{"id":32492,"date":"2022-09-10T16:11:40","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/chilis-cut-its-menu-should-your-church-do-the-same\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:11:40","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:11:40","slug":"chilis-cut-its-menu-should-your-church-do-the-same","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/chilis-cut-its-menu-should-your-church-do-the-same\/","title":{"rendered":"Chili\u2019s Cut Its Menu. Should Your Church Do the Same?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Erik Reed<\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s on the menu at your church?<\/p>\n

Churches and restaurants are two very different worlds. A recent news story about Chili\u2019s restaurant chain, however, highlights a problem many churches face\u2014and possibly provides a solution.<\/p>\n

Chili\u2019s president, Kelli Valade, says the restaurant \u201cchased consumer trends.\u201d The result? A bloated menu and poor food quality. When trendy food items found success elsewhere, Chili\u2019s made its own version. In losing sight of its identity, the restaurant hurt its brand.<\/p>\n

But Chili\u2019s is making a bold move\u2014it\u2019s cutting 40 percent of the menu. Some customers will lose their favorite item. However, Chili\u2019s knows its long-term success and sustainability depend on maintaining its identity and executing what it can do well.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, like Chili\u2019s, many churches have been guilty of \u201cchasing consumer trends\u201d by copying other churches\u2019 ministries. They have a bloated menu of ministries, some of which don\u2019t have the needed volunteers, leadership, or resources and don\u2019t serve the church\u2019s larger mission.<\/p>\n

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You can make an argument for the importance of almost any ministry. Food pantries and clothes closets are wonderful assets for the needy. Sports leagues can be great for meeting people in the community. Divorce care and recovery ministries are strong tools for discipling believers and reaching unbelievers. The list could go on and on.<\/p>\n

The concern is not their value. The concern is how many ministries a church can execute before it stops doing them well. If they are not well funded, resourced with staff or volunteers, or do not serve the church\u2019s overall ministry strategy, they lose their effectiveness.<\/p>\n

A church can\u2019t do everything. If members proposed adding a new ministry every month, eventually someone would have to hit the brakes. Why? Because at some point, there\u2019s no more room in the church budget. Eventually, there won\u2019t be enough people in the church to staff it. And practically speaking, some ministries aren\u2019t needed in every community.<\/p>\n

We all have to agree there is a stopping point for adding ministries to a church. And often it is much sooner than churches want to admit.<\/p>\n

So how can churches learn from Chili\u2019s decision to cut its menu?<\/p>\n

Have a church mission and leverage resources to achieve it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every church needs to know its local context and how it can uniquely serve that community. This should inform the mission of that church.<\/p>\n

Once that is understood and determined, the church\u2019s ministries should be aimed at achieving it. Allocate and steward the money, people, and resources of your church toward that goal.<\/p>\n

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See also  Apathy in Churches Looms Large for Pastors<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Evaluate every existing ministry with three questions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does this ministry fulfill our mission?<\/em> Although most people may believe their area of service is part of accomplishing the vision, that\u2019s not always the case. If the honest answer is \u201cno,\u201d the ministry likely needs to end.<\/p>\n

Would we start this ministry right now if it did not currently exist?<\/em> Some ministries were effective in the past, but their usefulness has ended. Don\u2019t keep them around just because they\u2019ve been there for years. If the answer is \u201cyes,\u201d move to the next question.<\/p>\n

Is this ministry sufficiently resourced?<\/em> If the people and money for the ministry have dried up, that may be a sign to discontinue it. This will enable you to give priority to the ministries that are most needed and the ones your congregation is most equipped to handle.<\/p>\n

Be slow to add new ministries.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is no shortage of people wanting to start new ministries. Leaders of churches must resist this tendency. Anytime a proposal for a new ministry is made, it should be evaluated based on the previous questions.<\/p>\n

Making difficult decisions does not guarantee a church\u2019s success, just as Chili\u2019s is not assured of a turnaround with the reduced menu. It\u2019s a risk. But Chili\u2019s has raised its probability of success.<\/p>\n

Chili\u2019s confronted what business consultant and author Jim Collins called \u201cthe brutal facts\u201d of its business. It was no longer focused on doing what it had been known for\u2014making good burgers, ribs, and fajitas. So it\u2019s going the uncomfortable route of changing course.<\/p>\n

Chili\u2019s is a chain restaurant, but the local church is the hope of the world. What the church does is far more important than fajitas. Even more than Chili\u2019s, the church must avoid simply chasing consumer trends.<\/p>\n

But churches caught in that cycle should look at Chili\u2019s decision and consider making a bold move of their own.<\/p>\n

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Erik Reed<\/h2>\n

@ErikReed<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Erik Reed is the\u00a0Lead Pastor of The Journey Church in Lebanon, TN.\u00a0He also founded Knowing Jesus Ministries, a non-profit organization that exists to proclaim timeless truth for everyday life. He is\u00a0married to Katrina and has three children: Kaleb (who went to be with the Lord), Kaleigh Grace, and Kyra Piper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n