Every Thursday Bob Goff quits something. We wrote a book about it: Is Your Church Ready to Quit? 166 Ways to Be a Quitter. You can get a free preview, buy it now or enjoy this sample:
#67: Quit saying “yes” to every request.
You can’t do everything. You need boundaries that can filter all those demands on your time (and sanity).
#68: Quit saying “no” to every new idea.
Sometimes you need to try something new. Or do something different. Instead of looking for all the reasons why some new idea won’t work, give it a try.
Nobody’s saying you need to implement every idea. The church calendar is often full and there’s only so much manpower. But churches are notorious for passing the buck on new ideas. We schedule a meeting and form a committee and schedule another meeting and never actually do anything.
You can get more straight-up honesty like that when you buy the whole book: Is Your Church Ready to Quit? 166 Ways to Be a Quitter.
What Do You Do With New Ideas?
This is another example of the contradictions in Is Your Church Ready to Quit?. Every church has their own unique problems, and sometimes they’re polar opposites.
But when it comes to tackling new ideas, churches have two common downfalls:
- We say yes to everything, get overwhelmed and can’t do anything well.
- We refuse to consider anything new and reject every idea.
This one is tough. You need to find that balance between recognizing your limits and being open to new ideas. Sometimes a great idea will come along, but it’s not a great idea for your church. You don’t have the people to make it happen. You often have to decide between the good and the great. And if you always say yes to the good, you can never do the great. And if you just say no to everything, you’re really missing out.
Perhaps the most helpful lesson is simply not to rubber stamp everything. Instead of always saying yes or always saying no, take some time to give a more reasoned consideration. Don’t let good ideas die in committee. And don’t let ruin great ideas with poor execution.
More:
- Is Your Church Ready to Quit? is a cheap little book that offers real value for churches. Buy it now for only $2.99.
- Get a free preview with the full table of contents, introduction and sample chapters.
- Read more chapters and commentary.
- Learn more about Bob Goff, who inspired this book and quits something every week.
- Check out 30 Things Our Churches Should Quit, an introductory series that inspired this book.
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