Think about the system you have for getting dressed in the morning. You don’t put on your deodorant until you get out of the shower. You drink your coffee before you brush your teeth. Right? There’s a system to the way you prepare yourself for the day that makes getting out of the house faster and easier. You also have a system for the way you organize your calendar. You have a system for the way you prepare for a Sunday morning… even if you don’t realize it.

In speaking to pastors and church leaders across the country, I end up being on the road a lot. I check in and out of hotels regularly. Until recently, I used to leave something behind almost every time I checked out. I would inevitably forget my cell phone, its charger, my keys, or something else that wouldn’t hit me until I was miles away. So, I developed a simple system.

Now, whenever I go into a hotel room, I put all of my miscellaneous things on top of the television, rather than scattering them across the desk, dresser, bedside tables and bathroom vanities. Since I’ve implemented this system, I don’t have to waste precious time and gas money going back to hotels to pick up the things I’ve left. And I don’t have to deal with the stress of knowing that my phone is going to die any minute or that my house keys are in someone else’s hands. This rudimentary system is doing what a system is meant to do: it’s saving me stress, time, energy and money.

A S.Y.S.T.E.M. is any ongoing process that Saves You Stress, Time, Energy and Money, and continues to produce results. Good systems function under the surface to keep things running smoothly so that you can concentrate on more important priorities. We may not be aware of a good system when it’s running well, but there is no mistaking when something isn’t working like it should.

Can the same thing be true in the church? Absolutely.

Tune in next week when I share the specific systems in every church.

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

P.S. – If you want to learn more about the systems of a church and receive practical teaching that you can use in your ministry, meet me in Orlando on July 25th for our annual three-day Church Systems Check-up and Bootcamp. Hurry though, this event is almost sold out.

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.