The Importance of Why

An article by Matt    No Comments

When we are young we instinctively know the power of the word why.  “Why is the sky blue” turns into asking why when told to do something.  Somewhere along the way we buy into the idea that “because I said so” or “because that is the way we do it” is a legitimate answer and begin to ask why less and less.

While answering the question of why can be frustrating at times, it is critical for our growth and learning, and even more important for organizations that we are involved with to survive.  When a team no longer knows why they are doing what they are doing, that organization (church, ministry, non-profit, etc) is beginning the journey towards organizational death.

My generation is stereotyped as one that has a problem with “programs”.  I believe that this is only half true.  I believe that we, and the generations behind us, have a problem with programs that have forgotten their purpose, and exist only to exist.  This happens to non-profits, companies, and churches.  Drive through any urban environment and you can’t help but see large, beautiful churches that are shells of their former selves.  Churches that were once doing amazing things, but have seen their influence and attendance dwindle through recent years.  When speaking about the church conversation generally returns to the “remember when…” and the times when cool things happened.

It is my belief that when an organization begins to accept “because” as an answer to “why” that it is on its’ way to organizational death.  In churches it can be increasingly difficult to answer why as time goes on and people change.  The only way that I know to keep from losing sight of why is to be constantly asking the question.  Church leadership needs to be asking itself on a regular basis why a program exists, why must we as a church be doing this, and why does this fit with our vision?  If those three questions don’t have an answer, you need to begin asking whether it is worth doing or not.

Let’s not kid ourselves, asking why can be hard to do at times, it can be unpopular, and it can make people feel threatened… but at the same time it is what will allow your church to continue to be relevant for years to come.