Today’s fast-paced, instant-everything culture has a way of luring leaders into a mindset of continually looking for the silver bullet.

A silver bullet is a rapid solution to an enduring or difficult problem. In the church world, we’re drawn to them — from trends we think will make our services more appealing to programs promising church growth.

Silver bullets are enticing and exciting. We want to believe the latest and greatest will hold the key to ministry success.

However, silver-bullet thinking can be problematic. The ideas and programs may be good ones. The danger is in the attitude with which leaders sometimes approach them.

Character Development

Because we like quick results, there is a tendency to ignore important character qualities like patience and perseverance. The apostle Paul said, “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

Character development happens in the crucible of difficulty and delay. Silver-bullet thinking attempts to bypass that process, seeking a quick fix.

I’m not suggesting we unnecessarily extend our hardships, but I am challenging us to keep character in focus and to cooperate with the Holy Spirit as He forms His fruit in our lives.

God will see us through difficulties according to His timeline, but character development is an ongoing process without an expiration date.

The Basics

The basic things in life are often rather boring. For example, budgeting — and living according to a budget — is not exciting for most people. Going to the gym day after day can become monotonous. Even following a daily Bible reading plan can start to feel mundane.

But such disciplines are what produce the outcomes we want most in life. Living by a budget allows us to experience financial stability. Going to the gym helps us get fit and healthy. And reading the Bible each day draws us into a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Spiritual disciplines such as fasting and prayer might not be trendy, but they are vital. In fact, James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

We can — and should — keep these practices fresh and engaging, but we can’t let fads distract us from doing the things that matter most.

Just as regular oil changes help keep a car running, the basics keep our leadership and churches moving forward.

No matter what goals we may be pursuing during a specific season of ministry, I frequently remind my staff to keep five basics in view:

Amplify what is right, fix what is wrong, clarify what is confusing, and add what is missing.

• Pray: Pray daily for 7 City Church and Fort Worth.
• Lead: Innovate and execute ministry with excellence.
• Connect: Encourage and care for guests and regulars.
• Equip: Resource people to take their next steps.
• Deploy: Select, train, and deploy volunteers and leaders.

These are the basics. They keep us focused on spiritual health, vision for the future, shepherding people, discipleship, and leadership development. When we lose sight of them, any other goal will become a distraction to what matters most.

Compound Results

Because leaders are visionary by nature, they struggle to stay focused on a vision, goal, or strategy when the initial appeal has worn off. As a result, their teams experience the whiplash of constant change and leave a host of unfinished projects and half-implemented ideas in their wake.

The apostle Paul said, “Let us not become weary in doing good,for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). And Hebrews 10:36 says, “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

One won’t reap harvests and receive promises if there is no sticking with the same direction long enough to produce those results.

The same is true in churches. You — and your team — can work hard to implement an idea, but by pulling the plug before it has a chance to work, you’ll stop momentum before it ever has a chance to build.

It takes time for new strategies to get implemented, but it takes more time for those strategies to produce great results. By constantly switching from one idea to the next — trading one silver bullet for the next silver bullet — you’ll never experience the power of compound results and instead be stuck in a constant cycle of adding and subtracting.

Only by sticking to a clear, well-developed, and well-executed strategy will you experience the power of multiplication. That’s when results begin to compound.

Hope in Christ

Silver bullet thinking places hope in a single solution, rather than in Jesus.

Author Jim Collins warns leaders to avoid silver bullet thinking, especially when their organizations are in a state of decline. He writes, “Common ‘saviors’ [when organizations are in decline] include a charismatic visionary leader, a bold but untested strategy, a radical transformation, a dramatic cultural revolution, a hoped-for blockbuster product, a ‘game changing’ acquisition, or any number of other silver-bullet solutions. Initial results from taking dramatic action may appear positive, but they do not last.”

If a church is in decline, looking for one magical silver bullet to turn things around is shortsighted at best. Be careful not to place hope in a single solution. Instead, have the courage to put the church under the microscope and carefully diagnose what’s really happening.

The Paterson Center’s Four Helpful Lists is a good place to start. Ask, “What is right?” “What is wrong?” “What is confused?” and “What is missing?” In short, amplify what is right, fix what is wrong, clarify what is confusing, and add what is missing.

Continually be open to new ideas, innovative strategies, and practices that improve the situation. While exploring these new approaches to ministry, be sure to protect your character, keep the basics in focus, and give existing strategies the chance to succeed.

In addition, don’t rely on a single solution to be your church’s savior. It takes a disciplined leader to keep silver bullet thinking from undermining his or her leadership.