Ministry Model Applications (Models Series 5 of 5)

In this final article, we are going to consider a few valuable uses of a ministry model that will extend well beyond just the beginning of your church development process. First, a ministry model developed with wisdom can increase ministry ownership both with you and those under your leadership. Like many things in pursuing transformational ministry, a ministry model must be reevaluated and tweaked as time and experience give you further insight. In fact, one particularly powerful way of developing ministry ownership is taking your ministry leaders through this very exercise that you're completing now so they can create their own ministry flow chart. Then you work together to create a new one that benefits from the insight of others.

Secondly, a ministry model can help increase ministry vision. This goes hand in hand with ministry ownership. Just as a ministry model developed with wisdom can increase ministry ownership, a ministry model communicated with clarity can help keep the goal always in front of you and your church. There are a number of ways this can be done. Obviously, the ministry model can be stated and shared in all sorts of ways through church materials and church discipleship classes like a new members class. You can also do this in more creative and unique ways. I even know one situation where a church planter created place mats for a church dinner that had the ministry model printed on them. The goal is to keep it always before the leaders and members of your church as a way to help them envision the future and to see where their part in the ministry fits into and complements all the other parts of the ministry of the church.

Thirdly, a ministry model can improve ministry planning and budgeting. The planning and doing of ministry necessarily means dealing with money through wise budgeting and spending, being a good steward with the financial resources that God has given to your church. A ministry model can help immensely in the budgeting process, better ensuring that the allocation of finances be more in alignment with the true ministry mission and goals of the church.

Finally, number four, a ministry model can improve ministry management. As is stated throughout the New Testament, believers are given a number of different gifts and talents by God all toward the goal of mutual edification and service. As more people join in with the work of your church's ministry, there will be inevitable needs to recruit, place, train, and motivate people to serve in the areas in which God has called them. A well-done ministry flow chart is a natural church organizational tool that can help toward this end. A ministry model can help you, your leadership, and the people of your church see the number of different areas of service and need, and can help to show how all the different ministries of the church fit together.

These are just a handful of valuable uses for your ministry flow chart. Creating a ministry model is a lot more than a useful exercise at the beginning of a church planting process. It's an initial step that can and should continue throughout a church's life.