Prioritization

Revitalization churches are replete with areas needing change or improvement. Leaders can become overwhelmed by the plethora of tasks competing for their attention. It is easy to focus on obvious church needs that offer little benefit to the immediate health of the body. Prioritization helps pastors to concentrate their resources and energy on areas with the most significant impact.

In his book “Getting Things Done” author David Allen writes that “unfinished tasks create stress.”[1] You may be stressed due to the plethora of seemingly urgent needs you see within your church. Take five minutes and list seven of the most critical tasks within your church. You may have many more but write down the 10 most important changes you need to make to begin the revitalization process. The tasks can be large or small, but they should be tasks where it is possible to effect change. Focus on specific tasks, not goals. For example, growing Sunday School is a goal, but appointing a new Sunday School director is a task. Creating a friendly church culture is a goal, but teaching a sermon series on church friendliness is a task.

Sample Task List

Once you have completed your to-do list, discuss it with your spouse or team members to see if there is something you have missed. We will now systematically compare the numbered tasks to one another. For example, which of the two tasks is more beneficial for the health and growth of the church? Task number one or task number two? Why do you believe it is more important? Discuss or debate your logic with your spouse or team members. Get their feedback. When you have determined which task would be the most beneficial to the church, circle that number in the top left box on the table below. Go to the next box down in the column and compare task number one to task three. Compare each task in the 1-column, then continue comparing task #2 to each of the remaining tasks.Compare all tasks in the remaining columns.

Once you have compared each task on each of the remaining rows, count the times you circled each number and record the total below each task.

You have now created a prioritized list of your revitalization tasks. In our example, task #2 (Launch new prayer ministry) received six votes and should receive the revitalization priority. This tool is effective as a group activity. Participating in this exercise may be a way to win the buy-in of members who resist change. Prompt action is often necessary, but pastors should not try to accomplish every task during their first month of revitalization. The goal should be to create a sense of momentum where consistent change becomes part of a church’s culture.

- Robert L McKee

[1] Allen, David. Getting Things Done New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2015.