Small churches have a hard time doing ministry with limited resources. Big churches have a hard time feeling closely connected.
Luke Simmons is the pastor of Ironwood Church in Mesa, AZ. Recently, he and his elders took on a very ambitious goal to help their large, growing congregation feel smaller and more connected. The plan is for the members of their elder team to have one-on-one meetings with 1,000 church members over coffee or a meal this coming year.
As a big-church pastor, Luke is not a typical Church Lobby guest, but he and I follow each other on X (formerly Twitter) and when Luke posted about this plan it inspired a lot of questions and curiosity in me.
If those numbers make you feel like this isn’t for you, give it a chance. Luke has a heart for people, and he’s interested in how to set numerical goals that help us reach the non-numerical objectives of discipleship, fellowship, and service.
Links
- Luke’s X post about elder meeting goals
- Luke’s X post about doing one-on-one meetings
- Faithful and Fruitful
- Tim Keller on Leadership and Church Size Dynamics
- Darrell Stetler’s Sermon Illustrator
- Follow Luke on X
- Ironwood Church
Bonus Content
How To Conduct An Annual Leadership Meeting, with Luke Simmons
A subscribers-only conversation with Luke Simmons about some of the steps he follows to gain as much as possible from an annual leadership meeting with his church elders. Points include:
- Get it on the calendar as soon as possible
- Make it an overnighter
- Budget for it
- Slow down in a relaxed environment
- Set the tone with idea prompts in writing
- Write a summary afterward
And more.
All Bonus Content is available on our YouTube channel for financial partners and newsletter subscribers. Click either button to get started.
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Credits
Producer: Veronica Beaver
Editor: Phil Vaters
Music: Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins
Logo: by Solomon Joy
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