My Ministry Plumb Lines

A carpenter or mason might use a plumb bob attached to the end of a string to form a plumb line. The bob pulls the string into a straight and vertical line. Whatever is built along that line is completely vertical and said to be “true.”

Over the past 30 years of ministry, I have established 5 plumb lines that guide my ministry. Anything that does not “line up” with these principles must either be adjusted or rejected.

Here are my Ministry Plumb Lines:

1. God deserves our best. We serve an awesome God Who is worthy of the very best we have to offer. Settling for the easiest thing or the most convenient way is not enough. He deserves only our best efforts.
2. We need to focus on church health instead of church growth. The church is more of an organism than it is an organization. Like many organisms, the church can grow in unhealthy ways. Since it is the Body of Christ, we must do all we can to make sure that it is healthy. When the church is healthy growth will happen, but growth in itself cannot be our goal.
3. We do church best when we do it in small groups. Worship is vital to the life of the church and the life of the believer. However, in corporate worship we miss the opportunity for true fellowship, that is sharing life together. Small groups allow for that opportunity. It is in a small group of some kind that we learn, grow, and serve most effectively.
4. Worship is about what we do for God, not what the church does for us. Many people misunderstand the purpose of corporate worship. That time is not primarily about what you can “get out of it,” or about the kind of music you like the best. Real worship is about God’s people giving God glory through sacrifices of praise. It’s really about Him, not us.
5. The local church should have a positive impact on its community. God placed our church in the community in which He intended it to be. We are to be salt and light to that community. The church should be actively involved in the community and should work to make their community a better place for all their neighbors.