Maintaining pace and direction

At our services yesterday our Pastor challenged us to FINISH WELL based upon Acts 28. We were all reminded that a poor start does not doom us to a bad finish. Isn’t that a great reminder? As you look back to your first experience teaching or leading a small group, you are probably very grateful that you are doing better now than you were then.

Should the Lord tarry, I hope you are not yet ready to finish. So I would like to offer some encouragement for the middle of the journey.

I heard a consultant once say that most people overestimate what they can do in the short-term and underestimate what they can do in the long-term. The key is to set appropriate goals in the middle of the process.

When I was learning to drive I was taught to fix my eyes on a point down the road because if I looked just in front of the car I would constantly move the steering wheel back and forth to try to stay between the lines. Looking down range smoothed out the ride for everyone in the vehicle.

While in college my roommate ran in the Chicago Marathon, my only contribution was to help prepare a big Pasta dinner the night before so he could “carb load.” That is the closest I ever got to participating in a marathon! I have heard that marathon runners often “hit a wall” in the middle of the race and I have read that the best way to keep going is to pick a point in distance and run for that point, then pick another point and run toward it, and so forth until they reach the finish line.

I believe many teachers/small group leaders want to finish well and hear “well done, my good and faithful servant” but give little attention to mid-course goals. Now that we are in the dead of winter, the end of the education year may seem a long way off. In the short term it is helpful to set a goal for EACH lesson. Ask yourself “What does God want me to accomplish in the 45 minutes we are going to be together this week?” But effective teachers also can communicate sequential goals for the year. i.e. a month from now our group will be able to ….., in 3 months our group will be able to…., etc.

At our church we are committed to “Making More and Better Followers of Christ.” A Better Follower of Christ is one who is fully transformed into the likeness of Christ which is the end goal, but there are intermediate goals. I have prayerfully determined 10 areas that must increase if a person is ever to reach that final goal. Each of our Adult education classes is directed at one of those 10 goals to help make sure we are moving in the right direction at a good pace. (If you are interested in this, check out the last page of this packet.)

What are the goals God would have for you to pursue in the next month? in the next 3 months? Keep up the pace! Keep moving in the right direction!