Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with a colleague in ministry. My friend was feeling a bit out of sorts, like she had lost the rudder on her ship and lacked a sense of direction and purpose. “I think I need to set some goals,” she said.
“Why?” I asked. “How would setting goals give you a better sense of purpose?”
“Because then I would know what was important and stop wasting my time on things that really don’t matter. I think that’s when I lose my way – when I get bogged down in stuff just because I don’t know how to say ‘no.’”
“So,” I asked, “are you talking about setting goals or priorities?” She thought for a moment and then nodded. “Priorities,” she said. “That’s what I need – a clearer understanding of what God is really calling me to do.”
I think the distinction between goals and priorities is critical – especially, though not exclusively, for people in pastoral ministry. Here’s why. When churches define their mission in terms of measurable goals, we turn these sacred communities into decidedly secular projects. I grew up in a religious tradition that was obsessed with numbers. Every year, Sunday Schools were strongly encouraged to set goals for higher attendance. Pastors were pressured to set goals for worship attendance, financial giving, number of baptisms, and so on. One’s success as a pastor was determined almost entirely by these harsh measurements. Looking back on that experience, I recognize how the pressure to constantly set and achieve measurable goals was a form of law that was every bit as contrary to grace as the legalistic application of the Law of Moses during the time of Jesus.
That ethos, thank God, is now a distant memory for me. Every once in a while, when I’m emotionally fatigued, the old taskmaster looms over me again and tells me I don’t “measure up,” but that happens less and less. Today, after 27 years of being a pastor and two decades with the same congregation, I’m very comfortable saying that “goal-setting” is not only a legalistic way to do ministry – it’s also boring. I find it much more fun and rewarding to let God set the agenda. I guess this is one reason I’ve been able to stay in one place for so long. Rather than develop a five-year plan, work to implement it, then move on to the next church armed with the same plan, I prefer to dwell in one place long enough to notice how God is working there, and discern from those evidences what God is calling the congregation to do. That makes “priorities” much more important than “goals.”
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with church leaders seeking to increase efficiency, improve communication, and maximize resources, but such “objectives” (and any resulting goals) are for the purpose of making sure that institutional necessities encourage rather than get in the way of real ministry. Too often, the business of running the church overwhelms all the good it can do. In the end, nothing that can be measured is of ultimate importance. Churches are not defined by their ability to meet prescribed goals, but by how well they discern the call of God.
Like the colleague with whom I spoke yesterday, I need to be clear with myself about just what it is God is calling me to do, so I don’t spend a lot of time doing things that distract me from that vocation. I cannot be all things to all people. I cannot let myself get stretched so thin that I don’t do anything well. I need to be clear about the values that God wants me to embrace and embody as the spiritual leader of a community. When my priorities are straight, then I can provide the leadership necessary to help the congregation discern how God is leading.
The church is not my project; it’s my faith community. It doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to God. I am not called to set the mission of the church; I’m called to lead the congregation to discern its mission and live it out, knowing that it will develop and grow in ways we cannot always perceive.
Last Sunday, our congregation marked my twentieth anniversary as its pastor. It was a marvelous celebration. I wrote this for the church newsletter: “Our worship was energetic and pregnant with God’s presence. The music was soul-stirring. The beautifully designed and sewn banner (a gift presented to me) was heartwarming. The reception was fabulous. The nursery school artwork was inspiring. The tears, the hugs, the smiles, and the heartfelt words of congratulations and gratitude from so many people filled my spirit to overflowing.” I also wrote that it is “nearly impossible to sum up the full meaning of this life together – all the joys and sorrows, laughter and tears, sabbath and struggle. But on occasions like last Sunday, we come close to experiencing it all at once and we realize the depth and extravagance of grace through it all.”
In other words, there is no way to quantify the blessings of the last twenty years. But Sunday’s celebration made very clear that, as a whole, our labor during these years, despite our foibles and stumbles, has allowed God’s Spirit to work wonders in our members and, through us, in the wider community. The intangibles that defy earthly measurement but are centrally important to God’s reign have been upheld and affirmed through our striving to be the body of Christ. No human goals, however ambitious or lofty they may be, can ever approach the splendor of pure grace found in a faithful community of God’s people.
©2015 by J. Mark Lawson
You always pick a topic that bring me back to a state where I just need to breathe and everything will be ok. For me, I agree that priorities need to be more important than goals. This past week I found myself in a work situation where I am trying to fix my boss' mess with double standards being practiced where he is pretty much a "lame-duck" pencil pushing yes man having our group take more stuff on where we are jumping through hoops and not being productive. I find myself constantly asking questions relating to "Why are you making my job harder than it should be?" and pushing back on policies and procedures making myself look like a rebel without a cause. Am I trying to get my boss to get to the point where saying no is ok and to make other frameworks accountable and take ownership for their own possessions where we have no control of it?-Yes. Is my goal to get out of this job so that I get laid off with a 14 year severance package?-Yes. All of this I can see now is drama where "I" am so obsessed that "I" am going see that these changes will take place where I start drifting away on what really matters in my life - my marriage, my mom, my relatives, my dogs (LOL!!), and of course, my church family. These are the priorities I need to tak a sense of ownership of where this comes first and "I" come second. Thanks for letting me vent and reeling me in.
Posted by: Dave Rosenfeld | 01/31/2015 at 12:16 AM
Yes, God's grace is alive and well and it was expressed admirably during our time of celebration on Sunday. Kudos to you and your humble presence as you have provided extraordinary leadership in shared ministry these past 20 years. We are so blessed to have experienced God's will through your discerning grace and guidance. You still have much to teach us and we still have much to learn, so I hope you be with us for a long time to come.
Posted by: Deb Record | 01/30/2015 at 09:29 PM