Some time ago I read Andy Stanley’s book Deep and Wide. It’s a must-read for every ministry leader. In one chapter he poses 5 questions that are deeply telling about a church’s direction and impact. At your next staff meeting, pose these five questions and give your staff the freedom to answer honestly. Better yet, email them a few days prior to the meeting and ask each staffer to record his or her answers. Then, bring the answers to your meeting.

Below I’ve slightly modified each since you don’t have the context where they appeared unless you’ve read the book.

1. As a church are we moving Kingdom priorities forward or are we simply meeting?
2. Are we making a measurable difference in our local community or simply conducting services?
3. Are we organized around a mission or are we organized around an antiquated ministry model inherited from a previous generation?
4. Are we allocating resources as if Jesus is the hope of the world or are the squeaky wheels of church culture driving our budget decisions?
5. If we ceased to exist as a church, would the community miss us (my question)?

What other key questions do you think we should regularly ask about our ministry’s effectiveness?

“I just learned 5 probing questions to ask key leaders in my church.” (tweet this quote by clicking here)

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