Can You Change Your Impact?
With all of the recent interest in alternative energy solutions due to the rising price of gas, I decided to read about some of the noteworthy options that are presently available. One of those options, solar power, caught my attention because of the incredible potential that exists in harvesting the energy that reaches the earth from the sun. Did you know that if you were able to make a solar panel that was 70 miles long by 70 miles wide, you could produce enough energy to essentially power the United States?[1] That’s an area about four times the size of Rhode Island. Though that’s pretty huge (and because of certain limitations, pretty impossible), it still doesn’t seem that large when compared to the size of the entire United States with all it energy demands--that's an amazing amount of energy. What is even more amazing is that solar panels are only able to convert ten to twelve percent of the sun’s energy into electricity.[2] In other words, they are only about 10 percent efficient (the ratio of output to input). Imagine what could happen if they were able to make panels that were 80 or 90 percent efficient.
The fact is that efficiency is very important in energy matters, and in ministry matters.
The goal of this month’s Momentum is to encourage efficiency in the ministry office. Imagine how much ministry could take place if the administrative, legal, and financial concerns of the church were all perfectly and completely covered so that you, the pastor, could be freed up to pursue your pastoral calling 100 percent of the time! Since that’s not reality, the next best thing is to pursue efficiency in the back office by getting more out of every business hour spent so that there is more time for personal and ministry pursuits.
As you go though the articles and resources this month, you will find information related to the “not-so-glamorous” side of ministry. These matters may seem mundane and uninspiring, but left in disarray, they can render any church or ministry ineffective. On the other hand, if they are taken care of and in order, great freedom arises to be effective at impacting what matters the most—souls! Though the items in this issue are not exhaustive, they are intended to help encourage an ongoing pursuit of efficiency in your business endeavors.
My suggestion is to start by setting aside two weeks before the summer is over to evaluate and improve one or two of the business processes in your church or ministry with the goal of making them more efficient. Be sure to enlist the help of those “experts” that God has placed around you. As you begin your two-week process, you might dread the thought of the work and feel as though you haven't been a great pastor, but afterward you will be very pleased with the rewards. Plan your next two week overhaul when you recover from the first. In a year you will have made some significant gains and hopefully never look back.
I hope you enjoy this issue and have a great July,
Eric Schroeter
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[1] Paester, Pablo, “Ask Pablo: Could the U.S. Meet Its Energy Needs With Solar Panels Alone?” Salon.com, April 7, 2008, found at http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/04/07/ask_pablo_solar/, found on May 28, 2008.
[2] Ibid.