The 90% of Pastoral Leadership

by Rev. Mark E. Tidsworth, Founder and Team Leader

A keystone in an organization is a central principle that holds many things together. Organizations are guided by more than one than one keystone principle, but not many more. Keystone principles are similar to keystone beliefs – high level, impactful perspectives that open the flood gates to a flowing stream of lower level beliefs.

When it comes to effective pastoral leadership, there is a keystone function rather than belief, exerting out-sized influence on the entire church — advancing the mission and vision. Once the mission and vision are discerned and described, then everything else in church is positioned to flow from this keystone principle. When these are not identified and articulated, or are unclear and unengaging, the mission drift is the typical outcome. Clarity is kindness, as Brene Brown reminds us.

Given this, 90% of church leadership is alignment work.

Yes, alignment work.

What do we mean by alignment? Bringing all that we are and do as a church into the current flowing from the mission and vision. How much time and energy does it take to discern the mission and vision? Some, yet once discerned and described, churches need not reinvent the wheel every year. Instead, solid mission and vision discernment equips churches to move forward down missional pathways for some time. Certainly they will adjust their vision as they go (their initiatives designed for embodying the mission), yet vision will carry them forward for the present and near future.

The work of pastoral leadership then becomes bringing all that we are and do into alignment with the mission and vision. Have you ever driven a vehicle with the wheels grossly out of alignment, shaking and bumping down the road? There’s so much wasted energy and increasing frustration when riding in that condition… as is so with churches. Out of alignment, disciples in churches feel like they are exerting great energy, with only minimal progress. With alignment, everything flows so much more smoothly, not to mention in mission-congruent channels.

The vast majority of pastoral (and lay) leadership then is to constantly influence our church culture and activities toward the mission and vision, including:

Aligning Church Invitations

Just what are our churches inviting people to? When this question is left unexamined or even unanswered in a conscious way, it will be answered in mission-incongruent ways. Every church is giving invitations to those not part of their church all the time. You might take in the videos or articles with the links below for more on this.

— The Great ReEvaluation 4-Video Bundle

— Church Invitations Young People Reject

— Church Invitations Young People Appreciate

Aligning Staff Team and Structure

How well does your approach to staffing increase the flow of the mission and vision? There are natural times to evaluate this... when several staff persons leave, when mission and vision are clarified, or during interim transitions. On the other hand, strong churches are always working to align the efforts and focus of the staff team with the mission and vision.

Aligning Governance and Structure

Yesterday I started with a new coaching client whose church moved from committees to teams about 15 years ago. Now they are ready for another change, recognizing their structure absorbs energy and potential rather than increasing the flow.

Aligning Finances and Facilities

So many churches are considering this right about now. What do we do with huge facilities that are largely unused most of the week? Is that what faithful stewardship of resources looks like? Alignment means exploring how churches can use these assets as tools for ministry rather than vacant shrines.

There are plenty of other areas of church life we could add to this list. I’m hoping the takeaway is that we need our keystone principle in place with great clarity (mission and vision), equipping us to do what is most of church leadership… alignment. Effectively aligned vehicles are a pleasure to drive, with the miles flowing by under the wheels. Our churches can reduce the friction and drag, increasing movement, through leaders who recognize the value of alignment work.