connecting

One Step At A Time

Have you ever had the privilege of being present when a little one takes his first steps?

There’s anticipation and excitement and collectively-held breath… and then joy as he toddles forward, however short-lived.

Those few seemingly insignificant movements literally change his life. They may not seem like much at first glance, but they result in radical change.

Are you looking for longing, significant change in your ministry?

Maybe it’s time to throw everything out and start from scratch. Probably not. It’s the middle of summer and you’re probably evaluating your ministry from top to bottom. There are likely many good things happening in your ministry that impact lives and bring glory to God. If you’re truly ready for significant change, start with small steps, not giant leaps.

Significant change most often comes from taking small steps, not giant leaps.

What are some small steps that you can take today?

• Connect with your families. That list you have in your head of all the people you eventually want to connect with? Start today. Choose one person and reach out to them – let them know you love them and are praying for them.
• Keep great notes. You probably just finished VBS or Summer Camp or another huge event in your ministry. Take time to learn from it. Write down what worked, what didn’t work, what you must do again next year and what you never want to do again! Pull together your receipts, and volunteer lists, and rosters, and schedules, and layouts. Put them together in one place with your notes so that when you start your planning for next year’s event, you have a foundation to start from. Work smarter, not harder!
• Show visitors they matter. School will be starting before you know it, and families will be looking for a church family. An index card is better than not getting a visitor’s information at all. When you don’t collect a visitor’s information, you are communicating that you have no intention to connect with them.
• Honor your pastor/minister/leader. Write them a note of thanks, thanking them for the influence they’ve had on your life and ministry. Invest in that relationship – it’s one of the most important ones you have.

A toddler doesn’t start out running. She starts out one step at a time.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to change everything in order to get a different result than the one you’re getting. Just change something and before you know it, you’ll be running.