233. Power of Proven Program

I always struggled with building muscle with traditional body-building routines. There were so many opinions, and they felt hard to follow for beginners as they were primarily designed with people with good genetics. I tried, but after a few months, I would injure myself. So I stopped working out during my university years.

But after I got married, I met a program called “P90X”. It was mainly bodyweight exercise and built a good foundation for my body. The best part was that all I had to do was to copy the instructor in the video.

Then, I met another program called “Stronglifts 5×5”. It was perfect for me as the person teaching this program had a similar body shape to mine. Also, I liked that its emphasis was not on muscle growth but on building strength progressively. Again, I knew exactly what to do at the gym and was making progress every session. It took away the temptation to try a new routine instead of sticking with a proven program.

I believe it is the same with church ministry. So many pastors read books on church growth, attend seminars, and consume content online but creating a ministry framework from various sources can be confusing or discouraging. Also, many books on church growth are written by very gifted pastors. They present a program that may not be suitable for average pastors to implement.

That is why I am so thankful that I met house church ministry. House church ministry is not just another church model or program but a movement to restore the New Testament church Jesus had in mind. However, House church has a clear blueprint that is easy to apply. So, it can be used as a good “program” even by a pastor who may not understand house church ministry. It is also proven to be applicable in a small church context.

With increasing information about running church differently in the modern-day and post-pandemic, I rarely find myself trying too hard to keep up with the trend and implement a new ministry framework. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel because I have a proven plan to execute, and I have confidence that it will show the result if we keep at it. I am glad we are standing on the shoulders of faithful pastors who created the path before us.