They're known as "The Five Drucker Questions." Penned by Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, these five questions are surprisingly basic. Yet, used as levers to pry open and elevate your best thinking, they'll help your staff and board find out where God is working — and how best to join up with him in this new decade of ministry.

When you can succinctly answer these questions, you've got an automatic 20-minute talk for any community group, volunteer or new staff orientation, ministry meeting, or fund-raising presentation. Most importantly, team-generated answers to these questions will enable your church or ministry to stay focused and to be excellent stewards of God's calling for you. You'll also enjoy ministry more — confident you're on the right track, God's track.

Even if you're already familiar with the Drucker Questions, consider reviewing them at a staff or board meeting, focusing on them at a retreat, or asking each department to wrestle with them at a half-day retreat.

1. What is our business (mission)?
Many believe this is the most difficult question, especially for well-funded, long-established ministries.

Church leaders might believe their business is to conduct worship services. Wrong (in my opinion). Many pastors and church board members have determined they're in business to help unchurched people become followers of Christ. Church services are the methodology to fulfill the Great Commission—not the end result. Are we seeing God change lives and grow unchurched people into disciples? If not, growth in attendance or giving means nothing.

Is your mission to sell books? Distribute literature? Feed the homeless? Does a record year of serving the hungry mean you've fulfilled your mission? Maybe not.

2. Who is our customer?
Every church or ministry has multiple "customers": donors, vendors, staff, volunteers, board members, and of course, your target audience. But is it obvious to everyone in your organization?

Ask the 50 key people in your "inner circle" of staff, board, donors and influencers. Do all agree on who is your primary customer? It makes a difference.

Wrestle, prayerfully, with this question. Your answer will impact how you budget, staff, celebrate and grow your ministry.

3. What does the customer consider value?
Now that you've identified your customers, what are they telling you? Have you surveyed them recently? Do you know, or care, what they think? If you need help with this, invest in a research consultant. The results may surprise you and perhaps save you valuable ministry dollars. If your customers don't appreciate one or more programs, you could drop them!

4. What have been our results?
Pray for honesty and integrity here. Ministry anecdotes and poignant photos are important in the right place and at the right time. But you also need the hard data and objective perspectives.

"New Beginnings is highly regarded throughout our city," doesn't cut it. Instead, let your customers talk. "We were considering divorce, but our church's marriage recovery program brought us back together five years ago! Now as volunteers in the New Beginnings program, we've helped several couples each year find new life in Christ and in their marriage. Since the program started, more than 100 couples have been helped."

5. What is our plan?
Most ministry leaders are rarely short on the vision side—so articulating the plan is often easy. Too easy. Good ideas often crowd out the God ideas. We need to be sure we're in sync with where God is working.

Is your ministry plan written down? Can you summarize the key elements in one or two pages? Do all of your programs and ministries flow, prayerfully, from this plan?

The Five Drucker Questions will tax your patience, your creativity and your prayer life. What a great way to re-energize your ministry!

This article reprinted with permission from the Engstrom Institute; © 2009 Christian Leadership Alliance - 800.727.4CLA. Visit CLA's website to see what they offer your organization to help build leaders and enhance organizational effectiveness!

John Pearson is president of John Pearson Associates, Inc., a management consulting firm based in San Clemente, Calif., that helps nonprofit organizations in vision implementation with detailed execution. In December 2005, Pearson concluded 11 years as the president/CEO of Christian Management Association. Visit him at www.johnpearsonassociates.com.