Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:19-20

Whether we consciously admit it or not, every one of our churches and organizations has non-negotiables, or “sacred cows.” These are the things you don’t dare to touch, change, or get rid of, because if you do, people fear it will change the very identity of your church. And it might, especially if your church’s identity is tied to practices that were both experientially meaningful and deemed to be successful during the quickly fading Christendom era. 

In the Post-Christendom era we now find ourselves in, discipleship is critical because people less frequently walk through the doors of our churches seeking God. Not to mention, the number of people who indicate they know a Christian they can trust is quickly diminishing. As leaders, we have the calling to invest in both the character and competencies of those we lead. It is our privilege to equip and empower them, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to be the church in the places where they live, work, and play.

Could it be that the Great Commission has become more and more negotiable as the priority because the church and its leadership have unconsciously prioritized other things? Could it be that a subtle drift occurred over decades, and now we collectively find ourselves wringing our hands, wondering how we got here? 

Throughout the gospels, Jesus asked questions—some deep, hard questions—for the sake of leading people to the truth. Below are some questions— hard questions…questions we’ve asked ourselves—that we humbly and graciously ask now with a deep trust that there is a way forward with Christ going before us and behind us.

How can an unspoken, perhaps even unconscious desire to appear successful influence the decision making and prioritizing of church leaders? 

Doesn’t every leader have some desire to want to be seen as successful? Success means job security, possibly retirement security, and probably more ministry job opportunities.

No doubt you, and many other ministry leaders, fundamentally desire your church to grow because you hope that if the church is growing, more people are coming to faith. You pray for and long for glimpses of Acts 2 or 11 where many are being added to the faith daily. What a joy! But somewhere in the back of your mind, hidden in your subconscious, is a drive to provide for your family for as long as you can. (And who can blame you for that?) That desire can, sometimes unknowingly, cause leaders to look for shortcuts to growth, success, or security. 

At church leadership meetings, what is counted as a ministry success? 

Beyond worship attendance and budgets, what does church leadership tell stories about and celebrate? Do we measure, track, or tell the stories of:

• depth of relationship
• discipleship
• leading indicators of multiplication
• impact made beyond the influence of professional church workers
• communities where people who are not yet Christian can belong

Attendance and budgets, lagging indicators of what’s actually happening, are what get measured most heavily in churches when determining current and future plans, voters’ assemblies, job descriptions, ministry strategies, communications, etc. Discipleship does not get you those quick returns and therefore can easily be relegated to a secondary or tertiary priority.

Do most church leaders lead with an expectation that the people who are discipled will expand the reach of the Gospel more than they themselves could? 

It is rare that a church calls or hires a pastor hoping that they can equip a dozen people to equip a dozen people, who can each equip another dozen people to bring the Gospel outside the walls of the church. Most churches say that of course they want that, but they have a program-laden calendar that allows no room for the pastor to actually disciple others. Most churches may not say it, but subconsciously they want someone who can preach winsomely and tend to the needs of the flock (members), making little room for discipleship that multiplies the reach of the Gospel. Who have you seen model the idea that disciples will expand the reach of the Gospel beyond what the leader could do on their own?

What would you say is the primary expectation (whether spoken or unspoken) that your church has placed on you as their leader? What is it that you want more than anything as a result of your leadership role at church, and is that in line with what God desires?

Why press on this so much? PLI aims not only to help you become a healthier leader, living deeply in the forgiveness and freedom of Jesus in your life, but to create space for a Holy Spirit-breathed longing and stirring in you to become a leader who can bring people together for the mission of God. A leader with a settled soul, resting in your identity in Christ, with a laser sharp focus on making disciples who can make disciples.

This article is an excerpt from the PLI ebook Navigating Ministry: Six Leadership Essentials. You can download the full ebook for free here.