You may feel like your church is in a rut. One dictionary offers two definitions for "rut." The first meaning says "a furrow or track in the ground, especially one made by the passage of a vehicle or vehicles." The second definition is "a fixed and dull or unpromising way of life."

Both kinds are caused by routine and repetition. And both can stop forward progress. If you have ever been in a car stuck in the mud, you know that you can press the accelerator and the tires will spin. But that activity will only put you in deeper. Forward motion ceases.

The reasons for ruts are many. At times, our own success can lead us into one. We have a sense of accomplishment. A long sought-after goal becomes an end unto itself rather than the means to a greater end. We often find ourselves in a rut due to the routine we have allowed ourselves to slip into.

If the road to the rut is "routine," that road is paved with our own comfort. We get accustomed to the status quo and often times become inwardly focused. Another trap that draws us in is the misunderstood purpose. Church members tie their purpose to a program or methodology rather than the mission of the church.

No matter how your church found itself in the rut, the important issue is to focus on getting out of it. Here are three factors to keep in mind as you help lead your church back onto the path.

1. Do Not Attack Friends of the Family

Short-term tenure in a church is often the result of violating this first principle. The "friend of the family" may be the tenaciously stubborn couples' Sunday School class. Or it may be the monthly business meeting that attracts at least 5 percent of the church members.

Remember the way out of the rut is not to attack the rut itself. It is a new outward focus that helps people look beyond themselves.

2. It Is Often Better to Add Than Subtract or Divide

In my former pastorates, we stopped dividing Sunday School classes. Instead we would seek a gifted teacher and a few "missionaries" from other classes. They would form the core for a new class. We would not divide another class; instead we would add a new class.

It is fascinating to witness the excitement a new group brings to the entire organization. These new classes become the fastest-growing groups in the church. Outsiders are attracted to their newness and enthusiasm. And we have not depleted our emotional resources fighting the battles that are commensurate with making major changes in an existing group. Indeed it is often easier to add than to divide or subtract.

We encourage new groups to form where existing structures, committees and organizations are stuck in a routine. We do not disband the old groups. (That usually takes care of itself.) We simply start new groups to get the job done.

3. Often the Best Way to Handle an Obstacle Is to Go Around It

"Choose your battles," a wise pastor told me when I answered God's call to vocational ministry. "You will have the support of the church only if you carefully select the battles worth fighting," another ministry veteran told me. "You cannot fight them all."

The established church offers both opportunities and obstacles. The obstacles are often the result of doing things the same way for years. And the obstacles may take the form of an organization, a methodology, a routine, or a person.

When you are confronted with an obstacle, three options are available. First, you can let the obstacle stop you and stay where you are. Nothing will change. There will be times when such a retreat is wise. The timing to move forward may not be God's timing.

A second option is to fight the obstacle, to confront it head-on.

Indeed such a confrontation or battle may be in order. I remember a church where a staff member was doing everything he could to undermine the pastor's work. After approaching the problem from several different angles, the pastor finally had to give the staff member an ultimatum: get on the team or leave. Ultimately the staff member was dismissed. The process was painful but necessary. The pastor had a reputation of choosing his battles carefully. The church supported him in this tough decision.

Most obstacles can be handled, however, by going around them. In the first option, nothing changes. In the second option, the change comes at a great cost. In this third option, change can be implemented without a major confrontation.

One Georgia church was in a new-growth area. Once a small town, the community in which the church was located had become a growing bedroom community for Atlanta commuters. The church seemed poised for growth except for an outreach leader who refused to change methodologies to reach these baby-boomer commuters. The pastor and staff simply began an additional outreach ministry and allowed the outreach leader to keep doing things his way. The church grew and, in time, the reluctant leader joined the team in the new and successful approach.

Remember the Elephant

The ruts of the traditional church can come in all depths and with multiple levels of resistance. Some can easily be overcome; others take time to overcome. Remember how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time. In an established church, the best long-term successes often come when the problem is tackled methodically and with patience. You may be dealing with something that is of great emotional value to some church members.

Yet, at the same time, do not let the obstacles and ruts hinder your leadership from moving the church forward. The process may be slow, but it can be done. The greatest victories will come when you see a new outward focus and enthusiasm among your people.