily in renovating their unused fellowship hall. But after six months, the space remained mostly empty. The town didn’t need a trendy workspace. They needed places to gather around meals and care for aging parents.
Copycatting trumped context.
Insight: Inspiration is great—but context is everything.
Example: Because ministry clarity was lacking, fueling understanding and passion, the communications director proudly launched a sleek rebrand with a fresh website, updated signage, and a modern logo. But inside the church, the same cliques ruled every committee, no new leaders were being developed, and the same events dominated the calendar. When a first-time guest asked about small groups, they were told, “Well, we don’t really do those anymore.”
Aesthetics trumped authenticity.
Insight: A new look won’t cover up an unchanged heart—or culture.
Example: In the early 2000s, the church’s Vacation Bible School would attract over 200 kids from the neighborhood. The team proudly kept the same format every summer. But in 2023, fewer than 30 kids registered—and most were from inside the church. A frustrated elder said, “Why isn’t this working anymore? We used to pack the place out!” Because there was no ministry clarity no one had considered that the demographics had shifted, families had more summer travel, and midweek sports had taken over evenings.
Method trumped mission.
Insight: Reaching today’s world requires more than yesterday’s methods.
Can you and your team come up with any examples from your own context?
📌 These church leadership questions are ideal for your next elder meeting, staff retreat, or strategic planning session.
It’s easy to slip into well-trod paths of practice and program that produce feelings of movement yet mask stagnation. Before heading into another year with another set of unmeetable expectations, consider these critical actions for 2025:
Pray 5 minutes more each day for wisdom.
Read 2 of Paul’s letters to the early church.
Ask 1 person to take a step of courage with you to lead toward His better future.
🎯 Ready to Break Free from Church Insanity? Let’s Talk.
If anything in this article stirred something in you—or if you’re ready to lead your church with greater clarity and courage with what’s left of 2025—I’d love to connect personally.
Whether you need a fresh perspective, a sounding board, or someone to walk alongside your leadership journey, I’m here for you.
👉 Click here to start a conversation with me and take your first step toward a healthier, more impactful ministry year.
Let’s clarify, simplify, and multiply—together.
