They say the “right” thing.
“Sunday morning isn’t the main event. The real ministry happens in our small groups.”
“Life change happens in circles, not in rows.”
More ministry leaders are arriving at an intellectual or spoken conclusion that effective ministry is relational. They may say that person-to-person interaction leads to far more spiritual growth than a speech from the pulpit. But do their actions really support this notion?
I’ve heard pastors from high-profile megachurches tout the ultimate ministry payoff through their small groups. And I’ve heard youth pastors boast about the number of small groups they’ve started. But a closer examination of their weekly priorities may tell a different story.
Though many verbally acknowledge the value of their relational ministries, they devote very little of their time or attention to these ministries. Though they may say people ultimately gain more from conversations and interactions with others than from their sermons, they spend 30 hours in sermon prep — and 15 minutes in small group prep.
It’s often said you can accurately determine people’s real priorities by examining two things — their wallet and their schedule. So, what might a church’s financial and staff time commitments tell us about the church’s true priorities? How much time and resources are devoted to small group involvement and other relational ministries — versus what is devoted to the Sunday morning service?
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
