Most church meetings feel like an icepick going through your eye. They can be predictably painful, because we don’t talk about real problems and we don’t come up with any solutions. As leaders, we must realize our followers dislike ineffective meetings. We need to rethink the content and change the format. Most church meetings become routine; the same people pray, the same people talk and nothing changes. We must harness the power of our people and energize them through our meetings. Consider the following changes to your next meeting:
1. Rethink the agenda
Are any of the items on the agenda things that you should decide on your own as the leader? Are you using the meeting to affirm what you have already decided? Break that pattern and bring real problems to the table with 3 optional solutions. Let your team work through the solutions, rather than coming up with them.
Also, have shorter meetings with at least one fun activity. I like to play a game and ask how this game is like youth ministry? We can always find lots of connections. This brings our ministry to life.
2. Cut the calendar – focus on care
Often church meetings focus on the calendar – what is coming up and what needs to get done to prepare for the event? I challenge you to spend only five minutes on calendar and use the saved time on caring for your followers. For example: ask people to share their burdens and then break into small groups for prayer. Or, find a short video on YouTube that will encourage your staff or teach your staff a new principle. Watch it and have a discussion about how they can use this information in their ministry.
3. Talk less
Ask different staff members to lead the meeting. Allow them to use their gifts and their perspective to bring new life to the meeting.
4. Move
Use interactive initiatives and activities to bring excitement and energy to your meetings. It’s more fun to move, and you learn more when you do experiential learning activities. You can find tons of these activities on numerous websites, I have a lot of free ones on my blog and on the LeaderTreks website (www.leadertreks.org).
Church meetings need to change – breath new life into yours and your leadership will expand.
