I don’t know about you, but if I don’t make a “to do†list in the evening and plan my day, I will not get much done the next day. Everyday life has too many distractions that will keep me from getting done what I need to get done. I’ve never met anyone who was successful who didn’t create a plan on how to achieve their goals. Most people will never retire unless they map out a plan in writing with advisors and a team of people that know how to make it happen.
If I had a business that didn’t do very well this past year, didn’t grow, didn’t make a profit and I sat down with a successful business person, they would ask questions like: “How much money did the company profit last year? What is your product? What is the process for getting the product to the consumer?†Then they would ask a very important question: “Can I see your business plan that makes you think next year will be more successful?†If I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, I am almost guaranteed to fail.
We carefully plan our lives and take practical steps to make the things that we care about happen. Many people say that their number-one priority is following Christ, but something is wrong. When Jesus asked the disciples to follow Him, He told them, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.†In other words, “I will show you how to share the Gospel with people.†Then just before He ascended, He told all of us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, baptizing them and making disciples. In other words, He is telling us that when we follow Him, He will teach us how to share the Gospel. It was important enough that the disciples took the time to write down important events and the words Jesus said so they and we would know how to share the Gospel.
           I know many churches that have had about the same attendance every week for the last year, two years, five years, 30 years. I have asked the pastors what they have planned for evangelism in the coming year and what their plan was to share the Gospel with the tens of thousands of people that live in their community. Some have a well thought out plan, but too many churches plan on doing nothing different than they did the previous year. I can tell you that most of those churches will not see significant growth. Why? They dream of their church growing, but dreaming is not enough. The difference between a dream and a goal is a timeline, a plan of action.
How can we say that ministry and serving Christ is our top priority and yet we never sit down and write down a “to do†list for sharing the Gospel. Learning how to share the Gospel effectively with the people and culture that we live in is essential if we are going to make an impact on the world around us. If you are a gospel singer and claim to be a ministry and you can’t open your Bible and lead someone to Christ, do us all a favor and don’t claim that ministry is a priority in your life! That last sentence may have been a little opinionated, but it’s just some free advice.
           Maybe you are a singer or in a gospel group and if you’re like most, 2014 was a tough year. Good dates are getting harder to come by and church budgets are getting too tight to have any kind of outside singers or evangelists come in. Crowds seem to be getting smaller, but you think 2015 will somehow be better. Let me ask you what your plan of action will be to make it better?
If you have ever said that ministry is a priority in your life, and sharing the Gospel is the most important thing in your ministry, then let me encourage you to sit down with someone that can help you achieve more in 2015. If you’re a pastor or church leader, let’s work together to do more to share the Gospel in 2015 than we ever have. When we ask God to direct our paths and sit down and create a plan based on His will and His leading, we will be amazed at what He will do in and through us! A New Year that wins more people to the Lord is guaranteed to be a Happy New Year!
David Staton is a Gospel music artist and writer who has a monthly column in SGN Scoops digital magazine. Find his latest column in the current edition of SGN Scoops HERE.
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