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Streamline: How to Create Healthy Church Systems
You are confident of your calling. You are leading a church with an important mission. You’ve got a carefully worded vision statement, a set of core values, and leaders who say they want to make it happen.
But does it feel like you’re not making any real progress? Does it feel like you’re stuck solving the same problems over and over again? Does it seem that you’re always talking about potential, or tomorrow, or after the next hire?
After twenty years in ministry, I’ve learned that passion isn’t enough.
You can have a clear mission, but without organization you won’t get everyone moving in the right direction. You can preach the vision, but if you don’t have a clear path ready for people, your vision talk will be just talk.
I bet you don’t have a mission problem, or a facility problem, or even a volunteer problem. I know it’s trendy to talk multi-site, and popular to run a 40 day campaign. New service times, new programs, and new websites are like candy that captures attention in the checkout aisle.
But it’s likely these aren’t the issues holding you back. You can start new services and hire a branding company to create a new website, and in three years from now you’ll likely be in the same place.
That’s because you’re knee deep in a system problem.
Streamline will help you create and implement healthy systems across all the departments in your church. You'll create alignment with your team and build focus into your ministries. You'll know what's working and why.
Each short chapter focuses on one system you can create or improve. You'll walk away with actionable ideas ready to execute.
Streamline will help you organize your church around the important mission.
But does it feel like you’re not making any real progress? Does it feel like you’re stuck solving the same problems over and over again? Does it seem that you’re always talking about potential, or tomorrow, or after the next hire?
After twenty years in ministry, I’ve learned that passion isn’t enough.
You can have a clear mission, but without organization you won’t get everyone moving in the right direction. You can preach the vision, but if you don’t have a clear path ready for people, your vision talk will be just talk.
I bet you don’t have a mission problem, or a facility problem, or even a volunteer problem. I know it’s trendy to talk multi-site, and popular to run a 40 day campaign. New service times, new programs, and new websites are like candy that captures attention in the checkout aisle.
But it’s likely these aren’t the issues holding you back. You can start new services and hire a branding company to create a new website, and in three years from now you’ll likely be in the same place.
That’s because you’re knee deep in a system problem.
Streamline will help you create and implement healthy systems across all the departments in your church. You'll create alignment with your team and build focus into your ministries. You'll know what's working and why.
Each short chapter focuses on one system you can create or improve. You'll walk away with actionable ideas ready to execute.
Streamline will help you organize your church around the important mission.
139 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2016
17 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 12, 2025
This was a great read! Having experience being on staff of s church plant, I had already learned many of these tools without realizing it, but having it written out and being reminded of the effectiveness of scheduling and being particular but caring with volunteers and their time has been refreshing to myself! I hope to be able to continue using similar tools both in my church and work life.
May 5, 2017
A must read for Pastors and key church staff
This is a must read for all pastors and lead church staff. It not only helps you evaluate what you are doing, but equips you to make the needed changes.
This is a must read for all pastors and lead church staff. It not only helps you evaluate what you are doing, but equips you to make the needed changes.
March 2, 2018
A must!
This book is radically changing my way of doing ministry. Have been applying the lessons along with the reading and I can already see the results.
This book is radically changing my way of doing ministry. Have been applying the lessons along with the reading and I can already see the results.
March 13, 2019
Great book!
Amazing book. The author explains how to get back to the heart of what church is about by developing healthy systems.
Amazing book. The author explains how to get back to the heart of what church is about by developing healthy systems.
May 5, 2019
Helpful read
This book is a great read on developing sustainable systems in your church. Great for executive pastors. Very practical with many tools.
This book is a great read on developing sustainable systems in your church. Great for executive pastors. Very practical with many tools.
April 18, 2022
"Your church should have a church calendar" and other commonsense things, in book form.
Read
December 9, 2025Had some good advice, but nothing out of this world. Tapered off in the second half. Still, it gave me some things to think about that should be helpful!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews