Consistency + Faithfulness × Time: Craig Groeschel’s Leadership Equation for Lasting Impact
Consistency + Faithfulness × Time = Lasting Impact
At the 2025 Global Leadership Summit, Craig Groeschel, founding and senior pastor of Life.Church, one of the largest churches in the United States, and host of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast, stood on stage and shared a leadership principle that was both simple and profound:
Consistency + Faithfulness × Time = Lasting Impact
It’s simple enough to write on a sticky note.
It’s powerful enough to reshape your ministry.
Most leaders nod when they hear it.
Few leaders actually live it.
Why?
Because each piece of the equation is easy to understand but hard to sustain, especially in ministry, where distractions, discouragement, and the pressure to perform can break your rhythm.
Let’s unpack what this looks like in real life for leaders who want to build something that lasts.
1. Consistency: The Small Things You Do Every Day
Consistency is the unglamorous side of leadership.
It’s showing up on time to staff meetings when no one’s checking.
It’s preparing your sermon even when the week has been chaotic.
It’s calling that volunteer to say thank you even when your to-do list is overflowing.
Consistency doesn’t shout. It whispers.
But over time, the whispers turn into a steady voice people can trust.
Think about Jesus’ ministry:
He consistently taught the disciples.
He consistently withdrew to pray.
He consistently served people, one person at a time.
Practical ways to grow in consistency:
Pick one habit to protect. Whether it’s your devotional time or your team huddle, defend it like it’s a meeting with someone you regard highly.
Automate where you can. Use reminders, templates, and systems to reduce decision fatigue.
Track progress, not perfection. Miss a day? Get back to it tomorrow without self-condemnation.
Remember: Consistency is less about intensity and more about sustainability.
2. Faithfulness: Staying True to the Call
If consistency is about actions, faithfulness is about the heart behind them.
Faithfulness is showing up when it’s hard.
Faithfulness is serving when no one claps.
Faithfulness is obeying God even when the results are slow.
Pastors and leaders often confuse fruitfulness with faithfulness.
We think if the numbers aren’t growing, maybe we’re not being faithful.
But in God’s Kingdom, faithfulness often precedes fruitfulness..that’s a whole sermon lol!!!
Remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25?
The master didn’t say, “Well done, good and successful servant.”
He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Practical ways to grow in faithfulness:
Anchor your work to God’s “why.” Revisit your calling regularly. Write it down. Pray over it.
Measure what matters. Track spiritual health and discipleship, not just attendance.
Celebrate unseen wins. Did a leader stay in ministry another year? Did a marriage get restored quietly? That’s impact.
Remember: Faithfulness is staying in your lane, even when the race feels endless.
3. Time: The Multiplier We Can’t Control
Time is the hardest part of the equation because it’s the one variable you can’t speed up.
We live in a culture of instant feedback:
Instant likes on Instagram
Instant stats from livestream views
Instant Amazon packages on our doorstep
But ministry impact isn’t Amazon Prime.
It’s planting seeds that may not sprout for years.
Paul put it this way in Galatians 6:9:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Practical ways to trust time:
Think in decades, not days. What if your most important fruit comes 10 years from now?
Tell legacy stories. Share how past leaders’ faithfulness shaped the present.
Rest in God’s timing. Pray less about speed and more about stamina.
Remember: Time is not your enemy, it’s God’s tool for shaping lasting impact.
4. Putting the Equation Together
Craig Groeschel’s formula works because the parts depend on each other:
Consistency without faithfulness becomes routine without meaning.
Faithfulness without consistency becomes good intentions without follow-through.
Both without time lead to frustration when you don’t see results fast enough.
When all three align, the result is exponential:
Your leadership influence deepens.
Your ministry culture becomes healthier.
Your people see that steady faith is worth it.
Think of a tree:
Consistency is watering it regularly.
Faithfulness is trusting the process even when you don’t see growth.
Time is what allows roots to go deep and branches to stretch wide.
One day, people will look at your ministry and see shade they can rest in and fruit they can eat because you refused to give up.
5. The Biggest Threat to the Equation
If the equation is so simple, why don’t more leaders live it out?
Because we chase quick wins.
We want numbers to validate us, applause to energize us, and change to happen yesterday.
But quick wins often lead to quick burnout.
Here’s the irony:
Leaders who want impact now usually lose influence later.
Leaders who embrace impact later often gain influence now because people trust them.
The biggest threat to the equation isn’t laziness.
It’s impatience.
Guard against impatience by:
Praying for endurance more than a breakthrough.
Setting long-term goals alongside short-term ones.
Remembering that Jesus spent 30 years preparing for 3 years of ministry.
6. The Equation in Real Life: 3 Ministry Examples
Example 1: Discipleship Pathway
Consistency: Every small group meets weekly, even in low seasons.
Faithfulness: Leaders invest relationally, not just curriculum-wise.
Time: After 5 years, the culture shifts from consumer to disciple-maker.
Example 2: Volunteer Development
Consistency: Monthly leader training, rain or shine.
Faithfulness: Belief that every volunteer is worth the investment.
Time: A decade later, you have leaders who’ve grown from greeters to ministers.
Example 3: Community Outreach
Consistency: Show up for the same neighborhood event every year.
Faithfulness: Serve without strings attached.
Time: Your church becomes the trusted partner people turn to in crisis.
7. Your Leadership Audit
Ask yourself:
Consistency: What’s one habit I’ve started and stopped that I need to restart?
Faithfulness: Where have I been more focused on results than obedience?
Time: Am I trying to rush what God is trying to grow slowly?
Final Thoughts
Craig Groeschel’s equation isn’t flashy.
It won’t go viral because of shock value.
It will go viral in the Kingdom because it works every single time a leader commits to it.
If you want lasting impact:
Be consistent in the little things.
Be faithful to your calling.
Give it time to grow.
The math isn’t complicated.
The living it out is.
But when you do, your leadership will outlive you.
Let’s make this practical in your life and ministry.
I coach pastors and leaders who feel stuck between their calling and their current reality. Together, we design strategies and rhythms that produce real, lasting impact. If you’re ready to live out this equation in your leadership, I can help you start today.
Schedule a free discovery call today.
👉🏽 Momentum Meetup Registration is Open
If you’re a pastor or church leader who feels tired, stuck, or ready to grow, this is your invitation.
Seats are limited, and the early bird rate ends September 1.
REGISTER NOW
See you next Saturday!
Eric V Hampton