Five Things...

I see them all over the place.  

5 things your church can do to increase attendance.  
5 ways to increase church membership.  
5 things your church should do.  
5 things your church should not do.  
5 things that won't make your church grow.  
5 things church should be about.  
5 things your church should not be about.  
5 things that young people are looking for in your church.  (Funny, I never see the one that says 5 things that old people are looking for in your church.)

Seriously, in any one of these are there really only five things?  I see these articles all over.

I don't read them.  Maybe I should, but I just have a hard time thinking that there are five easy answers that will make our churches or our lives the best that they can be.  Maybe I'm just old school.  I was taught that there are a few things you can do (as a pastor) that will help you be effective - really, there was only three things.

Those three things are the key to effective ministry no matter who is or who isn't in your congregation on a Sunday morning.  They aren't rocket science.  They don't include any fancy technological know-how.  They are a just simple set of keys that, if followed, pastoral leaders, business tycoons, teachers, administrators, labor leaders, directors, and anyone who aspires to inspire people stand a great chance at being effective in their leadership if they focus on these three simple things.

Write these down - three things that if you do them will help make your ministry and your life shine: 1) love the people; 2) love the people; 3) love the people.  Do these things in that order. 

That's it.  

Now, I realize you will need some basic items in your repertoire - things like love the Lord, follow God's Word, be a servant and some other things like that.  But those three things are biblical truth and again, if followed, they can help you be as successful as any five things these leadership pundits can come up with.

Don't get me wrong, there isn't anything negative about looking at lists of five things to make your church, your business, or your life better.  I'm just sayin' that you'll be ahead of the game if you do the three things first.  If they aren't there, no five things are going to be effective anyway.

Just sayin'...