In an earlier post I wrote about the movement of a steam locomotive beginning to move. It is a slow but deliberate process. While there may be others working behind the scenes, it is the engineer who makes the maneuvers to get the train started moving. Unlike the train where the engineer is primarily responsible for moving the locomotive forward, there are different ministries of the church.

Therefore, there are varying avenues in moving the church forward and creating forward momentum. The pastor should lead the effort, but ministry leaders and members share in the responsibility of forward progress of the church. It now becomes essential for proper equipping of the members of the church which begins with those in leadership positions. Without proper equipping of leaders, it is not so likely that all ministries will be part of the forward momentum building process of the church.

An important decision for church leaders at this juncture is to determine how each ministry can benefit the forward moving progress of the church. This too, is not a decision that will automatically come to pass overnight. Creating forward momentum will require some time, teamwork, and a lot of prayer and higher level thought processes to ensure all ministries are considered equally and unequivocally.

One critical factor is that each team leader must 1) buy into the process of reversing decline and assisting in moving the church forward. A ministry/team leader that is not helping create forward momentum is like a set of wheels on the train with its brakes locked, that ministry will keep the church from reaching its potential momentum.

2) Each ministry team leader must be willing to be properly equipped and trained. Regardless of age or tenure in a position, new, revised training must be sought out and competed. The type of training or equipping sought should align with the current goals and vision of the church. Use caution and set parameters for the equipping being sought after.

3) Each ministry leader should be the cheerleader, team captain, and equipper of the members of his/her ministry. If a ministry leader is not excited and energetic about the new forward momentum of the church, members of his/her team will likely not be excited, nor will they reach the full potential as a team.

When a church even in deep decline reaches this point and leaders and members are willing to make these adjustments and acquire necessary equipping, spending quality time in higher levels of prayer, seeking God’s face in new, deeper, stronger behaviors, God will begin to show up and show out in supernatural ways – changing hearts, changing lives. Now the varying ministries are pulling together to make God’s forward progress.

Be certain you are helping get all the wheels on the same track and moving all in one direction.