If you’ve seen a movie where the hero or heroine really comes “undone,” its often because of something they didn’t see coming, something “unseen.” Rarely are they knocked down by something right in front of them, something that is obvious.
- Marcus Brutus in Julius Caesar
- Gollum in Lord of the Rings
- Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
- Cipher in The Matrix
- Hans in Frozen
The same is often true for churches. Many once-vibrant-now-dormant churches weren’t felled by an issue or a challenge they saw coming. Instead, it was more likely a “crack in the dam,” a small, unseen gap that allowed their impact to leak, changing their Kingdom trajectory slowly over time.
Our experience in working with churches and church leaders for more than 30 years has taught us that there are two primary, unseen gaps that derail growth and dilute impact:
Alignment Gaps and Capacity Gaps
The following are a few, quick examples of such issues from churches we have recently served:
Resources for Community Impact
One church team was struggling with leadership team focus. They aligned on what they now call the “Core 4” which is driving renewed focus on resource priorities in four ministry areas that drive the greatest community impact.
Common Success Metrics
Through the RoadMap process it became clear that a church team was not aligned to a single set of goals and success metrics. The leadership team was able to align to one set of goals and success metrics during the on-site debrief and gained new energy and excitement on the impact they could achieve with these common set of goals and metrics.
Reaching the Unchurched
The community served was becoming distinctly post-Christian in behavior. The leadership team was able to align and refocus on adapting some aspects of its ministry model to be more successful in reaching key unchurched segments of their community.
These are just a few of the unseen gaps that we’ve seen uncovered. Undoubtedly there are countless more like them that are slowing down churches across North America. And not only do these gaps frequently go unseen for weeks, months, or perhaps years, they often present themselves as issues that aren’t urgent, even though they are incredibly important.
How do leaders uncover these unseen gaps and increase capacity and alignment in a way that multiplies impact?
Unless these leaders commit to a regular rhythm of assessment, planning, and execution, they often don’t. That’s why Leadership Network developed RoadMap, an assessment and facilitated debrief process that allows executive teams to uncover small gaps in capacity and correct misalignment in a short period of time.
Watch this brief video and click or tap on the button below to learn more about RoadMap.
Ready to reveal the unseen gaps that are threatening your church? Click or tap the button below to get started.
