Practical Church Newsletter ⛪️

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Completion > Perfection

One of the biggest reasons we hesitate to start or try something new in our churches is perfection—we’re unsure of the best way forward.

• We don’t know the best discipleship strategy.

• We don’t know the best leadership structure.

• We don’t know the best small group method.

So we hesitate. We wait. We refine the plan over and over again—until weeks, months, or even years pass and we’ve done nothing.

But here’s the truth: You’ll never complete anything you don’t start.

At the same time, perfection also holds us back from finishing what we’ve already started.

• The sermon isn’t quite where you want it to be, so you keep tweaking instead of spending time with your family or relaxing

• You launched a new ministry, but it’s not growing as fast as you hoped, so you consider shutting it down.

• You started training new elders but you feel inadequate, so you wonder if you should step back.

When things aren’t as perfect as we’d like, the temptation is to quit. But is that really the better option?

Life in ministry isn’t perfect. And if perfection is the goal, we’ll never step into the things God is calling us to.

As James Clear puts it: "The imperfect project you actually complete is worth more than the perfect project you never finish."

Completion > Perfection. And it will be every time.

Last week on the Practical Church podcast I shared my 5 ways to make visitors feel welcome at your church. Not yet subscribed? Do so below so you can get the episodes sent right to you.

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What’s one thing you’ve been putting off because it’s not perfect yet? Maybe it’s launching that small group, delegating a leadership role, or finally having that tough conversation.

This week, take one step forward—even if it’s not perfect. Send the email. Make the decision. Start the initiative.

Ministry isn’t about perfection—it’s about faithfulness.

What’s one imperfect step you can take this week?

More Resources to help you in ministry 🙌

Here are more ways you can get the help you need:

1. Join the Practical Church Facebook group. Connect with 2,300+ pastors and ministry leaders to get help and feedback from others.

2. Check out Mission Support so you can enjoy being a pastor again.

3. Shave 10 hours off your workweek and get back more time to get everything done. 

P.S. The bible is one of the best-selling books in the world.

It's very prophetable.

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