missio

Phil Ogilvie (link) has set up a question network for leaders, who’s responses he collects, tracks, and then posts on his blog. I’ve been lucky enough to have been selected for the network, and the first question of the network is the following:

QUESTION: As a minister, what are the top three boundaries that you have set up to ensure ministry impact and longevity and what are applicable ways you carry out those boundaries?

RESPONSE: When I see this question, I immediately think of the cultural mandate in Genesis 1: “Be fruitful and multiply.” The being fruitful is the impact a ministry has, and the multiplication ensures the longevity. So the question now is this: what three boundaries to we set up to ensure fruitfulness and multiplication? I believe that a ministry inherently has boundaries, and that the only thing that it should do is keep within them.

I think the first and foremost boundary one should keep is that the ministry should do nothing outside of Christ. That is, the ministry should not extend past the Word of God written, and the Word of God given through prayer. Without Scripture and prayer, a ministry will fall far and fast. It doesn’t matter what kind of budget a ministry has, or what kind of marketing a ministry does, if they aren’t connected to Christ, there is no way to be fruitful and multiply.

The second boundary a ministry should keep is to remain connected to their vision. We can all quote the Proverbs verse that says without a vision, the people perish. But how many of us actually believe it? Another key is to have visions, as stated in Jeremiah, that are from God. Our visions have to be given by Jesus Christ. If not, they will fail. We must then be set within those boundaries.

The third boundary a ministry should keep is the boundary of motion. A ministry should never become satisfied with what it has accomplished, but should always look for areas in which both the Gospel and the Kingdom should grow. This is so important. Becoming stagnant is one of the major enemies to the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ. We become cliquish, and form Christian country clubs, and then the ministry is no longer being fruitful, nor is it multiplying. So there you have it: our three boundaries are Christ, vision, and motion. If we keep within them, fruitfulness and multiplication are much easier to obtain and maintain as culture values.