What if the biggest Kingdom impact you make could come from a small, sustainable shift?
January is famous for big, bold resolutions. We try to overhaul everything at once—new habits, new systems, new goals—only to find ourselves discouraged when the momentum fades by February. Most of us don’t lack passion. We lack sustainability. And that’s why I’ve been thinking less about dramatic change and more about directional change: the kind of subtle shift you can actually maintain.
Recently, I was on a flight and noticed a small adjustment in our heading not long after takeoff. It wasn’t a sharp turn—barely noticeable unless you were paying attention. But I couldn’t help thinking about what that means over distance. A plane that stays just 2–3 degrees off course can end up 50-100 miles from its intended destination! That slight shift doesn’t feel significant at first, but it absolutely determines where you land. And no one wants to land 100 miles from where they were aiming!
The same is true in ministry. Drift happens by default—through busy calendars, urgent needs, and the constant pressure to keep everything running. Direction happens on purpose. Small, faithful shifts in our rhythms—sustained over time—can re-center a church on Jesus’ mission to make disciples of all nations and cultivate a culture where multiplication and church planting become the norm.
That’s why I invite everyone to the following.
Pray One • Send One.
This is not “every church must plant.” It’s “every church can be a sending church.” Here are five small shifts any church can make—starting at whatever level fits your capacity:
- Pray One (60 seconds weekly). Add a brief prayer moment each week in a service or leadership gathering. Pray for one mission field (a place or people group) and for the laborers God is raising up.
- Name One (privately). Pastor and board identify one person with potential—planter, team member, host, lay leader—and simply decide, “We’re going to pay attention to them this year.”
- Invest One (monthly touchpoint). Build in a lightweight rhythm: a monthly coffee, a short book/Bible plan, a ministry apprenticeship moment—something consistent that develops and encourages that person.
- Tell One story (often). Once a month, replace one “announcement” with a mission story—where you saw God at work, a spiritual conversation, a step of obedience. Culture forms around what we celebrate.
- Be ready to Support One (when the time comes). If you’re able, be prepared to contribute something as new works emerge—prayer cover, volunteers, finances, hosting, or facility use.
To make it easy for every church to say yes, there are three participation levels:
Level 1: Pray. Level 2: Pray + Identify. Level 3: Pray + Identify + Support. No guilt. No pressure. Just a district-wide “yes” to Jesus’ mission—matched to each church’s capacity.
You don’t need a brand-new vision this year. You may simply need a shift in trajectory. A 2% shift, sustained, can change where we land. Let’s choose direction on purpose—and trust God to multiply what we offer.
Joshua Porterfield
Director of Church Planting
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