“That won’t happen again, will it?”

There shouldn’t be question mark at the end of that question, because it’s not really a question. It’s a statement that should actually end with a period. In fact, it’s a statement that says much, much more than just those six little words.

I first heard those words from a pastor who was doing a Sunday morning walkthrough with a staff member. They came upon one of the overflow rooms, and the sunlight streaming in the windows completely washed out the worship service that was being projected. The pastor stopped and looked at the staff member and said those six powerful words:

Those six little words are the most powerful accountability words you could possibly say because of what those words are actually saying.

• They say, “That isn’t acceptable.”
• They say, “You are the one who’s responsible for fixing it.”
• They say, “If that does happen again, it won’t happen again … because I’ll find someone else who will make sure it won’t happen again.”

The six most powerful accountability words: “This won’t happen again … will it?”

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But let’s be clear. “This won’t happen again, will it?” isn’t a rhetorical question either. Those six little words require a decisive response. They’re action words that demand action.

So, the next time the choir special isn’t all that special, the words on the worship slides are misspelled, or the newsletter article is a day late, simply use those six little words:

That won’t happen again, will it?

… and it won’t.

Question: What are other powerful accountability tools you’ve used in your ministry? Share your experience with us in the Comments Section below.