What are we talking about?

The loss of ministry momentum.

Every pastor has experienced it.

A new ministry begins with excitement. The pastor casts the vision, people volunteer, and everyone believes something wonderful is about to happen.

There is energy in the room.

People begin talking about the possibilities. Leaders make plans. Volunteers rearrange their schedules. The church invests time, money, prayer, and effort to get everything started.

Then, somewhere along the way, something begins to change.

• The excitement starts to fade.

• The volunteers become inconsistent.

• The leader stops communicating.

• The same few people carry most of the work.

• Problems are discussed but never corrected.

• What once felt exciting begins to feel exhausting.

Eventually, the pastor becomes frustrated.

Pastor, if it is frustrating you, it is definitely frustrating the church.

In fact, the people serving in that ministry may have been feeling the frustration long before it finally reached your office.

They may have continued showing up because they love you, believe in the church, and do not want to disappoint anyone.

But they feel it.

They know when a ministry is losing momentum.

People Can Feel When Momentum Is Leaving

Momentum is difficult to explain, but it is easy to recognize.

When a ministry has momentum:

• People want to be involved.

• Volunteers arrive with enthusiasm.

• Leaders communicate clearly.

• Problems are addressed quickly.

• New people are welcomed and trained.

• Testimonies are shared.

• Progress creates more progress.

• People believe their efforts are accomplishing something.

When momentum begins to disappear:

• Meetings become harder to schedule.

• Volunteers begin arriving late.

• Communication becomes inconsistent.

• Small problems remain unresolved.

• Leaders begin making excuses.

• Fewer people carry more of the responsibility.

• Everyone stays busy, but little seems to move forward.

• People quietly begin looking for a way out.

The ministry may still appear to be functioning.

The calendar still lists it.

Someone still has the title.

A few faithful people are still showing up.

But the life is leaving it.

A ministry does not normally lose all its momentum in one day. It loses momentum through small disappointments, neglected details, unclear expectations, and unresolved frustrations.

Momentum rarely disappears suddenly.

It leaks away.

Starting Is Not the Same as Sustaining

Churches are often very good at starting things.

We can announce a new ministry, decorate a room, design promotional material, recruit volunteers, and have an exciting launch.

But starting a ministry and sustaining a ministry are not the same thing.

Starting requires excitement.

Sustaining requires leadership.

Starting requires an announcement.

Sustaining requires communication.

Starting requires volunteers.

Sustaining requires training, encouragement, correction, and accountability.

Starting requires vision.

Sustaining requires someone who will protect that vision after the excitement of the launch has passed.

Jesus taught us to consider the cost before beginning:

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

—Luke 14:28

The goal is not merely to begin.

The goal is to finish what God has placed in our hearts.

A ministry should not become another item on the church calendar that continues simply because no one wants to admit it is no longer working.

It should have:

• A clear purpose.

• A committed leader.

• A trained team.

• A practical plan.

• Measurable goals.

• Regular communication.

• Ongoing pastoral support.

• A willingness to make necessary adjustments.

If those things are missing, enthusiasm alone will not carry the ministry very far.

Putting Someone in Charge Is Not Enough

One of the greatest mistakes we make is believing that simply placing someone over a ministry will cause it to succeed.

We find a willing person, give them a title, hand them a key, and tell them, “You are in charge.”

Then we move on to the next problem.

Six months later, we wonder why the ministry is struggling.

Pastor, appointing a leader is not the end of your responsibility. It is the beginning of a leadership-development process.

That person may have a willing heart but still need help.

• They may need you to explain the vision more clearly.

• They may need training in how to lead volunteers.

• They may need help organizing their responsibilities.

• They may need permission to make decisions.

• They may need correction when standards begin slipping.

• They may need encouragement when their efforts seem unnoticed.

• They may need someone to help them solve a problem they have never faced before.

Delegation does not mean abandonment.

You do not need to control every detail. In fact, micromanaging a capable leader can destroy initiative.

But there is a great difference between giving someone freedom and leaving them alone.

Paul told Timothy:

“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

—2 Timothy 2:2

Paul did not merely give Timothy a position. He invested truth, example, instruction, and confidence in him.

Healthy delegation includes:

• Clear expectations.

• Proper authority.

• Necessary resources.

• Regular communication.

• Honest evaluation.

• Encouragement and correction.

• Continued investment in the leader.

People do not normally fail because they wanted to fail.

Sometimes they fail because no one clearly showed them how to succeed.

Frustration Is Trying to Tell You Something

Frustration is not always an enemy.

Sometimes frustration is an alarm.

It is telling you that something needs attention.

When the same ministry continually frustrates you, do not merely complain about it. Stop and ask why.

• Is the purpose of the ministry still clear?

• Does the leader understand what success should look like?

• Does the leader have the authority to make necessary decisions?

• Are volunteers being trained?

• Are too few people carrying too much of the load?

• Are problems being discussed without anyone taking responsibility for correcting them?

• Is the ministry still meeting a real need?

• Has the method become more important than the mission?

• Are we continuing something only because we have always done it?

• Does this ministry still support the present vision of the church?

Do not be afraid of honest answers.

We sometimes treat every problem as though it is a spiritual attack. Sometimes the devil is fighting us. At other times, we are simply disorganized.

Sometimes we do not need another prayer meeting about the problem.

Sometimes we need:

• A clearer schedule.

• A better-trained leader.

• A returned telephone call.

• A repaired piece of equipment.

• A written procedure.

• A difficult conversation.

• A decision that should have been made months ago.

Prayer should lead us to action, not become an excuse for avoiding it.

Your Volunteers Feel the Frustration Too

Pastors must remember that volunteers have lives beyond the ministry they serve.

They have:

• Families.

• Jobs.

• Bills.

• Health concerns.

• Children who need their attention.

• Personal battles no one else may know about.

When they give their time to the church, that time should be respected.

Nothing discourages volunteers more quickly than feeling that their sacrifice is being wasted.

They become frustrated when:

• Meetings begin late without explanation.

• Leaders arrive unprepared.

• Plans change repeatedly.

• No one communicates important information.

• Their questions go unanswered.

• Their concerns are continually dismissed.

• They are expected to solve problems without the authority to do so.

• Faithful workers are continually asked to compensate for unreliable ones.

• No one acknowledges what they have contributed.

People will work hard when they believe the work matters.

They will sacrifice when they understand the purpose.

They will endure difficulty when they trust the leadership.

But continual confusion will eventually drain the enthusiasm from even your most faithful people.

Pastor, do not mistake silence for satisfaction.

Some volunteers will never complain.

They will simply become weary.

Then, one day, they will tell you they need to step down. By that time, the frustration may have been building for months.

Pay attention before you lose them.

Momentum Must Be Fed

A fire that is not fed will eventually go out.

Momentum works much the same way.

When a ministry begins, the excitement surrounding it provides the initial energy. But if that energy is not continually fed, the ministry will begin slowing down.

Momentum is fed through:

• Clear and repeated vision.

• Visible pastoral support.

• Consistent communication.

• Training that helps people improve.

• Testimonies of lives being changed.

• Recognition of faithful workers.

• Quick attention to unnecessary frustrations.

• New opportunities for people to become involved.

• Regular evaluation and adjustment.

Do not assume people remember the purpose simply because you explained it once.

Vision leaks.

People become distracted.

New volunteers join the team.

Problems compete for everyone’s attention.

The leader must continually remind people:

• Why this ministry exists.

• Who it is trying to reach.

• What God has called it to accomplish.

• Why their individual contribution matters.

• What the next victory should look like.

Nehemiah did more than tell the people to build a wall. He helped them see what was at stake.

“Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.”

—Nehemiah 2:17

The people understood the need, saw the vision, and knew they had a part in accomplishing it.

The result was action:

“And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.”

—Nehemiah 2:18

That is momentum.

Celebrate Progress

People need to know that their work is making a difference.

Do not wait until everything is perfect before celebrating progress.

• Celebrate the first visitor who attends because of the ministry.

• Celebrate the volunteer who has served faithfully.

• Celebrate the problem that was finally solved.

• Celebrate the family that was helped.

• Celebrate the child who learned a Bible verse.

• Celebrate the new leader who accepted responsibility.

• Celebrate the small victory that proves the vision is working.

What we celebrate, we communicate.

Celebration tells the church, “This matters.”

It reminds volunteers that their labor is not invisible. It builds faith that more can be accomplished.

A simple word of appreciation can breathe fresh life into a weary worker.

Pastor, say thank you.

Say it publicly.

Say it privately.

Say it often.

Your volunteers may not be serving for recognition, but that does not mean they should serve without encouragement.

Some Ministries Need to Be Repaired

When a ministry is losing momentum, it does not necessarily need to be eliminated.

It may need to be repaired.

Before shutting it down, ask:

• Can the vision be clarified?

• Can the leader be coached?

• Can new volunteers be recruited?

• Can unnecessary steps be removed?

• Can responsibilities be distributed more fairly?

• Can communication be improved?

• Can the ministry be simplified?

• Can a short pause provide time to rebuild properly?

Do not abandon something valuable merely because it has entered a difficult season.

Sometimes one honest meeting can change the direction of an entire ministry.

Bring the team together.

Listen to them.

Let them speak honestly about what is working and what is not.

Do not become defensive.

The people closest to the work often see problems before the pastor does.

They may also have the solution.

Some Ministries Need to End

This may be difficult for pastors to accept, but not every ministry should continue forever.

A ministry may have been right for a previous season and no longer be effective in the present one.

Ending a ministry does not always mean it failed.

Perhaps it fulfilled its purpose.

Perhaps the need changed.

Perhaps the people it was created to reach are now being served in a better way.

Perhaps the resources being consumed there are desperately needed somewhere else.

We should never continue a ministry solely because:

• We have always had it.

• Someone might become upset.

• Money was invested in it years ago.

• It once worked.

• No one wants to make the decision.

• Ending it might feel like admitting failure.

A dead ministry can consume the time, energy, and people needed to give birth to something new.

Pastor, do not keep trying to manufacture momentum for something God is no longer asking your church to carry.

Pray about it.

Evaluate it honestly.

Honor the people who served.

Learn from the experience.

Then have the courage to move forward.

Deal With the Frustration

If a ministry is frustrating you, do not ignore it.

If it is frustrating you, it is probably frustrating the leader.

If it is frustrating the leader, it is almost certainly frustrating the volunteers.

If it is frustrating the volunteers, it will eventually affect the people the ministry was created to serve.

Deal with it before frustration becomes discouragement.

Deal with it before discouragement becomes resentment.

Deal with it before resentment causes your best people to leave.

You may need to:

• Restate the vision.

• Retrain the leader.

• Recruit additional help.

• Remove an ineffective procedure.

• Correct a careless attitude.

• Address an unresolved conflict.

• Provide a missing resource.

• Replace a leader who refuses to lead.

• Pause the ministry and rebuild it.

• End what is no longer fruitful.

• Begin again with greater wisdom.

The good news is that lost momentum can be restored.

That ministry does not have to become another statistic of failure in your church.

The leader can grow.

The team can recover.

The frustration can be corrected.

The excitement can return.

The ministry can become fruitful again.

But someone must lead.

Pastor, do not merely live with what is frustrating you. Put your hand on it. Pray over it. Study it. Talk with the people involved. Make the difficult decisions.

Then lead the ministry forward.

Momentum Changes Everything

When momentum returns, people can feel that too.

• Hope begins to rise.

• Volunteers begin bringing ideas again.

• Leaders begin taking initiative.

• Problems that once seemed overwhelming become manageable.

• New people want to become involved.

• The church begins talking about possibilities instead of problems.

• Success in one area begins producing confidence in another.

Momentum does not replace prayer, spiritual power, or dependence upon God.

True ministry momentum flows from them.

But spiritual passion should produce practical action. Faith should move our hands as well as our hearts.

A healthy church is not merely busy.

It is moving somewhere.

Pastor, if it is frustrating you, it is definitely frustrating the church.

Do not ignore it.

Do not excuse it.

Do not complain about it for another year.

Lead.

Make the correction.

Restore the vision.

Build the team.

Recover the momentum.

There are people your ministry has not reached yet. There are leaders who have not been developed yet. There are families that still need what God placed in the heart of your church.

The potential of that ministry is worth fighting for.

As I have often said:

When the devil kills your potential for ministry, he is killing those whom your ministry could have reached.

Do not allow frustration to have the final word.

Build the momentum and move forward.

Related Resources

• Working as a Team — Learn why healthy ministry requires people who combine their strengths and work toward a shared purpose.

• Lead On… — Practical encouragement for pastors casting vision and leading through resistance.

• Lead Your Team to Succeed — Help your ministry leaders grow in clarity, unity, trust, and spiritual effectiveness.

• Momentum in Ministry — A practical guide and leadership-training resource for building favor, energy, trust, and lasting momentum throughout the church.

• Learn how you can help care for orphaned and at-risk children in India through OpportunityHope.org.

About Pastor James Smith

Pastor James Smith of Valparaiso, Indiana, is the founder of PreachIt.org, OpportunityHope.org, and PastoralHelps.com.

For more than two decades, he has equipped pastors and church leaders with sermon resources, practical leadership training, and encouragement for the challenges of ministry. His writing grows out of a burden to help pastors lead with wisdom, remain faithful to their calling, and develop healthy, growing churches.

Through OpportunityHope, Pastor Smith also helps care for orphaned and at-risk children in West Bengal, India. The ministry provides food, shelter, education, clean-water wells, livestock, and other practical assistance to children, families, pastors, and communities in need.

Books and practical ministry-training resources, including Momentum in Ministry, are available through PastoralHelps.com.