Know Your Why - Church Life Jar Workshops Workbook

In the spring of 2017 PUMC embarked on a journey of self-discovery.

At various times in the life-cycle of a church the question is raised, “What’s the Point?!” What’s the point of all the pebbles and sand we are using in our effort to fill the Life Jar of our church? And in so doing, are we becoming disillusioned, dissatisfied, and discontent, feeling that something is missing?

The theory of the Life Jar is simple. The Jar symbolizes your Life – what you put into it and what you leave out. Your inspiration, motivation, values, intentions, actions, and the resulting effects and outcomes are product suggested by rocks, stones/pebbles and sand.

Our tendency is to concentrate our energy in our actions and values (vis. stones), and/or our outcomes and results (sand) without the substance and foundation of inspiration and motivation (rocks), leading us to ask, “What’s the Point?” This same can be said for churches.

In order to give substance and foundation to your Life Jar, it is necessary to “Know Your Why.” When you know your “Why,” you can then intentionally choose what make up the rocks in your Life Jar. The collaboration of our personal findings as a church community will be the compass point for our church to identify our “Why.”

Two videos for your consideration

Simon Sinek’s TED Talk that explains “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” (including knowing your Why)

Michael Jr.’s “When you know your ‘why’ then your ‘what’ has more impact, because you’re working towards your purpose.”

We are releasing a church development resource, a workbook intended to spark your thinking, both individually and collectively, as you walk through the process of filling your church Life Jar by identifying your “Why,” understanding knowing your “How” and setting your course to reach your “What.”

We hope that this will be a time of inspiration, clarification and motivation as you unite together in setting the course of your church worship, ministries and missions for the years to come.

We offer this free tool to leaders of any faith.

You can download the Know Your Why – Church Life Jar workbook here (27 pages): fillable Word doc or PDF.