Defining a Philosophy of Ministry

Every church, whether or not they understand or articulate it clearly, has a philosophy of ministry. A philosophy of ministry is not simply the church’s doctrinal beliefs, mission statement, or core values. Rather, it is the theological vision that shapes the church’s ministry practices.[1]

A ministry philosophy explains how the church lives out its identity and carries out its mission within its unique context. A philosophy clarifies how the church’s convictions, vision, and goals are fleshed out within its ministry setting. In many ways, it is, “the middle space between doctrine and practice—the space where we reflect deeply on our theology and our culture to understand how both of them can shape ministry.”[2] As Keller and Allen Thompson note, “A philosophy of ministry makes the church distinct, describing a vision for the church which is specific and unique to that congregation.”[3]

The Value of a Philosophy of Ministry

A clearly defined ministry philosophy functions as a map to guide the church in its various ministries. It provides goals, direction, and focus so that the church can faithfully glorify God and carry out its mission. It helps the church maximize her time, energy, and resources for the sake of the gospel. A philosophy gives church leaders a unifying framework to assess, evaluate, and potentially recalibrate existing ministries to see if they are effective and/or truly essential to the life and mission of the church.

Where there is no unifying philosophy guiding church leaders in their decision-making, the church will flounder instead of flourish in its mission. Developing a thoughtful ministry philosophy, however, requires careful reflection and evaluation. Unfortunately, many church leaders do not take the time to develop a robust, biblically faithful, culturally engaging ministry philosophy. Rather, they go about doing ministry the way they’ve always done it or parrot what other larger or more well-known churches do. When this happens, leaders can easily fall prey to the temptation to simply transport or implement a model of ministry they have seen in another church that may not be doable or culturally appropriate in their specific ministry context.

Two Dangers to Avoid

There are two dangers to avoid when developing a ministry philosophy. The first is not cultivating convictional clarity. Where ambiguity exists, temptations to become political or pragmatic will abound. Church leaders who have not clarified their essential, non-negotiable beliefs and values will find themselves overwhelmed by the many pulls and pressures of ministry. Precious time and energy will be spent trying to please people, put out relational fires, get more people in the building, or keep the programs running instead of making Christlike disciples by God’s Word for God’s glory. Temptations to take short cuts or pursue relevance have caused many church leaders to drift from their theological moorings, leading them away from the safe harbor of faithfulness into the murky waters of pragmatism.

Downplaying or ignoring the church’s cultural context is the other danger to avoid when developing a ministry philosophy. A ministry philosophy must be both biblically and contextually informed. There are many churches with strong biblical convictions that lack the cultural awareness necessary to make new disciples in their ministry setting. They understand their gospel identity and purpose but fail to think through how they will carry out their mission in the community where God has called them to serve. These churches struggle to accomplish their God-given mission in a contextually appropriate manner. Churches like these might be theologically faithful but are culturally disengaged and therefore minimally fruitful. As a result, the gospel does not take root or advance in the community.

Four Key Components of a Philosophy of Ministry

There are four key components to a philosophy of ministry that need to be clearly defined and understood for the church to flourish in its disciple-making mission:

Theological Identity

A church’s theological identity refers to its beliefs, affiliations, and core values. Church leaders and members need to be able to clearly answer the questions: Who are we? What do we believe? What are we all about?

Fundamentally, the church is the redeemed people of God who are called to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9–10). Each church is a local expression of the larger church that is comprised of believers from every kindred, tribe, tongue, and nation. A local church, however, is typically associated with a denomination or historical tradition that is marked by distinct doctrinal convictions.

A church’s theological identity includes not only its doctrinal beliefs, but also its core values. Core values are the most significant beliefs and highest priorities (whether stated or unstated) that drive a church’s behavior. Values answer the questions: What matters most to us? and What are we most excited about? Churches, of course, identify and communicate these values in different ways. At our church, we’ve stated our core values in three simple words: gospel, community, and mission. That’s what we desire to be all about!

Mission

Mission answers the question: What are we called to do? I’ve written on this topic before, so I won’t elaborate here. In summary, the church is called to make mature, Christlike disciples by God’s Word for God’s glory. Everything a church does should be in alignment with its God-given, disciple-making mission.

Vision

Unfortunately, the terms “mission” and “vision” are often used interchangeably. Although they are related, they are nevertheless distinct. Vision specifically answers the questions, What kind of a church can we become? and What would it look like for our church to carry out our God-given mission? Vision not only influences a church’s specific ministry plans but also its trajectory and priorities. Vision provides the church leaders with a deeper sense of unity, purpose, direction, and focus in their decision-making and ministry investments. It also helps church members understand more of the “why” and “how” of a church’s various ministries.

Ministry Plan

The final component of a philosophy of ministry is the development of a ministry plan. This is where beliefs, values, mission, and vision are put into practice. A ministry plan answers the question, How will we faithfully fulfill the mission that God has entrusted to us? A ministry philosophy that is divorced from clear, compelling, and contextual ministry plans is doomed to fail.

[1] This definition of a philosophy of ministry is essentially synonymous with Tim Keller’s definition of a theological vision for ministry. See Tim Keller, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 17–20. According to Keller, a theological vision for ministry is “a faithful restatement of the gospel with rich implications for life, ministry, and mission in a type of culture at a moment in history” (20).

[2] Keller, Center Church, 17.

[3] Timothy J. Keller and J. Allen Thompson, Church Planter Manual (New York: Redeemer City to City, 2002), 89.