Your Preferences and God

December 3, 2025

Your Preferences and God’s Purpose for the Church: An Assessment and Strategy for Ministry Alignment

Jeff Gossmann | 2022

Abstract

Due to the lack of an official universal liturgy, many Evangelical churches lack unifying strategic goals and a sense of purpose. Instead, many Evangelical churches base their ministry designs on the preferences of the senior leadership team. That is, the church’s most robust ministries are whatever activities the pastors like the most. Unfortunately, when church leaders base their ministries only on their preferences, they will fall short of the full purposes of God for the Church. This author proposes that God’s purpose for the Church is fourfold: teaching, worship, service, and evangelism. Many church leaders prefer one or two of these purposes to the neglect of the others. This manuscript provides an assessment that determines which preferences take priority in the reader’s church. The Ministry Preference Assessment Instrument is founded on the Ministry Preference Matrix Theory. This theory proposes that all church leaders’ preferences exist on two polarities. Pastors prioritize either intellectual or emotional aspects of ministry. They have either an internal (church) focus or an external (world) focus.

When shaped as an X-Y axis, these two polarities create four quadrants representing four different church profile types: Doctrinal, Experiential, Diaconal, and Missional. Each profile is strong in one of the Fourfold Purposes of the Church and usually weak in the others. This manuscript describes each church profile, explaining each’s go-to strategies and its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The second half of the manuscript thoroughly explains the theological importance of creating a balance between the four purposes of the church, using four wheels on a car as an analogy. The remaining chapters describe the Fourfold Strategy, which will help pastors create the balance between God’s purpose and their preferences for a healthy church. The manuscript provides valuable suggestions on how to use objectives, evaluations, and lead and lag measures to ensure their ministry stays focused on what truly matters. Finally, the manuscript describes what an effective leadership development program should look like and makes suggestions on Transformational Leadership behaviors based on the reader’s church profile. This manuscript will help church leaders waste less effort on fruitless activities and become the Fourfold Purpose Church that God desires them to be.

Request Information

"*" indicates required fields

Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Online or On Campus*

Online

On Campus

On Campus Degree Type*

Online Degree Type*

Choose a Program*

This program is designed for registered nurses looking to advance their degree. A valid, unencumbered RN license is required to apply.

RN License Confirmation*

I currently hold a valid RN license

Don't have your RN license yet? Explore other Regent programs.

High School Graduation*

Are you an employee or the spouse/dependent of an employee?*

Employee

Spouse/Dependent

Are you a JCI USA member or benefitted employee, or the spouse/dependent of an employee?*

Employee/Member

Spouse/Dependent

Email Address*

Company*

Agency*

Employee's Company*

Employee's Agency*

Company Email Address*

Agency Email Address*

Your Email Address*

Employee's Company Email Address*

Employee's Agency Email Address*

Employee's First Name*

Employee/Member's First Name*

Employee's Last Name*

Employee/Member's Last Name*

Your Email Address*

First Name*

Last Name*

I live outside the US

Address*