What’s on Your Small Group Ministry’s Stop Doing List?

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Researcher and management guru Jim Collins is the author or co-author of Built to Last, Good to Great, Great by Choice and How the Mighty Fall (and a number of other books).

One of Jim Collins' most profound insights is that as important as a to-do list might be, organizations also need to "create a “stop doing” list and systematically unplug anything extraneous." A corollary is that for every major ‘to-do’ on your list, you should have a corresponding item that you will stop doing.

One of Jim Collins' most profound insights is that as important as a to-do list might be, organizations also need to create a stop doing list and systematically unplug anything extraneous. Click To Tweet

Can you spot the looming question?

"What is on your stop doing list?

I can tell you a few things that have been on my stop doing list over the years:

Providing group members for unsolicited volunteer "leaders."
Sending new members to groups who continually need a few more.
Providing a matchmaking service for people looking for the perfect group.
Allowing my senior pastor to delegate the small group champion role.
Accepting warm bodies willing (or clamoring) to be coaches.

I can also tell you a few things that are currently on my stop doing list:

Adding a new menu item without removing an old menu item.
Assigning new leaders to coaches without ongoing inspection. "People do what you inspect, not what you expect."
Procrastinating discipleship conversations with ministry leaders.

What would be on your "stop doing" list? Have a question? Want to argue? You can click here to jump into the conversation.