What is Productivity?

Are you a person who likes to get things done? To cross things of the list? If you don’t accomplish a certain quota of tasks do you get frustrated? Do you feel like a failure? Like your day was wasted? Are you the kind of person who likes to measure progress and see results?

A healthy number of leaders are task oriented. They like to see things get done. Unfortunately, this desire for productivity can lead to creating and living in an illusion of accomplishment. The hunger for productivity can lead to the trap of meaningless busyness.

What is productivity in mission and ministry? Is it simply keeping up and catching up? You know how it goes: you work to keep the e-mail inbox clear; you try to keep up with snail mail and reports, you keep your website up to date, you compose your latest blog, you return phone calls, you scramble to meetings, you outline strategic plans, you make sure worship services are set to go, you communicate with church leaders and staff, you set up for your next event. Work, work, work. Busy, busy, busy.

But is it productive? These are good things, but at the center of mission and ministry are people. The ultimate measure of productivity in the church is redemptive relationships. Who is lost but now is being found? Who is weak, but now is being strengthened? Who is idle, but now is being equipped and sent out? Who is hopeless, but now is being brought to the Shepherd of their souls?

When I was serving a mission church in suburban Chicago, there were stretches of time when all I seemed to do was spend hours on the phone with people, handle walk-ins, go to hospitals and nursing homes, and spend time meeting people in the community. On some days I felt like I got nothing done! But a few years before that season of ministry, I determined that my number one priority in ministry would be people. Even though I felt as if I never kept up with all the tasks, I was going to connect with people. It felt completely unproductive at times, but God showed me otherwise.

Every month I visited a woman who was bedridden because of severe arthritis. Her sister and brother-in-law took care of her. We talked, drank 7-Up, laughed, prayed and celebrated God’s gifts. It took most of the afternoon. I loved this dear lady and her family, but sometimes I wondered if this was a productive use of time. God showed me it was. In addition to caring for a dear and precious child of God who had no other access to Christian fellowship, this sweet lady and her family had a network of family and friends who I got to know gradually. The synergy of our relationship resulted in remarkable opportunities for witness, consolation, and service to the Lord. God showed me that, ultimately, relationships move the Kingdom forward.

I’ll never forget how meeting a homeless man connected me to a Roman Catholic nun, who connected me with a network of community leaders, who ultimately banded together to reach several key high-risk and high-need areas of the community, allowing me to bring Christ to thousands of at-risk young people and disenfranchised adults. What seemed like a distraction from productivity resulted in the most productive Kingdom work ever.

How could I miss this simple truth? How could I think that a list of tasks and an empty e-mail inbox rivaled relationships with others? After all, Jesus spent time with people. He sought relationships. His web of people connections opened the door of new life for thousands. And Jesus still seeks people.

I am in full support of responsible administration and organizational leadership. I hope that every servant of Christ is able to get certain things done in a timely way. But what if you started to measure your productivity in terms of relationships? What if you reserved large chunks of time to see what the synergy of redemptive relationships can accomplish? What if you redefined productivity and reveled in its new freedom and opportunities?

(Church Planting Series, Part thirty-five)

2009: Keep Moving!

I never expected to be there. I never would have chosen to go there. If you see some footage of the wild New Year’s Eve bash in downtown San Antonio, you may be able to spot me in the boogying mosh pit in front of the main stage.

Why was I there? Because I’m a dad. My daughter’s boyfriend was playing in the band. It was a great gig and he’s a good guy. I just never anticipated standing in the midst of 250,000 people who were gyrating, drinking, and cussing on New Year’s Eve 2008.

I’m more of the stay-at-home-and-avoid-the-crowds-and-danger type of guy.

As I stood in the throng of screaming teens and swaying adults, decibels of sounds slamming into my torso and thumping my thorax, I began to wonder how many of these people go to church. Yes, I’m a pastor. Those are the things I wonder about.

The statistics tell me that less than 20% of the people there attend worship at least once each month. If worship attendance is an indicator of faith life, roughly 200,000 of those people around me did not know that Jesus walked the earth, went to the cross, and defeated death so they could have certain hope instead of simply a New Year’s wish.

As I stood there, I realized that this is where we need to be. Out here! Out there! Doing something!

A friend of mine, Alex, leads a vibrant ministry in the Chicago area. He was mentored by a go-getter pastor: Juan Martin. Alex was describing his ministry to me and mentioned his mentor’s advice: “Keep moving!” Get out there! Do something! See what the Holy Spirit will do.

It’s great advice. How can you reach the people who will party hardy on New Year’s Eve, but are not inclined to mosey into your church?

One idea may be exactly what you’re planning in these initial weeks of 2009: your summer schedule. You’ve probably already noticed that the community loves Vacation Bible School. Is it because of the Bible teaching, the great songs, and the cool crafts? Probably not. It’s most likely for the free babysitting for a week during the summer! But that’s okay! The people who might not ever darken the door of your church will gladly allow you to tell their kids about Jesus and may even come to an evening family program because you are giving them a break over the summer. Have you ever thought about building on this amazing outreach phenomenon?

As our little mission congregation grew, we added summer camps to our VBS outreach. A woman in our church loved art, so she organized an art camp. She had one-hour sessions for each age group throughout the morning. It was very manageable and didn’t demand too many volunteers. On Thursday evening she had a family art show so the kids could display their creations. Every session taught about Jesus, and the Thursday evening show was Christ-centered with an invitation to all to come back and join us.

We added a basketball camp for Kindergarten through 8th grade, too. We had several age groups rotate in throughout the day. Each session started with devotion and prayer. Friday was family day when parents could stop by, take pictures, and watch their kids compete for some trophies. Once again, it didn’t take too many volunteers, but attracted loads of people who never went to church.

There are many possibilities. The key is to get out there, to keep moving. It’s a matter of life and death!