Confusing Preference For Strategy

In church leadership, it is quite tempting to confuse personal preference for effective church strategy.

For example, I could come up with a different U2 song to go along with virtually every message I give. In fact, I would love doing that. It would suit me and my preferences just fine.

But after about the third Sunday of that, the rest of the congregation would begin to yawn. It would get stale and predictable and would get in the way of our strategy.

By the same token, many churches through the years have resisted any move towards more contemporary or modern forms of worship. Why? The preferences of the members. And with a few exceptions (such as here and here), churches that have adamantly stayed traditional in their worship have declined in attendance and impact.

So whether it’s worship style or ministry design, make sure you don’t mistake personal preference for kingdom strategy.