Goals & Problems

I'm convinced that goals are very important but just as important is the identification of problems. A clearly defined problem moves us and motivates us more than simply throwing out some goals. Let's say you're part of a team and your task is to simply accomplish your goals, and finally the day arrives when you have accomplished every goal. What next? There's no need to get together anymore - you've accomplished everything. There's no passion or movement - because your job is done. Andy Stanley says, "Teams dissolve when all the problems have been solved".

We were in staff meeting on Tuesday morning and the meeting was just another meeting until we began to talk about "the problem". The problem we identified was the LARGE amount of dysfunction in our community. We can't turn the corner without finding some form of dysfunction that is destroying families, and in fact our community. That's the problem. The conversation developed more passion in us when we identified the fact that the solution to the problem is not a program but a Person. 

The solution to the presenting problem was introducing people to Jesus Christ and allowing Him to handle the junk in their life. Now the problem becomes, how do we get this truth to those who need to hear it the most? We have a problem that has to be solved because, what won't happen if our church doesn't do what God has called us to do? What will happen if our church doesn't do what God has called us to do? There's a lot riding on working on this problem as a team/church; that is far more motivating than just simply saying we have a goal to reach. This is bigger than a goal; it's a problem that must be solved. Goals/assignments don't create the kind of passion necessary to accomplish the huge task of eliminating this kind of problem.