Results vs. Process

What does success look like in church planting, any ministry? How do we measure it? What’s a “win” in Ministry?

Our definition of failure and success are different than Gods. In the disciples eyes, for three days, Jesus' death was a tragic failure, to God it was a success! We also often equate successful results as being from God, and if something we do fails then it must not have been from God or not what I was "supposed to do." But God does call us to things He knows we will ultimately fail in. Many of us won't take a step of faith unless they know that the work will be successful. We look at our work for God like we do a job in a business organization - We often only choose a job that we are pretty sure we can be successful in. The truth is, when God calls us, He rarely tells us if it will be successful or a failure.

What does success look like? The answer is in what we’re focusing on - Results OR the process. God doesn't call us to results as much as he calls us to the PROCESS. Whatever God might be calling you to, He has less in His mind the result, than you do. More often than not, He calls us into a PROCESS whereby He will use it, regardless of the result to grow us, burn away impurities, and form us into the likeness of Christ. In our eyes, the prophet Jeremiah's ministry failed miserably. In God's eyes, Jeremiah was successful because he was obedient, regardless of the results. God brought Jeremiah through a process that was tailor-made for him, to grow him and form him, and it's the same with us!

Results are in God’s hands alone. Obedience in the process is the often unheeded secret. It starts with understanding that, through the cross and our faith in what Christ accomplished for us, we're in a winning position already before we've done anything. It then flows into our private lives with God - engaging with scripture consistently, prayer and devotion. Then it flows into the church. Streamsong is a “one at a time” church. One chapter at a time, one prayer, one devotion, one interaction at a time, one conversation, one relationship, one invite, one sermon, one worship song, one serve, one “hello” at a time. These are all the wins of Ministry. We then prayerfully trust God to do what only He can do - save, grow, sanctify, and multiply. God doesn't work at our pace, so if we're constantly focusing on results, we'll never think we're winning. Results Ministry leads to overactivity, overexertion, worry, burnout, stress, feelings of failure, and pushing the Spirit out of the work. Results Ministry means we become business partners with all eyes on the “bottom line”. Process Ministry means we’re Ministry partners with all eyes on Jesus, inviting the spirit into what we're doing. Process Ministry leads to freedom, momentum, fun and fresh and healthy relationships.

This is what Streamsong is going to be about. It’s what any ministry should be about. It’s what our lives should be about.