11 Ministry Priorities to Lead Us Forward … The Story So Far – Looking Back Before We Move Forward
Across Term 4 last year, we journeyed together through the opening half of our Anchored & Advancing: 11 Ministry Priorities to Lead Us Forward series. Before we step into new territory next week, we pause to look back—reminding ourselves of the first five Priorities, reflecting on what God has been stirring in us, and recommitting to living these truths rather than simply reading them.
The first five Priorities revolve around two key themes:
MAKING THE MAIN THINGS, THE MAIN THINGS
Priority #1 – A Movement of Worshippers
The Lord stays at the centre of everything we do—our first, ongoing, and ultimate focus.
Priority #2 – Object Focused Ministry
Staying grounded in what truly matters gives us clarity for decisions and direction.
Priority #3 – Respecting, Not Captured by the Past
We steward our legacy with courage—honouring our heritage while adapting, growing, and leading today’s boys into a vibrant, Christ‑centred future.
ACTION-FOCUSED LEADERSHIP
Priority #4 – A Connected Team
We lead best when we lead together, drawing on the diverse skills, perspectives, and experiences within our teams.
Priority #5 – Excessively Accessible
Following Jesus’ example, we choose to be approachable and responsive—serving others, bearing burdens, showing hospitality, and meeting practical needs with wisdom and care.
As we restart this series for a new year, we step back into these five with fresh eyes and renewed purpose.
Anchored & Advancing 101
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Priority #1 calls us back to the heart of The Boys’ Brigade: we are a worshipping people. Our mission to advance Christ’s Kingdom among boys grows out of leaders whose lives centre on glorifying God, not on programs or activities.
Worship stretches far beyond singing or chaplaincy moments. It shows up in obedience, service, relationships, and the pursuit of Christlikeness in every part of our ministry. Proverbs 3:6 reminds us that when we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways, He makes our paths straight. That promise shapes our leadership. When Jesus stays as our first, ongoing, and final focus, clarity follows—and our boys encounter a faith worth imitating.
Priority #2 takes us back to the roots of our Movement—to William Smith’s conviction and to the Object that has guided us for more than 140 years. It’s easy to become attached to how we do BB and forget why we do it. The Object never mentions uniforms, drill, badges, camps, or structures. These tools matter, but they are not the mission.
Object‑focused ministry calls us to align every program decision, conversation, badgework activity, and event with our purpose: advancing Christ’s Kingdom among boys and shaping them into young men of faith and character. Staying anchored in the Object keeps us from busyness without fruitfulness and ensures our ministry remains centred on what truly matters.
In Priority #3 challenges us to honour our heritage without becoming trapped by it. BB’s legacy is extraordinary, and we rightly celebrate the leaders, traditions, and impact that shaped us. But nostalgia cannot guide our future. Faithfulness requires courage—courage to ask hard questions, adapt when needed, and embrace Spirit‑led innovation even when it stretches us.
Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time to keep and a time to throw away. In ministry, this means moving forward with reverence but without rigidity. We steward the past while making room for what God wants to do next. Being anchored does not mean staying stuck; it means advancing with the times so we can reach the boys of today.
Anchored & Advancing into Action Focused Leadership
Priority #4 highlights that leadership never happens alone. Scripture’s picture of the body of Christ reminds us that diversity strengthens us, shared work unites us, and connection deepens our impact. Whether on a Board, in a Company, or at an event, we grow and lead best when we lead together.
A connected team works hard, plays hard, laughs together, and recognises the value each person brings beyond what we see on a BB night. Anchored and advancing leadership thrives when we draw on the strengths, stories, and perspectives of the whole team.
Priority #5 brings leadership into everyday moments. Ministry often happens in interruptions—in the late‑night phone call, the unexpected conversation, the simple act of showing up. Jesus modelled a life of availability, presence, and compassion, and we follow His example when we choose to be approachable and responsive.
Being “excessively accessible” doesn’t mean burning ourselves out. It means serving with generosity and wisdom, setting healthy boundaries so our availability remains sustainable. When we balance presence with discernment, we lead from strength rather than exhaustion.
Across the rest of this term, we will explore the next three Priorities in the Action‑Focused Leadership bundle:
Priority #6 – Informed to Encourage Action
- Priority #7 – Consultative but Decisive
- Priority #8 – Strong Support Structures
Next term, we will move into the final set of three.
May these foundations continue to anchor our leadership as we advance into the next season God is shaping for us.
JASON KNIGHT President, The Boys’ Brigade Queensland