11 Questions Every Church Leader Should Be Asking

A friend in ministry recently asked me what church leadership questions he should be asking. I thought about the types of questions I try to help answer when I’m working with them in church consulting or coaching relationships.

11 Essential Questions That Reveal Healthy Church Leadership

Here are the first questions and some bonus thoughts that came to mind.

Question 1: Am I Hearing From God?

This is the “Acts 6″ question. Acts 6 is a great reminder that it’s possible to be doing the ministry of God without doing the ministry God has called us to do.

Question 2: What Is Our Church Known For?

For a moment, ignore anyone who attends your church. What does the rest of the community know about your church? That’s a better reflection of whether or not you’re really accomplishing your vision.

Question 3: Are We Focused on What Truly Matters?

If not, there’s a good chance that “fairness” is driving these decisions. Fairness never produces revolution.

Question 4: Are We Growing Spiritually and Numerically?

Churches that are stuck and not bearing fruit hate this question. As I’ve shared before, I don’t believe healthy churches are necessarily big churches, but healthy churches are growing churches.

Question 5: Is There a Clear Discipleship Path?

Having a vibrant Sunday worship experience is only one component of that. I’m amazed at how many churches haven’t really established a discipleship strategy beyond Sunday morning.

Question 6: What Does a Fully Devoted Follower Look Like?

Most churches haven’t done this, so they end up just “doing church” without any intentionality of purpose or process.

Question 7: Are We Empowering People for Ministry?

This is the “Ephesians 4:12-13″ question. Declining churches pay people to do all the ministry. Growing churches challenge people to use their gifts.

Question 8: Are We Developing Leaders?

This includes both spiritual discipleship and leadership mentoring, and I think it’s what’s going to distinguish the churches that last longer than one generation.

Question 9: Is Our Community Different Because of Us?

We may need a whole new set of measures to confirm whether or not our churches are really making an impact.

Question 10: Are People Living as Missionaries Daily?

Honestly, I’m really tired of Christians thinking God saved them to go church on Sunday and then eventually experience heaven. Our purpose is much bigger than that.

Question 11: Do I Have the Right Team Around Me?

Read Exodus 18:18-23. This isn’t some new business leadership principle. This is biblical advice that’s been around for thousands of years and still applies today.

Those are the first questions that popped to my mind. What are the questions you are asking as a leader in the church?