Speak to the Rock: New Ministry Methods

• Speaking to the Rock: New Ministry Methods for a New Generation. Are we listening to God or still doing what “use to work” the way “we have always done it”?

“Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.” – Numbers 20:11 (NIV)

It worked before. That’s what Moses must have thought. Years earlier, in Exodus 17, the people were thirsty, and God told Moses to strike the rock. He did, and water flowed. A miracle. A solution. A method that worked.

But this time—Numbers 20—God gave a new instruction: “Speak to the rock.” Instead, Moses defaulted to what worked in the past. He struck the rock again.

The water still came. The people still drank. But God was not pleased.

Why? Because obedience isn’t about outcomes—it’s about trust.
And leadership isn’t just repeating what worked last time. It’s listening again. It’s responding to this moment, this generation, this instruction from God.

Leadership Requires Fresh Obedience

If we’re not careful, we can turn past obedience into present disobedience by refusing to adapt. Like Moses, we lean on what’s familiar. We cling to what worked in a different season. But leadership in God’s Kingdom has never been about copy-pasting old strategies.

What God asked Moses to do was simple: “Trust me enough to try something new.”

But that’s hard, isn’t it?

It’s risky. Unproven. Speaking to a rock doesn’t feel as satisfying as striking it. It doesn’t feel as certain. And if you’re leading a ministry, a team, or a generation, “new” can feel like the enemy of “safe.”

Each Generation Needs a Fresh Encounter

We are not called to preserve methods—we are called to pursue mission.

Our mission is to lead people—especially the next generation—into vibrant, transforming relationships with Jesus. That mission hasn’t changed. But how we carry it out? That’s where we need fresh ears and soft hearts.

Today’s young people don’t need yesterday’s strategies recycled. They need leaders who are listening for God’s now word. They need leaders courageous enough to speak to the rock when God says speak—even if we’d rather swing a staff.

So What Does This Mean for Us?

If you’re a parent, a pastor, a volunteer, or a leader in any capacity, here are a few questions to ask:

• Am I stuck in strategies that worked before, but no longer serve this moment?

• Am I willing to listen for God’s new instructions, even if they stretch me?

• Am I leading the next generation by faith—or just by habit?

The temptation to strike the rock is always there. Especially when we’re under pressure. Especially when people are watching. But God is inviting us to trust Him more deeply—to lead with faith, not formulas.

Because sometimes, what worked before is not what’s needed now.

And obedience is always better than nostalgia.

Lead forward. Listen fresh. Trust big. The rock may be different this time. But the God who provides is the same.