Jesus is the C.E.O. of the church. He is the head of His church (Eph. 1:22-23). But every preacher, youth minister, and the shepherds of the church are the C.R.O.’s. What is a C.R.O. you ask?
A Chief Reminding Officer!
“Great leaders see themselves as Chief Reminding Officers as much as anything else. Their top priorities are to set the direction of the organization and then to ensure that people are reminded of it on a regular basis.”* Reminding often feels wasteful and redundant, but it is crucial for leaders to constantly communicate the mission of the church and truth of the gospel.
Preachers–see yourself as the C.R.O. of the church. Your job is not to invent anything new, but to preach the primitive gospel of Jesus Christ. A form of the word “remind” is found 13 times in the New Testament (ESV). Peter, as an older apostle, wrote “I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Pet. 1:13). Jude wrote to “remind” the early Christians of what they already knew. Paul had to “remind” the Corinthians of the gospel he had preached (1 Cor. 15:1). Paul told Timothy and Titus to remind their listeners of core truths of the gospel (2 Tim. 2:14, Titus 3:1). Christians come to worship each Sunday not to learn a new thing, but to be reminded of what they believe. Christians need to be stirred up to love and good works through reminding. They need to be “established in the truth” through reminding (2 Pet. 1:12).
Shepherds of the church are the C.R.O.’s of the church in that they are to constantly remind the church of its mission and vision for God in this world. The one job shepherds have that no one else can do is set the vision, direction, and mission of the church. They point the way! But Christians are busy people with distraction-filled lives, thus shepherds must constantly remind, challenge, and call them back to their purpose.
This reminding isn’t just saying the same thing over and over. It is using different methods, illustrations, Bible passages, works, and personal example to deliver the same message. The challenge of church leaders is to be fresh and passionate about the same message that has not and will not ever change. Church leaders, the Lord needs you to be His C.R.O.’s! The church needs to be reminded! So go preach!
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*Patrick Lencioni, The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. p. 142-143.
