{"id":11775,"date":"2014-02-19T08:00:54","date_gmt":"2014-02-19T13:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/?p=11775"},"modified":"2026-02-04T09:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T14:36:17","slug":"getting-beyond-labels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintools.com\/blog\/getting-beyond-labels.htm","title":{"rendered":"What’s in a Name? Getting Beyond Labels"},"content":{"rendered":"

To remedy attacks on the church for being too “worldly” or “business-like” in how it functions, some have re-labeled what they do. For example, . . .
\n\"Name<\/p>\n

job description gets changed to ministry description<\/p>\n

committee gets changed to ministry team<\/p>\n

The terminology might “sound” less worldly or business-like but have the activities themselves changed to be more godly or biblical-like? Using the same examples, . . .<\/p>\n

What one calls a job description could line up more with God’s design and desires for ministry than what someone else re-labeled a ministry description.<\/p>\n

What one labels a committee could function more as a living organism and accomplish more for eternity than what another names a ministry team<\/p>\n

A ministry description or team can be mired in just as worldly or business-like organizational structure as a job description or committee.<\/p>\n

Is the Name Change Really Getting Beyond Labels?<\/h2>\n

Name changes can be good if they truly depict what is happening. However, if you change the label but not the reason for its existence or the way it functions, all you have is a name change. We need to get beyond labels to truly being the Church God calls us to be. We need ask why something isn’t working and first address those issues. Questions we might ask regarding the same examples already used could be . . .<\/p>\n

What is it about your job descriptions that doesn’t promote a ministry mindset?<\/p>\n

What is it about your committees that isn’t conducive to a unified advancement toward the common good and growth of the Body?<\/p>\n

Once you resolve those issues, then you might want to consider a name change to better reflect what you do.<\/p>\n

The examples used in this post are only two of many ways we as a church try to repackage the same old thing. But, since I used them as examples, let me point you to some articles that might help in these areas.<\/p>\n

Job \/ Ministry Descriptions:<\/strong><\/p>\n