Practical Church Newsletter ⛪️

TOGETHER WITH

Today’s newsletter is brought to you in partnership with Mission Support. Stay focused on your mission and let Mission Support help you with everything you didn't go to seminary for.

Let me tell you why you’re not doing that thing in your ministry you know you should do—or want to do—more consistently.

And I’ll use an example from my Blackstone Griddle to explain.

Three years ago, I bought a Blackstone griddle. Before that? I never cooked and rarely grilled. But since then, I’ve used it about 4 times a week, almost every week. I love it so much that seven people I know have bought one after I showed them how awesome it is (I'm still waiting on that sales commission).

But here’s what I’ve realized: Most people who buy a Blackstone don’t use it as much as they thought they would.
And it’s not because they lack skill or motivation.

It’s because there’s too much friction involved in using it.

They don’t have a prep cart like mine. Without a dedicated cart that holds all your supplies, you have to drag everything out—grilling utensils, food, dishes, cleaning supplies—and then put it all away after. That extra work makes it less likely you’ll use it.

But my prep cart? It holds everything I need. Utensils, trays, oils, cleaning stuff. It’s all there and ready to go. The friction is gone, so it’s easy to fire up the Blackstone anytime.

Here’s the point: If you want to do something more consistently, you need to reduce the friction.

This is true in ministry, too. It’s not your motivation holding you back. It’s the friction.

For example:

✅ Want to develop more leaders? Create a simple, repeatable leadership pipeline (even if it’s just coffee once a month with key people).

✅ Want to follow up with first-time guests consistently? Automate an email or text follow-up system so you’re not starting from scratch every week.

✅ Want to prep your sermons earlier in the week? Block off time on your calendar—and treat it like an unmissable meeting.

✅ Want your small group leaders to be more engaged? Give them an easy-to-use guide (not a 10-page PDF) and check in with them regularly.

The more steps, the more friction. The more friction, the less likely it happens.

But when you identify those small points of resistance and remove them, ministry gets easier. And the things you want to do become the things you actually do.

Last week on the Practical Church podcast I shared 7 ways to work hard with sustainability. Not yet subscribed? Do so below so you can get the episodes sent right to you.

To submit a question for a future podcast episode, click here.

Identify one ministry task you know you should do more consistently (whether it’s sermon prep, leadership development, guest follow-up, etc.).

Then ask yourself:

👉 What’s one small friction point making this harder than it should be?
And…
👉 What’s one simple step I can take this week to reduce or remove it?

Small changes lead to consistent follow-through.
Pick one. Remove the friction. See what happens.

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. Why was Goliath so surprised when David hit him with a slingshot?

The thought had never entered his head before.

Want more from me? You can connect with me online on Twitter/X and Instagram.