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You know that feeling. You plan something. A one-time thing. A free garage sale, a community meal, or a holiday outreach. You put it on the calendar. You round up volunteers. You do the thing.
And it goes well. Better than you expected.
So, you put it on the calendar for next year. Same time. Same place. Same thing. Done.
Most of us do that. We find something that works, and we lock it in. We stop asking questions. We stop paying attention. We just repeat.
But there is a different way. It is something we talk about a lot in the small church network. We call it a plan to pivot
The Problem With “Once A Year”
Here is what happens. We do an event. It feels good. People show up. So, we put it on the calendar for the same time next year. And then we do not think about it again until the month before.
We are not asking, “What else?” We are not paying attention to what happened after the event. We are not noticing the gaps.
I talk about this a lot. When we get into the ministry trend space or the program space, we put things on the calendar, and we are not always saying, “What else?” Like, what are we seeing?
That is the problem. We stop seeing.
How A One-Time Event Revealed A Deeper Need
I know a church that did a free garage sale. Just a one-time thing. Fill the fellowship hall for a Saturday afternoon and let people take stuff for free.
The first time they did it, the stuff spilled out of the fellowship hall, down the hallway, and into the sanctuary. There was not a space in the church that did not have items in it. They had so many donations that they had to do another free garage sale a month later.
Two successful events. Most churches would stop there. Put it on the calendar. Done.
But here is what happened next. Between those two garage sales, people kept emailing. “When are you having your next one?” “I really need this.” “Do you have any idea when you’ll do it again?”
The church noticed something. There was a gap. People had needs in between the big events. And people had donations they wanted to give in between, too.
Most churches would have missed this. But they were paying attention.
The Pivot Point
That is the moment. That is where pivoting starts.
You notice something you did not expect. You see a need that does not fit neatly into your once-a-year box. And you have a choice. You can ignore it and stick to the plan. Or you can ask a different question.
They asked, “What can we do with this?”
They had leftovers from the garage sales. They had a space in their building that was not being used. They had tables and shelves already there.
So they tried something. They opened the space in between the big sales. Just a few hours here and there. Nothing fancy. Just a way to fill the gap.
That is how the Really Free Marketplace started. Not because they had a five-year plan. But because they paid attention and pivoted.
Plan To Pivot
Here is the phrase. Plan to pivot.
That means you go into any ministry expecting to learn and adjust. You do not lock everything in stone. You leave room for the Holy Spirit to move and for needs to show up that you did not see coming.
It means after every event, you ask questions.
- What did we learn?
- What needs did we see?
- What did people ask for that we could not provide?
It means paying attention to the gaps. What happens between your events? Are people asking for something in the in-between spaces? Is there a need that keeps showing up when your doors are closed?
And it means looking at what you already have. Do you have space that is not being used? Do you have leftovers? Do you have volunteers who want to do more?
Start Before You Have It All Figured Out
Another phrase I love. Build the plane while you fly it.
That is what they did. They did not have everything figured out. They did not have a budget, a strategic plan, or a committee. They just had a space, some leftover stuff, and a willingness to try.
So they started. They opened the space one night a week. They figured it out as they went. Every week, they paid attention to what was working and what was not. They adjusted. They kept going.
That is how you pivot. You do not wait until you have all the answers. You take what you have, you try something, and you pay attention to what happens next.
Evaluate Every Week To Keep Pivoting
Here is something they did that made all the difference. They evaluated every week.
Not once a year. Not even once a month. Every week.
They looked at what was working well and what needed to be adjusted. They paid attention to what people needed. They noticed when something was not working and changed it.
That weekly rhythm kept them from getting stuck. It kept them responsive to real needs instead of just running on autopilot.
I always say, let’s evaluate when we do things and be ready to say, “Hmm, should we try this? Could we shift this?”
That is the posture. Always wondering. Always ready to shift.
Let The Need Shape The Ministry
Here is what happened as they kept going.
- People kept asking between events. So they opened in between.
- People wanted to donate locally. So they set up donation hours.
- People wanted to try on clothes. So they added a changing room.
- People wanted to help. So, they welcomed community volunteers.
Every step of the way, the need shaped the ministry. They did not start with a preconceived idea of what the marketplace should look like. They started with what people were actually asking for.
That is what it means to follow people, not trends. You let the need lead.
What Happens When You Pivot
When you pivot like this, a few things happen.
You end up with a ministry you never planned. This church did not set out to start a free marketplace. They set out to try a garage sale, but because they paid attention and pivoted, they ended up with something much bigger.
You stay responsive to real needs. The ministry keeps evolving because you keep listening. You do not get stuck doing the same thing year after year, long after the need has changed.
You protect your volunteers from burnout. When you evaluate regularly, you notice when people need a break. You notice when something is taking too much energy. You can adjust before people get exhausted.
That church started with the garage sales. Then they opened one night a week. Now they are hoping to expand to two nights. But they did not jump there overnight. They pivoted slowly, step by step, always paying attention.
What If It Does Not Work?
You might be wondering. What if we try something and it does not work?
That is okay. That is part of it. When you evaluate regularly, you catch things early. If something is not working, you can stop or change it. You do not have to keep doing something just because you started it.
The goal is not to get it right the first time. The goal is to keep paying attention and keep adjusting.
You Don’t Need A Big Budget To Pivot
That church I mentioned only has about 50 people on a weekend. They did not have a big budget, a big staff, or a big building. They just had a willingness to try something, pay attention, and pivot.
You have that too. You have space. You have people. You have relationships. You have what is already in front of you.
The question is whether you will pay attention to what happens next.
Your Turn
So, here is my question. Think about the last thing your church did. Maybe it was an event. Maybe it was a new idea you tried.
What happened after? What did people ask for that you could not provide? What needs showed up in the days and weeks after?
You might be sitting on the beginning of something you never expected. You just have to be willing to pivot.
And if you do, I would love to hear about it. That is what this community is for. Sharing what is working and encouraging each other to keep going.
If you are not already in our Small Church Facebook group, come join us. It is a place where small church leaders and volunteers can be honest about the struggles and celebrate the wins together. We would love to have you.
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