GAINING MOMENTUM THROUGH LOGISTICS

6 of 6 Proofs of a Healthy Church

Wouldn’t it be nice if life just happened. I have had countless conversations with kids and adults that had one wish. They wished that life happened without any mindfulness, planning, or effort. To be honest, growing up I desired to be independently wealthy so I could do whatever, whenever, and however I wanted. I had no plan to become wealthy, I just wanted it to happen. As fun and humorous as that wish is, it’s fare from reality. That’s a good thing. Every living thing has a strategy for life. In every instance that strategy takes logistics.

Church is the living representation of God this side of heaven. Sadly, I wonder if the Church wishes that people would come to know God’s saving grace without any mindfulness, planning, or effort. God longs that the Church reflect His glory so the world will know He is God. The Church is God’s strategy to share the gospel with the world. To effectively live out God’s strategy the Church must be logistically minded.

Logistics ( Acts 20:28)
Logistics is planning, implementing, and coordinating the church’s operations. Without logistics everything falls apart. Here questions are prayerfully, strategically, and organizationally minded. The plan is also monitored to ensure things are taken care of. This ensures the operations of the church are not neglected.

Below are some of the byproducts of any church focused on logistics

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Jeremy Hickman the Sr. Pastor at Vertical Church (A Harvest Bible Chapel) in Albuquerque NM. Jeremy is a seasoned Pastor that just recently moved to the South West to plant a church. Vertical Church is a fresh disciple driven group that longs to see God’s Church make a regional impact with the gospel. Here are some thoughts Jeremy shared that help us better understand the byproducts of well thought through logistics and how any church can gain momentum.

1. How is your church’s schedule supporting ministry rather than driving ministry?
   Vertical Church (Harvest Bible Chapel) seeks to support ministry in every way. We believe that the ministry events and various meetings are to further equip the Saints for the work of ministry and to worship Christ, walk with Christ, and work for Christ in everything that they do. We believe that ministry is always happening, and every event or meeting we host will empower leaders to lead well and build up disciples in Christ.  We are in the business of investing in eternity, so we put our efforts into God’s glory, God’s Word, and God’s people.  Our schedule will support that focus and only that focus. Anything that distracts, bogs down, or confuses that focus is eliminated.

2. How does your church’s social media clearly express the heart of the church?
   We believe that social media is a powerful tool with which we can reach the current and upcoming generation of individuals. Everything that we seek to do at Vertical Church is to glorify God, and we instill this value in our social media presence. Every social media post will seek to bring clarity regarding an event, our values, and our beliefs. We do everything with intentionality, and our social media presence is no different.  Social media can be a positive means of delivering the hope of the gospel, testimony of God’s work, or even as a strategy for communication.  Social media is not intrinsically evil and should be used for righteous intentions.

3. How does your church’s marketing accurately engage its target audience?
   Much in the same way as our social media presence, our marketing will be with simplicity, urgency, and clarity. We will approach each audience (age group, gender, ministry, etc.) with an intentionality to meet them where they are. Our goal in marketing is to clearly express our idea and values that will grab the attention of the targeted demographics.  Our marketing strategy is considered a launch-point for building relationships.  Brand awareness and exposure are nothing more than conversation starters and tools for relational encounters.  The gospel is personal and we want to avoid putting the emphasis of evangelism into the hands of marketing strategies.  Instead, we intend on using marketing to offer a platform where people who love Christ have an opportunity to engage with people they otherwise would not have the opportunity to meet.

4. How does your church’s location support growth and influence in and outside the church?
   Our location will be centrally located to remove barriers for church attendance. We will be actively involved within the community through various biblically-minded ministry opportunities. We value community involvement, and we will partner alongside the community to support and enhance the surrounding area.  The location we see will allow for us to be hospitable to our community and offer quality discipleship opportunities.

5. How are your church’s finances leveraged for growth?
   We value stewardship greatly. Every purchase that Vertical Church makes will have the future in mind. The church will constantly think about and prepare for the future, and we will always be looking for new opportunities for growth in the community and within the church.  Our finances will be used first for the development of leaders and people, then the “stuff” we need to have quality, high impact, worship services.  Growth in a church is a byproduct of good discipleship so we will spend our time, talent, and treasure building into people and let the people support the work of ministry.

6. How does your church’s administration enhance rather than bog down ministry?
   Vertical Church believes that administration is necessary; however, freedom is given within each ministry context. We never seek to hinder ministry with unnecessary administrative tasks. Every task will be carefully thought out, and we are constantly revisiting ideas to determine their effectiveness.  In our culture we have standards of excellence because low standards can diminish people’s impression of God.  We seek good administrative processes so we can continue to do everything with excellence as unto the Lord.

7. How are your church’s meetings (services, groups, events, business, etc.) serving the needs of your church, community, region, and beyond?
   At Vertical Church, we believe that serving is of great importance. We have a community and global mindset, and we will do everything in our power to serve those in need. Every event, group, service, etc. we put forth will have a purpose, and it will be something that we, ourselves, would enjoy attending. We will never host unnecessary or pointless events or meetings, and we will always value the time of our congregation when planning every service.  Our highest aim is God’s glory through making disciples and that means that we will limit our meetings to times where God’s glory and discipleship are either happening or being discussed.  There are too many meetings in the church that talk about too little, and those meetings are a waste of time and resources that should be spent on more important things.  Everyone should look at their calendars and ask, “Is this meeting necessary?  Is it helping us accomplish the goal of discipleship?  Could this meeting be handled with an email? “ and most importantly, “Is this a meeting I would want to attend if I were not throwing it?”  We could win the world over three times if we were not constantly in meetings that accomplished noting but another follow-up meeting.

Vertical Church’s momentum is unique to their context. Gauge the health of your church by answering these questions. If you do not have a clear, confident answer for each of these questions your church logistics are at risk of becoming ineffective.

1. How is your church’s schedule supporting ministry rather than driving ministry?
2. How does your church’s social media clearly express the heart of the church?
3. How does your church’s marketing accurately engage its target audience?
4. How does your church’s location support growth and influence in and outside the church?
5. How are your church’s finances leveraged for growth?
6. How does your church’s administration enhance rather than bog down ministry?
7. How are your church’s meetings (services, groups, events, business, etc.) serving the needs of your church, community, region, and beyond?