OMAI

This acronym will transform how you prioritize your time as a minister. It did for me!

It stands for Organization – Media – Assembly – Individual. When the Lord taught me this principle I spent most of my time ministering to individuals and the next largest portion of my time ministering to groups of people on Sunday morning or in bible studies. I set aside almost no time at all on building an organization and I gave zero thought to writing books or recording videos.

I was making an impact in the least efficient means possible.

Organization

I’m going to use a silly but accurate analogy: Comparing an individual ministry focus to an organizational ministry focus is like comparing a small time drug dealer to a highly militarized drug cartel. Sure they ultimately do the same thing, but while the drug dealer might be noticed by a few neighbors and eventually the police, cartels demand the attention of heads of state and coalitions of the highest levels of law enforcement across continents.

Find those that are faithful and able. Train them. Get them to train others. Organize yourselves for maximum impact. The drug dealer could sell drugs his whole life and would never accidentally create a cartel. Organized crime comes together only where there is intentionality to create it. Ministry is no different.

It’s a replication of yourself and your purpose into others who will then work with you to achieve it. Paul and Titus, Paul and Timothy, Jesus and the 12, etc.

Media

If you’re a student of the bible you might’ve learned some valuable life lessons from the Apostle Paul. But…you weren’t there when he taught. You received his instructions 2000 years later through what he wrote and others preserved. That’s the power of media.

You write something down once and it can impact lives on the other side of the world. It can be working and producing fruit while you’re asleep and keep going even after you’re dead.

Videos, podcasts, books, etc. They can replicate your message infinitely through space and time.

Assembly

Big or small, assemblies are great but they’re limited by proximity and availability. On Sunday morning some of your congregation will have to work. Some are going to be out of town for the weekend. It’s even harder getting people together at the same place and time on a week day. What about all the people that would attend your meetings if they didn’t live two hours away?

I believe it’s a terribly inefficient way to teach unless also connected to media. On the other hand, it’s absolutely essential for building community.

Individual

There are some things that should be done privately. Discipleship is not one of them. When you’re presented with the chance to minister to individuals, ask yourself if it would be more effective to make it an assembly or to put the information into a form of media. If it is, do that instead and make that available to them.

This isn’t devaluing them and it’s not being mean. It’s agreeing with Jesus that the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Unless it’s a private matter, you owe it to all the would-be hearers and doers of the word to make it a highly public matter.