Article by Teresa Chang
Jesus had a very specific target group when He was on the earth. He declared, “I came for the lost sheep of Israel.” Obviously, God had a plan in place for the rest of the world; He knew He would be sending Paul to the nations a few years later. But Jesus’ primary target was clear, and He consistently remained focused on that target. Similarly, God has a target for each of us as church leaders. Let’s look at how we can stay focused and keep our eyes on that target.
1. What is your target?
What is your bulls-eye as a church? Why are you in your city? What has God called you to do? What is the target you are moving toward?
Divine focus is like a dartboard. You have your bulls-eye in the middle, followed by ever-increasing concentric rings that help you determine how close you are to the main goal God has for you.
As a church, define your target. Know who you are called to reach. This is not an effort to exclude people, but it allows you to make things blessedly simple: “This is who we are. This is who we’re called to reach. They are our target—and then beyond them, we can reach and serve other people as well.”
2. Know your team in light of your target.
Your team needs to be suited to your target group. For example, if you’re trying to reach senior citizens but your team is made up of 20-year-olds—that could be a little challenging. If you’re trying to reach Cambodian refugees but your team is made up of suburban white kids that might be more difficult than if you had a team of Cambodians.
The simple truth is that you will be most able to reach the people you are most like. That was why Jesus came as a Jew and not a Babylonian or Roman—because He was assigned to reach the Jews. That was why Paul grew up in Damascus and was part of a larger subset of Roman citizenship—because he was called to reach beyond the confines of Israel. Not every team member needs to be exactly like the people you’re reaching, but cross-cultural ministry requires more intentionality in the process.
3. Understand your values and priorities.
Do your values line up with those of the target you’re called to reach? For example, Western culture values authenticity, integrity and intentionality. Those are key things in our culture today, and in order to reach our culture, we have to understand those values. Consider your values and how they match the values of your target.
Also, consider your priorities and how you’re “spending” your time, energy and money. Be sure your priorities match your vision, because your actions as a church prove what is really important to you. Begin to adapt your church’s calendar, lifestyle and focus so everything lines up with your vision.
As you begin to think more intentionally about your values, priorities, team and target, you will find yourself with a growing, thriving church that powerfully brings transformation to your region.
