Have you ever experienced a “solution looking for a problem?” I love that phrase. It most commonly looks like a product developed by a company for a customer that doesn’t exist. Not in the Steve Jobs or Apple way. In the legitimate “we spent time and resources creating something that nobody will ever want or need” way. At times a solution looking for a problem is a strategy or plan for a need that doesn’t exist. Sometimes this can apply to your ministry model.
These types of useless solutions are relatively easy to spot.
There is, however, a version of this dilemma that is painfully difficult to identify. If you miss it, the results can be catastrophic. If you allow it to continue, it can be impossible to resolve. What version are we talking about? The most difficult “solution looking for a problem” is legitimate a solution to a problem that DID, but no longer, exist.
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If you’re a church leader, pay special attention to this version. This last version is what the church experiences all too often.
Is Your Ministry Model On-Point?
Too many churches have ministry models beautifully and strategically created for a moment in time that has passed. At the time of creation, the ministry model addressed a specific need. The model was a legitimate solution to a real problem. Yet, as time passed, the issues changed. And as the problems evolved, the necessary solutions changed. This problem evolution demands new solutions.
If your church operates from the same basic ministry model from a decade ago, it’s most likely outdated. Heck, if your church is using your 2019 model, your strategy is outdated.
Outside of the obvious situations (like a ministry model from your parent’s generation), how do you know if your strategy is no longer relevant?
Well, how are your results?
Your church (or organization) is perfectly designed to achieve the results you’re experiencing. If you aren’t seeing growth, odds are your model is behind the times. If you aren’t effectively making disciples, odds are your strategy needs an adjustment. If you are losing leaders — especially younger leaders — there is a good chance a ministry update is warranted.
