Sometimes we use a cookie cutter approach in the way we train and disciple people. Sometimes we expect all ministries within the Church to operate the same, using similar strategies and methodologies. Sometimes we think we should look like other churches, and so we simply assume their ideas as our own.
Why Cookie Cutter Approaches Lessen Effectiveness Rather than Enhance It
Cookie cutter approaches may seem to make life easier and take less time and resources but they’re usually designed for the convenience of the planner, not for the people involved. And so, rather than enhance people’s lives, we end up being less effective. And, in the end we may spend more time making up for what this kind of approach missed.
Here’s the problem:
- They don’t take different individual’s needs, abilities, and spiritual maturity into consideration. When we take a cookie cutter approach, it becomes a hit or miss effort. Here are some examples:
- In your outreach efforts, some people may have heard very little about Jesus and the true Gospel. Others may have had a lot of exposure to the message. Consequently, for some people you need to do some initial planting of seeds and for others you just need to do some watering of what’s already been planted.
- When discipling people in their walk with God, you’ll have people are varying levels of biblical knowledge and spiritual maturity. Consequently, to be effective in your discipleship efforts, you may need to start at different places with different people.
- When training for ministry, not only will people be involved in different areas of ministry, but even within the same ministry, people will have different levels of experience and prior training. In addition, their personalities and learning styles will affect the way they learn best. Consequently, if training efforts fail to account for the topics, depth, time availability, and learning preferences needed by various individuals, some may come away feeling helped while others look at it as a waste of time with little personal benefit.
- In disciplining, children’s workers and parents will be working with children with different personalities, birth order, etc. that cause them to respond differently to the same approach. Consequently, discipline tactics that work for one child may not work for another.
- They aren’t tailored to specific groups and how God may want to do something different within each. — There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. (1 Cor. 12:4-6)
- The varying ministries within a church have different objectives, staff needed, and target groups. Consequently, while all ministries should come under the umbrella of your church purpose, within that parameter, if the same methodology and structure is used in each area, you undoubtedly won’t truly accomplish the reason for which each ministry was established.
- From church to church, you’ll find different church cultures, backgrounds, communities, sizes, staff, facilities, and so much more that makes a lot of difference from one church to another. Consequently, merely copying what another church does may not be a good fit and therefore not be as effective as it was for the other church.
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