Church Administration and Objectives
Good administration begins with a church’s purpose and tries to help the church to realize its purpose. Jesus loved the church and gave Himself for it. Good church administration enables those of the fellowship to give themselves in service of the church. A church’s statement of purpose probably will be a single statement that attempts to include or allow for the fulfillment of all the nature and mission of a church. This statement is like an umbrella which covers the full scope of the body. It is a very idealistic, lofty concept. It is a good place to begin in leadership but not a good place to stop.
The purpose must be “imagineered” from
the “softy lofty” to the “nitty gritty” of everyday life and translated into
ministry plans for which there must be organization, resources, and controls. Many
churches find it helpful to determine objectives which serve as practical
guides for ministry planning. Objectives bring the purpose concept one step
nearer to where the action begins as they move toward fulfilling their purpose.
Definition of Objectives
Writing of educational objectives, Paul
H. Vieth stated:
An objective is a statement of a
result consciously accepted as a desired outcome of a given process. It springs
from the recognition that there are alternative consequences which may fol-low
from acting in given situations in different ways. It signifies that an
activity has been raised to the level of consciousness, where the desired
outcome may enter as a factor in controlling the possible ways of responding to
given situations. An objective introduces foresight into a process and uses
the anticipated outcome in directing that process.[1]
W. L. Howse described objectives as:
simple statements of what we’re
trying in our work to bring about. They are continuing aims toward which we
direct our efforts. Objectives indicate our choices as to the essential things for
which we exist and toward which we strive.[2]
An objective is used by many in
educational technology and in other disciplines as an immediate result or
outcome. In church administration, an objective is seen as an end adopted as a
desired result toward which an entity or an individual functions. It expresses
some maximum stage beyond which further progress is unlikely. In these
settings, a goal is used to identify an immediate result or outcome.
As used in church leadership, objectives
are statements of ultimate ends toward which a church aims its energies. They
are statements of a church’s understanding of the kind of church God wants them
to be. They identify outcomes in areas of a church’s timeless intention to act.
They are best stated in terms of being rather than acting or doing. People who
have clear concepts of who they are and of who they are becoming generally
reflect these concepts of identity in their actions. These concepts we call
objectives. Is it worth the time and effort for a church to consider where it
might be if it arrived at the place it is now headed? Why should churches
struggle with formulating objectives? Don’t church leaders and members know
what the church is trying to accomplish? What can objectives do for a church?
We shall look at some benefits of objectives for a church.
Objectives Reflect Values
Objectives tell what is important to a
church. Jesus said, “You shall be my witnesses,” as he was about to ascend. In
other instances He said His followers should be salt and light. He also said,
“Do not be like them,” referring to hypocrites and those who talk in empty
phrases. It should help a church to know who it is and what it values as a
church. A church adopted this statement as one of its objectives: “Our
objective is to be witnesses for Christ both in this community and throughout
the world.” This church declared that being witnesses for Christ both at home
and abroad is an imperative value. It implied that being witnesses for Christ
is more important than some other things a church might be. A church whose
members really believe such an objective is likely to do more than they
otherwise would about being wit-nesses for Christ.
Objectives Direct Your Efforts
Objectives function like the North Star
in navigation. They enable a church to check its bearing and to move with
assurance in the direction it feels God wants it to move. Some churches seem
to be static. They apparently are not moving.
They need a sense of direction.
Objectives can give direction to such churches. Some churches seem to be moving
in all directions. There might be a lot of activity, but not much progress.
Members might seem thrilled by the commotion. Some might be ill with motion
sickness. They are moving, but not with unity. They are marching, but with
broken steps. Objectives can help bring order and direction to a church that
seems to be moving in all directions. Some churches are moving backward. They
are losing ground.
They might be wondering why. For those
who won-der, there is hope if they search for and find their direction.
Objectives can help a backward-moving church by giving them clear objectives
toward which they should work. Churches which commit themselves firmly and
realistically to an objective like “being witnesses for Christ both in this
community and throughout the world” have a positive direction in which to
move. Such churches can scarcely be static, unguided, or backward. Objectives
give direction to their efforts.
Objectives Are Standards for
Selecting Means
Objectives are ends which should
determine what means a church will choose and plan to do. Activities are not
ends but are means to help accomplish ends. Organizations should not be ends
but means. Physical resources and money are not ends; they are means. When
means are mistaken for ends, you have “end-means inversion.”
You have activities for activities’
sake. You have organizations whether you need them or not. You have buildings
which are largely unused. Leaders feel compelled to talk often of the need for
money but never seem to have enough, because the end for which it goes it not
seen as worthy.
For each proposal in church planning, questions like these should help:
(1) Is this in character with our church
objectives?
(2) Would this help move us toward our
objectives?
(3) Are there other choices that might
do more to move us toward our objectives?
A church needs some standards, some
criteria for deciding what means it will use to fulfill its purpose as a
church. Objectives can serve as standards against which to check the means a
church might consider. Good objectives can help a church put first things
first. From time to time as church leaders consider means and try to make good
decisions about them, they might find that what is being considered doesn’t
seem to relate to any of the church’s stated objectives. In this case, leaders
should review the objectives to see if they are as broad as they should be. If
not, they should propose revising them to meet the needs. If they are already
inadequate, they should acknowledge this fact and move on to the next
consideration.
A church is unwise to engage in any
activity, change any organization, modify physical resources, or spend any
money that does not meet the test of contributing to its objectives. The church
must be the church. The church must do the work of the church. To this end, a
church is right to leave undone or to leave for other organizations and groups
that which is out of character with its purpose and objectives. With limited time,
energies, physical, and financial resources, a church must be the best steward
of these means with God’s help. Objectives are standards for selecting means.
Objectives Motivate People
One of the concerns in leadership is how
to motivate people to do what needs to be done. There is a lot that is not
known about how to motivate people. But one thing that is known is that there
is a direct correlation between the perceived worthiness of a cause and the
willingness of persons to support that cause. A church has the most worthy of
causes! Why don’t people just fall all over themselves in support of the cause?
One reason is that leaders have not helped them to clearly perceive the extreme
worthiness of the cause.
They help ex-press what it is to which
leaders are calling people. They communicate worthy outcomes for which every
child of God would want to strive. Good objectives call forth increased
participation from believers. Programs, as important as they are, do not offer
the highest motivational possibilities. Organizational loyalty is not the
ultimate for which people are willing to give themselves. Buildings and other
physical resources do not give highest expression to the cause. Appeals for
money become irritating when they are not clearly tied to worthy outcomes or
obligations.
Motivational possibilities of the
highest order lie in calling people to the worthy purpose of the church and to
the long-term objectives which will lead the church to fulfill its purpose. There
are other considerations which add to a person’s willingness to participate in
working toward church objectives. One consideration is that they should share
in determining what the objectives will be.
Leaders might withdraw from the busy
lives they lead long enough to write some beautiful statements of objectives.
They could have copies made, pass them out at the door on church business
meeting night, and persuade those present to vote in favor of the statements.
What would they have accomplished? Just about what they have so often
accomplished when they have tried to lead people in this fashion: their
approval for the leaders to go ahead and try to do the job, or their pledge not
to try to keep the leaders from going ahead. The vote of approval gained in
such a manner usually means no more than, “Tt’s OK with us, if that’s the way
you want to do it.”
Children of God—people who have received
Christ—do respond to good objectives which they have helped to formulate,
which they understand, and with which they agree. They identify with such
objectives personally. People are least interested when called upon to work
toward objectives someone else has determined.
Objectives Will Measure Results
Just as a church uses objectives as
criteria or standards for selecting means, it also evaluates results by
reflecting upon the ways the chosen means contributed to moving the church toward
its objectives. The church chose at some point in planning to conduct certain
events. Once conducted, leaders should ask candidly, did these events do for us
what we hoped they would do? If so, why? If not, why not? What are the lessons
we should learn from these experiences which would help us to do better in the
future? What other events might offer promise of greater return on our
investment of re-sources? These and other questions should help a church
measure its results in the light of its objectives.
Why should a church struggle with
formulating objectives? Because they are useful tools in helping to lead the
church to fulfill its purpose. And, even in the process of determining
objectives and keeping them before the people, leaders will discover there are
growth and development opportunity and experience for all who are a part of the
process.
Sample Objectives
Is it worth the time and effort to get
the church to determine and approve and use objectives? The short answer is
yes. Would you think it worth the effort and time if you could lead your church
to determine objectives like these, and commit themselves to work toward them?
1. Our objective is to be a covenant
fellowship of Christians filled with the Holy Spirit.
2. Our objective is to be a worshiping
fellowship in which God encounters persons.
3. Our objective is to be witnesses for
Christ both in this community and throughout the world.
4. Our objective is to be a fellowship
of maturing Christians whose learning results in responsible living.
5. Our objective is to be a church that
unselfishly ministers to persons in the community in Jesus’ name.
Synopsis
Good administration begins with purpose
and moves next to objectives. Objectives bring the purpose concept one step
nearer to where the action begins in the work of a church. Objectives are
defined in terms of ultimate results rather than immediate goals.
Objectives reflect values. They direct
efforts. They are stan-dards for selecting means. They motivate people. They
mea-sure results. Goals, strategies, and action plans come after objectives in
planning the work of a church. One church developed a fine set of objectives
with their pastor’s leadership.
Working through the church council, church
leaders and members participated in the process over a period of several
months. Eventually the church adopted the objectives, and they became the
guidelines for developing that church’s ministry plans. After adopting
objectives, the Church Council should lead in reviewing
objectives periodically, at least annually.
Objectives should be presented to new
church members, to prospective church staff members, and to the general
membership as the ministries of the church are advanced. Objectives are worth the
time required to develop them in a church.
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