I’m in the hospital recovering from knee surgery. As always, you can learn new things!

As consultants, we find some common challenges, even though we would never treat churches with a “one size fits all” approach. I had a nice discussion with a nurse today who said they find certain pathologies or recovery elements that are recurring at large rates and common.  They have a name for that: “clinical pathway.” As church doctors, we see this as well. Just one example: few churches have written a “Philosophy of Ministry Statement.” This is twelve to fifteen paragraphs identifying values, priorities, and the uniqueness of the church. The absence of a well-known, written philosophy of ministry leads to lack of focus, division, poor ministry alignment (which deters missional velocity), people on the wrong bus, or the wrong seat on the bus, and all sorts of human resource challenges among full-time, paid staff.

Years ago, my mentor, Lyle Schaller, and friend, Rick Warren, encouraged me to write on the subject resulting in the book, Your Church Has Personality. We find our consultants frequently recommending the development of a philosophy of ministry. I often have had second thoughts. Are we in a rut? Can’t we think of something new? I hate people thinking we are just trying to sell books (especially those I have written). However, at the end of the day, it is a key element of church life often lacking. It happens also in medicine as well as in churches. It is a “clinical pathway.” What clinical pathways do you see in your church?