Ministry can have all the energy of live sports, can’t it? We celebrate wins. Mourn defeats. We build teams, coach people to their best ability, and even purchase matching t-shirts for them.
If we are not careful, ministry can become a lot of movement without clear goals. It would be like a basketball team running the ball back and forth without ever trying to score. Sure, you’d be tired, but you wouldn’t feel very accomplished, would you? It’s exhausting to work without a clear goal in mind. That’s why we want to help you step into 2024 with one crystal clear goal that will define your entire new year.
Let’s look at a biblical passage that beautifully underlines the power of setting and chasing a particular goal.
The book of Nehemiah unfolds an inspiring story of a cup-bearer-turned-executive pastor who was entrusted with an intimidating task — reconstructing Jerusalem’s walls. During Nehemiah’s time serving in the royal courts of Israel, Nehemiah gets upsetting news. The walls of his beloved city are falling down, weak, and kind of an eye-sore. Furthermore, weak walls meant vulnerability concerning oncoming enemy attacks. Nehemiah, being a visionary leader, decided he was going to do something about it.
He gathered a group, went out to the outskirts of the city, and began goal-setting. Take a look at how it unfolds:
Nehemiah 2:11-18
I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days. I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
Take a look at how Nehemiah reacted to the problem. He didn’t complain idly. He didn’t assume someone else would take care of it. He didn’t start looking for new places to live. Not at all. Nehemiah got to work. However, their labor required a clear goal to see success. That’s where Nehemiah stepped in.
Nehemiah had a clear, explicit goal — rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. He clung to this single-minded vision even amidst objections and hurdles. However, he didn’t plunge blindly into action; he strategically planned how they would get there. He partitioned the work, delegated tasks, and methodically executed his plan.
However, Nehemiah did something so much more valuable for the people of Israel than mere project management. He was a mobilizer and encourager. He developed a singular milestone (what to do) and attached it to meaning (why we do it.)
Take a look at how he embodied this leadership style. While examining the ruins, he remarked “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” He gave them one goal — to rebuild the wall. Then he attached it to meaning — he said we will do this so that “we will no longer be in disgrace.” He attached their movement to meaning then everyone got to work.
Now, drawing from Nehemiah’s journey, we must ask the question: How do we make one singular, meaningful goal as we step into the new year? Let’s learn from Nehemiah.
Attach Your Goal to Meaning
Nehemiah’s goal of wall rebuilding resonated perfectly with the broader vision of restoring Jerusalem to its past grandeur. They no longer wanted to be in disgrace, so they got to work. This vision was not limited to just physical structures but also captured their community spirit. Aligning your goal with the overarching vision guarantees each effort contributes to the larger purpose.
In Nehemiah’s case, his vision was about rebuilding a city. Every single brick was a strategic step towards their vision — restoring Israel’s reputation. Similarly, your goal should significantly boost your more comprehensive vision. If your vision is community outreach-centric, maybe your goal could be creating a sustainable outreach program that directly betters needy lives. If your vision is for people to take ownership of their faith, then your goal should be driven by discipleship. If your vision is to see growth, then your vision should strategically feed that vision.
Always Check in On Your Progress
What were they to do? Rebuild the walls. Nehemiah’s explicitness allowed specific action plans and measurable progress. Have you ever built a wall? There are thousands of steps that are required. Every individual brick, smear of concrete, and piece of wood represented a step towards their ultimate goal of grandeur. If Nehemiah did not constantly check in on their progress, Israel would likely be “under construction” longer than the highways outside of Washington DC, and LA.
Setting a clear and quantifiable goal is paramount. We need to be able to measure it, keep track of it, and ensure it comes to pass. You should fragment your goal into feasible steps. Identify primary milestones, distribute resources effectively, and involve your team in the planning process, which brings us to our final step.
Achieve as a Team
Nehemiah’s wall-building success hinged on mobilizing key players — skilled laborers, leaders, and community members. Similarly, you need a group to cheer you towards your goals. Simply put, achieving your dreams is much easier with a team.
You need people to rally around you as you put in the work. This is one of they key reasons why community-driven workout classes are taking the world by storm. There is a huge difference in sweating away solo versus as a group. Your teammates cheer for you, give you pointers, and notice when you don’t show up. That is the value of community when chasing a goal.
Nehemiah didn’t tackle Jerusalem’s gigantic task alone; he built a cooperative effort that powered the project. In your ministry, building a close-knit community around your goal can be a game-changer. That is why the Pastor Circle exists. We want to partner with you while you aim to lead and love like Jesus in your churches. How did Jesus lead? With a group around Him. You should aim to do the same.
So whether we’re rebuilding walls like Nehemiah or simply striving to meet goals in our local church, let’s step into the new year empowered with lessons from the past and hope for the future.
Let’s Get Practical
We created a resource to help remind you of your own goal this year. Furthermore, we created this blog, video, and handout in a way that you can take this teaching and use it for your volunteers. Simply download the resource, watch the Bible study video, and help your entire team make ministry-specific goals for their year. I cannot imagine a more powerful way to kick off a powerful year.
You can download it right here – it’s merely a click away. This journey of purposeful goal-setting isn’t just about reaching your destination; it’s about the transformation along the way too – the shared lessons, ideas bonds formed with your support system, and the life-long joy of self-development.
I’m rooting for you, friend! You’ve got this! Let’s get out there and navigate this journey of ministry together with God’s grace as our anchor, the Spirit as our power source, and Jesus as our all-encompassing purpose.
Remember: Goal-setting isn’t just a task on your to-do list. It’s a step towards fulfilling your calling as a ministry leader. Without a clear goal, you’re just getting exhausted from the ministry movement. With a clear goal, you are moving into the amazing calling God has for you and your work will not be in vain.
You’re not just setting goals; you’re setting the sails for the year ahead.
You can listen to the full message here:
Let’s Talk about it!
The pastors on our team would love to learn more about you and your ministry to help you apply these leadership lessons in your church. Send us an email at Pastor@ForMinistryResources.com or click the button below to schedule a call with a pastor. We hope to hear from you soon!
This blog contains leadership material from The Pastor Circle. What is THE PASTOR CIRCLE?
We recently asked ourselves, “how can we serve pastors more personally?” The Pastor Circle is the answer.
It’s a virtual small group community of pastors who understand what you’re going through and want to offer you godly support and guidance. We meet on Zoom once a month to listen to a short devotional and topic introduction, followed by a small group discussion. We hope to see you there next month! Click here to learn more.