Any athlete or team will pay close attention to the scoreboard to determine where they are in the game and identify any adjustments that need to be made. Sometimes this means you shift your roster, and other times you may need to shift your game plan.
From the very beginning of the game, the scoreboard is surely within sight of any coach, team, and/or fan. Of course, from the very beginning, you are striving to win, and the metric identified by the scoreboard guides you throughout the game.
Identifying potential early wins for the new pastor will be the focus of this article. Although this will look different depending on context, I will list some key metrics, or potential early wins, that will help you get off to the best start possible.
Make prayer imperative
Just mark it down: you must pray! And you’ll need others praying too! Therefore, begin by identifying prayer warriors in your ministry who will pray for you, the church, and that the gospel goes forth. You will never go wrong with prayer, and yet you will have to lead people constantly to seek God’s face and His presence. Seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in identifying individuals that you can bring along with you to pray in groups as God leads. Gathering people to pray intentionally and strategically for God to do what cannot be done otherwise is an early win for the beginning of your ministry!
Prioritize your calendar
It may go without saying, but there is a ministry vortex that every minister should be mindful of. This vortex is essentially busyness that will lead to burnout if not managed effectively. Therefore, the earlier you can become disciplined in assuring your calendar does not get away from you, the better. Seek accountability and find a rhythm that works for you to ensure long-term fulfillment in the assignment God has called you to.
It is safe to say that if many could start over again, they would seek to win in this area, and it would be a first item of business. Therefore, identifying this early win will ensure you make it to the final quarter and ultimately finish strong.
Discover the church’s current reality
Another early win will be to discover the current reality of the church. One approach may be to examine what we call the five functions of the church: worship, discipleship, evangelism, ministry, and fellowship. What does the scoreboard indicate about each of these functions? Who or what may need to be prayerfully adjusted? What would each of these areas look like 5 or 10 years from now, based on the current reality?
Keep in mind that the early win in this area is to DISCOVER, not CHANGE. Sure, God in His grace may grant you discernment to change something immediately, but a huge win is to simply gain important information early so you can then begin to pray about how things may look different 3-5 years later.
Build relationships and trust in the congregation
Dr. Todd Gray noted some time ago in a blog post the following statement regarding this reality: “Ministry runs at the speed of trust.” I am not sure where I heard the statement or if I coined it myself. Either way, I know it is true. When trust is diminished in a church, association or a convention of churches, then ministry is greatly hindered. But when trust abounds, much good gospel work can be accomplished — and at a healthy pace.
The call to pastor is a call to shepherd people. Therefore, everything you do should be based on relationships and the establishment of trust. Some early wins in this regard include visiting, making phone calls, sending text messages, and/or writing letters to the members of the church. Invest in their life by offering them the gift of encouragement and prayers. Determine to know their name, their family, and what is important to them.
Moreover, as you get to know your people, you will surely identify key personalities within the congregation that will probably have some degree of greater influence than others. Identifying them will greatly assist your future collaboration with these individuals and save you from potential conflict. The earlier you identify these key influencers, the better.
Therefore, I would argue that building relationships is not only a potential early win but is an imperative aspect in the beginning. If ignored or mishandled, you will glance at the scoreboard of your ministry and find yourself painfully behind in the game.
Identify men to disciple
The future leadership of your ministry is probably sitting in the congregation when you arrive. Therefore, you must prayerfully discern men that you can disciple/mentor to sit in these seats of influence. There is hardly anything more valuable to the church and more fulfilling for you than to win in this area. What does this win look like?
- Pray. You must pray that God would give you someone, or multiple people, to disciple. If you are not confident they could be sitting in the congregation, pray specifically that God will provide you with someone.
- Ask. Ask them if they would consider getting into a D-Group (Discipleship Group). Look into different literature, or create your own process with Scripture and prayer being pillars of such. The win will involve you asking them personally, though.
- Implement. Nike famously says, “Just Do It!” Yes, an early win is simply starting to invest in their life. I once had someone tell me that you will not have to tell the church you are discipling men—they will simply rise up, and others in the congregation will pick up on how God is using them through this growth.
Discipleship will invigorate your ministry. Indeed, iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17)
Identify an evangelist in the congregation
I am convinced that within every congregation, no matter the size, there is someone who will rise to the top when it comes to a desire and interest in sharing the gospel with the community. This person will exemplify things like a more intense burden for their lost family and friends, be involved in outreach meetings and conversations, and will often communicate a need to reach the community. Do not underestimate that dear saint who may not be able to go out physically but can pray heaven down regarding reaching lost souls with the gospel!
By offering evangelism training and opportunities like door-to-door evangelism or block parties, you will surely find someone you can begin to invest in more deeply in evangelism. This will be a huge win for the evangelism ministry at the church, as this person can become a catalyst and leader in fulfilling the Great Commission locally. Fan the flame of this individual and pray that God will encourage them to take on responsibility that will prove fruitful.
Celebrate life change
The gospel changes lives! When this happens in your context, celebrate, celebrate, celebrate! If it is baptism, make the baptism a big deal. Have the new believer share their testimony, promote via social media, and/or create invite cards for the candidate to pass out to their family and friends. There are countless ways you can celebrate, so just do it! The gospel also bids people to join the church, share their faith for the first time, or get committed to a small group. Identify these realities and celebrate!
This does bring up a good point. There is a vital difference between lead metrics and lag metrics. Dr. Thom Rainer defines lead metrics as follows: Lead metrics are acts of obedience that—in God’s power—result in the lag metrics noted above. They include goals for sharing the gospel; writing letters or emails to non-Christians and unchurched persons; enjoying meals or coffee with people without Christ (or those without a church home), or leaving flyers about the church at homes.
Lag metrics are the baptisms, church membership commitments, and new Sunday school members. You can’t force those, but you can certainly work hard to share the gospel and invite people to be a part of the work of God at your church. The more you share, the more likely people will be saved, and your church will have new members. Since lead metrics directly impact lag metrics, it is important to identify both metrics as life change—and both are a win!
Relate to the community
Another early win is to visit and become known to local businesses in the community you serve. As life happens and the need arises for pastoral care to be provided beyond your local church membership, it is huge for the community to know where they can turn for counsel and guidance. God will provide opportunities for you as a pastor to share the gospel in these moments, and ultimately God will be glorified as His church shines the light.
Evaluate and maximize communication
This is pretty broad, but for the sake of identifying an early win, let’s consider social media, websites, and any newsletters you may be able to speak into. As of 2025, the majority, if not all, of your future guests will inspect the church through the lens of one of the above-mentioned communication means. Therefore, an early win is to take the lead on simply making certain you have clarity on who you are as a congregation.
Make sure your service times are listed and up to date. Post recent photos of the outside and inside of your church’s facilities. Some of these should be of the congregation gathered, as many who visit the sites will be curious about what this looks like. Certainly, it does not need to be professional, but it should be relevant. For most, this is some low-hanging fruit and an early win for you to communicate the ministry of the church.
Not An Exhaustive List
These are not exhaustive, but are simply some suggestions of potential early wins that are identifiable and practical. As you prayerfully seek God’s will in your context, seek to identify these and other potential early wins!
Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Unsplash
