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Put and End to Trading Season
What it takes to make your ministry a true contender.
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Craig Tiley became the interim coach of the University of Illinois men's tennis team in 1993. During the off-season he developed a detailed, long-term plan that included winning a conference title within three years, competing at a national level within five, and winning the NCAA championship and producing "impact pros" within a decade. In 2003, Tiley's team won its first national title. Tiley won the trust and patience of his supervisors because he had a clear plan and understood the steps and time necessary to make Illinois a contender. Tiley's accomplishment shows that good work is hard work. And it takes time. I'm reminded of that here, at the changing of seasons—from baseball to football, that is. Every year, in every sport, the end of the season signals a wave of coaching dismissals. In professional and big-time college sports, many coaches and managers are fired after only one or two years on the job. Patience is a virtue, but apparently one in short supply in the big leagues these days. Today's owners expect immediate and spectacular results, and make the coach the scapegoat if progress (in their estimation) is too slow. Sadly, I've seen this instant-results attitude affecting the church. The explosive growth of some church plants and megachurches has raised expectations at many established churches. Churches hire a new pastor and expect an immediate turnaround—increased giving, standing-room-only crowds, and a surplus of volunteers. But time and patience are inversely proportionate. The more time that passes, the louder the murmuring gets. Unmet (often unspoken) expectations inevitably lead to frustration, and the pastor can go from savior to scapegoat faster than "requests" are passed on the prayer chain. Coach Warren's 20-year "overnight success"The senior pastor at my church has been around for three years. While there has been quantifiable change and growth during that time, it's been slow going at times and some people in the congregation have grown tired of the rebuilding process, of waiting for the breakthrough season. One man sat in the pastor's kitchen months ago and promised, "If things don't change by the spring, we're leaving." I know of this conversation, because it's my kitchen, too. Another person told me she and her husband were considering leaving our church because it would be another three to five years before certain areas in our church demonstrated significant improvement. The thing is, I didn't disagree. Change does take time. In the ministry world—a world full of committee meetings, congregational crises, busy volunteers, and dozens of personal agendas—it can take a long time. There is no shortcut to success in the church. It takes time to build a solid foundation for healthy growth. Long-term commitment is the best way to foster long-term growth. |             |
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