Lessons learned: Know where you are

Jojo Thomas

Progress can come quickly once you’ve realized where you really are. ”

“You are here.”  Even though Amazon is making shopping malls obsolete, most folks still remember looking for this sign -  the one with a little colored dot that showed you where you were in reference to everything else.  Before GPS or online maps, it was the only way to avoid wandering aimlessly until you stumbled across your destination.

A similar reality underlies progress in ministry (or personal growth, or just about any endeavor).  Getting to where you need to be always starts with figuring out where you are.  The problem is, it’s not always obvious.  It’s fairly simple to navigate in a physical space like a mall (at least once I find the sign). But it’s not as simple if the place where I need to make progress is spiritual or relational.  And the challenge is multiplied if others are loudly shouting bad advice.  That’s what happens to many pastors when they read books/attend conferences facilitated by experts who’ve never been where they are. 

At the risk of being too blunt, maybe the first step out of this swamp is deciding to be wary of “experts” who haven’t been where you are, or somewhere remotely similar.  A second step might be to slow down & observe/listen until you can define reality on several levels:

1. Where am I culturally?  English might be spoken all over the USA, but that doesn’t mean North Georgia is like North Dakota.  People value different things; they embrace different activities; & their climate dictates different life rhythms.  The quickest way forward is to genuinely “get” where you are, and learn to love (as much as possible) what your people love.
2. How does my church think/function?  Yes, there are biblical standards we’re all aiming for here, but you can’t just complain about what “should be.”   Truth is, some of how your current church functions isn’t wrong or right; it’s just a dynamic of their size, or shared history.  And some leadership tactics that are “standard” in larger churches will be exactly wrong in a smaller church. 
3. What time is it?  No matter how clearly I can see the way forward, there’s a right time (and a wrong time) to yell charge.  Leaders always struggle with this, but it’s a real part of “where you are” right now… and respecting God’s timing is totally biblical. 

Just a couple more thoughts before leaving this topic.  The day you find a friend or mentor who genuinely “gets” where you are is a great day.   And if you can identify, nag, stalk, buy coffee for, or otherwise steal some time from a leader who’s already navigated growth challenges in a context much like yours, do it!  Lastly, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve been wandering in the mall a while.  Progress can come quickly once you’ve realized where you really are. 

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Dr. G. J. (Jojo) Thomas served as the Associational Missionary Strategist for the Chattahoochee Baptist Association from May 2005 until his retirement at the end of 2025. Prior to his ministry with CBA, he served 23 years as the founding pastor of Annistown Road Baptist Church in Snellville, Georgia. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master’s of Divinity, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Doctorate of Ministry.