Reading: 4.5—Meetings on Purpose

4.5 Meetings on Purpose: All meetings should have a vital and clearly stated purpose that is communicated well in advance so that all participants are up to speed coming into these meetings. A vital purpose is a purpose that is truly important to the vision, strategy, and/or operation of ministry. If a meeting’s purpose is not vital, why, then, is such a meeting taking place? A purpose is clearly stated when it is articulated in direct, precise language, and when matters such as actions to be decided or taken, likely outcomes, and an explanation of what’s at stake are highlighted.

Earlier, we commented on the fact that time is a non-replenishable resource and, therefore, should be protected and not wasted. I think most of us would agree that meetings are a leading cause of time being wasted. It’s not that all meetings are unimportant, rather, it’s that’s so many ministry meetings are entered into with poor preparation and are vague and unclear as to their purpose, tending to consume significant chunks of time without producing meaningful decisions, actions, or outcomes.

Here is a list of questions that might be considered in regard to an upcoming meeting—

A Pre-Meeting Checklist:

- Why are we meeting? What is the meeting’s purpose?

- Who will be attending the meeting?

- When and where will the meeting be held?

- What is the starting time? What is the ending time?

- What information should be distributed in advance of the meeting?

- What decisions need to be made at this meeting?

- What actions will be determined at this meeting?

- What will be expected of me at this meeting? What are my responsibilities?

There might be other questions to consider within a Pre-Meeting Checklist. The point is to know why you’re meeting and to be prepared for the meeting in advance. I have attended countless meetings over the years when it was apparent that the agenda was open ended and unclear, and when certain attendees were obviously unprepared for the meeting. If eight people are meeting and an hour is wasted, that’s a total of eight wasted hours. Given that time is short and non-replenishable, that is an unacceptable waste of a most valuable resource.

Managing Ministry Time well is greatly advanced when a Meetings on Purpose mindset drives the culture of scheduled meetings, getting the most out of time spent in meetings while keeping time wasted to the barest of minimums.