Summary

My Number 1 Rule for a more effective church meeting is to ban Any Other Business. It is a time- and morale-saver!

Introduction

Many feel a church meeting can be a waste of time. But if you follow this rule, it alone has the power to create a more effective church meeting.

Avoiding grumpy and tired church leadership members

Not allowing Any Other Business as an agenda item might just be the most important way of ensuring an effective church meeting! I have lost count of the number of church leadership meetings that have been productive and helpful. Then, just as the meeting is about to end on time, the Chair says, “is there any other business?” Suddenly the meeting becomes twice as long as expected and everyone goes home grumpy and tired!

Any Other Business breeds laziness

In my experience Any Other Business is often a lazy way of ensuring participants can discuss issues they feel the church leadership should be looking at. Or AOB is the place for the Chair or other members to include matters they forgot about until after they’d issued the agenda.

Consider a notice period to enable you to tailor your agenda

If you really must include Any Other Business on your agenda (perhaps because it’s the type of meeting that deals with matters that might crop up between issuing the agenda and the meeting itself) then consider imposing a notice limit on them. For example, items for Any Other Business must be notified to the Chair no later than 24 hours before the meeting. Then have an agenda item at the top of the agenda (perhaps after Devotion and Apologies for Absence) to list the items of Any Other Business that will be discussed at the end of the meeting, along with time limits for each. That way participants know how much longer the meeting will go on for. It also gives you the opportunity to postpone discussion of matters that are less pressing.

A Long Church Meeting leads to frustration

Many church leaders are frustrated by the church meeting. That’s often because they can be too long and unproductive. By following this rule in particular, your church leadership meetings can carry out what you set out to do, make effective decisions and set up who is accountable for taking forward what you discussed.

Make Your Church Meeting Effective

The church meeting is essential to the mission and ministry of your church. Effective church leadership meetings go a long way to ensuring that mission and ministry are effective too.

Photo by Benjamin Child on Unsplash

Related Links

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• Make Love Your Number One Priority

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