Every growing church eventually faces the same hard call:
deciding which ministries further the vision—and which ones don’t.

In this episode of the Breaking 1000 Podcast, Scott, Mark, and Hunter walk through how pastors can make that call by clarifying:

• Who God has called their church to be
• Where that vision is leading
• How they are actually going to get there

With limited time, people, and resources, leaders are forced to evaluate ministries honestly. Even good programs can quietly block growth when they no longer align with the vision. The conversation highlights the difference between vision and the vehicles used to carry it, why pruning can feel painful even when it’s necessary, and how avoiding hard decisions slowly erodes leadership credibility.

The episode also addresses the reality that clarity-driven leadership sometimes leads to people leaving—and why that doesn’t mean the decision was wrong. In many cases, it’s a sign that alignment, fruitfulness, and stewardship are being prioritized over comfort and familiarity.

If you’re a pastor leading a growing church and wrestling with whether something should continue, change, or end, this episode will help you make the call with confidence.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why growth forces hard leadership decisions
01:20 – The three clarity questions every church must answer
03:15 – Why every church operates with limited time, people, and resources
05:05 – You can’t be all things to all people (and neither was Jesus)
07:45 – Why clarity must be communicated early and often
09:10 – The danger of letting people start ministries without alignment
10:45 – Vision vs. vehicles: when methods outlive their purpose
14:05 – A real example of closing a long-standing ministry
17:10 – How to evaluate fruit honestly and make comparisons
21:45 – Why clarity-driven leadership sometimes costs you people

If you have a question or topic you’d like us to tee up on a future episode, email us at hey@readysetgrowchurch.com