Toss the Old Sweater

One of the first rules recommended by de-cluttering experts is this: before you add a new item, toss an old one. Take your closet for example. We all have clothes that make their way to the back of the closet—and stay there. They haven't been worn in years, but they take up valuable space. To declutter, say the experts, toss that old sweater or faded blue jeans before your next shopping trip.

We need to do the same with ministries. Some programs in our churches are thriving. They're the ones you love to tell others about, the ones with vitality. But we also have ministries that aren't working well. Yet they still take precious time and energy.

Healthy churches relentlessly monitor what they're doing to reduce ministry clutter. They start reducing clutter not after they find a great new idea, but before. I call it The Closet Rule.

Several years ago we realized that too many of our ministries were inwardly focused. We had a few ideas about outwardly-focused ministries, but there wasn't room to fit them into an already-crowded calendar.

Choosing which ministries to add and which to toss is not about old vs. new or big vs. small. It's about effectiveness.

So we asked, "What do we spend a lot of time on that doesn't work very well?" The answer? Small groups.

I know, I know. Small groups are essential. For some, sacrosanct. I'm always hearing how you can't have a healthy church without having healthy small groups. But ours weren't working. We had experimented with groups based on age, gender, common interests, geographical proximity—you name it.

The main reason people go to small groups is for fellowship. But we're a small church, so our church members get their weekly "fellowship fix" before and after Sunday services. Or in friendships outside of church service events (how dare they!).

Our church didn't need more fellowship. We needed outreach.

So we suspended our small groups. We tossed the old sweater from the back of our church closet. And we replaced it with ministry teams.

Now our primary purpose for getting together outside of Sunday mornings is to serve others. We clean houses for shut-ins, supply food to the homeless, build friendships at the state mental hospital, provide comfort at the senior center, and more.

The wonderful side benefit to these teams is that when people get together for the purpose of serving others, they also have some great fellowship along the way. One stone, two birds.

"Sounds great," you might say, "but how do I know which programs to toss?"

Well, I start by asking the following questions:

What ministries cost more time, money, or energy than they're worth?
If we were starting the church today, is this a ministry we'd be sure to include?
What ministries don't fit the mission or vision of the church?
Can this ministry be revamped and renewed, or should it go?
What are we doing that we wish we didn't have to do?

Choosing which ministries to add and which ones to toss is not about old vs. new, or big vs. small. It's about effective vs. ineffective. In the battle for the hearts, minds, and spirits of people, we must always be on the side of effectiveness. Just remember the simple Closet Rule: Do not add a new ministry until you're willing to lose an old one.

Karl Vaters is pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California.