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In your ministry and leadership, do you merely copy others?

Recently, there has been a bit of competition raised right outside of our office building.  Little Caeser’s Pizza has just moved in, and they’re offering “$5 Hot-N-Ready” pizza.   They even offer a drive-thru window!  Simply drive up, tell them what kind of pizza(s) you want, and they give them to you, ready-to-go, on the spot.  Two doors down from Little Caeser’s there is a Domino’s Pizza.  It’s been there for a number of years, and seems to have experienced a reasonabe level of succes (at least based on the frequency that their delivery cars are coming and going).  They do what they’re good at: making their pizzas and delivering them.  Little Caeser’s is doing what they’re good at: making pizzas that you pick up instantly.  Is one right and the other wrong?

Soon after Little Caeser’s opened, Domino’s began offering a “$4.99 Ready To Go” pizza.  Sounds like a rip-off to me.

Some churches look at other churches throughout the country, notice a reasonable amount of success, and try to duplicate that.  Sorry, but it doesn’t quite work that way.  You are called to minister the Gospel to your people in your community.  Just because Saddleback does small group this certain way and it works in southern California doesn’t mean that you need to do it the exact same way and expect the same results in rural Idaho.  Just because Louie Giglio preaches a certain way and has success doing it doesn’t mean that you need to copy him.  John Piper has been wildly successful, but duplicating what he does (style, mannerisms, inflections, verbage, etc.) is unwise and ensures no level of success.  Going through the same small group curriculum that the Smiths used and loved doesn’t mean that that’s what you should do.  Maybe you should use the same material…or maybe you should look for a curriculum that helps to shepherd your group where they are at spiritually at this point in time.

Be creative.  Think differently.  Lead in the way that God has gifted you.  Don’t just copy what others are doing.