Some thoughts on church meetings…

for people who hate meetings.

John Wesley borrowed liberally from the popular secular music of his day, saying, "Why should the devil have all the good tunes?" Likewise, people like Peter Drucker have pioneered effective techniques in business management-- why should we not use the best tools available in the church as well? Non-profit organizations in general have learned that even though they work with volunteers and donations they have to be good stewards to survive, especially in hard economic times (see Peter Drucker, Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Practices and Principles, 1990). How much more should the church be good stewards of God's business?

Not all small group 'meetings' in the church are business meetings, of course. We meet together to learn, to support one another, and for service as well as for the administration of the church. Meeting together is one way we grow spiritually, and is one of Wesley's 'means of grace', along with Bible study and prayer.

But we seem to have the most trouble with business meetings. Why? Probably because we have sat through so many long, unproductive, boring meetings. (How many 'committee' jokes do you know?) What is the solution? We could provide training and support, since most people in leadership positions in the church do not have business experience. We could focus on the purpose, nature and structure of meetings in our planning.

Some suggestions:

• all meetings should have a clear objective.
• agendas are important and should be prepared and distributed ahead of time. Participants need to prepare their own reports, plans and proposals ahead of time.
• members should prepare and actively participate for a meeting to be effective. We need to support each other.
• good minutes document decisions the group has made as well as 'action items', including who is to do what and follow up.
• the effectiveness of the meeting could be reviewed at the end of a meeting, with a view toward 'what can we do better next time?'

Some resources I would recommend include the book The Christian Small-Group Leader, which is a lay speaker resource by Thomas R. Hawkins, and a website, EffectiveMeetings.com

We remember that Jesus said, "...Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) As it happens, he prefaced that comment with "If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven." Certainly something to think about.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perserverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2)