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| By Kay Kotan Director of Congregational Development |
As 2017 is nearing its close, are you prepared for 2018? Fall is the typical time to plan for the upcoming year. Has your church planned for how it will be effective in discipling people who disciple others in 2018? What is your strategic, intentional plan?
We all have the best of intentions for the new year. We hope and pray for the best. Yet without intentional planning, we may very well wake up a year from now and regretfully not be in the place we had hope to be.
There are five important elements to strategic ministry planning: mission, vision, core values, goals, and strategies. Let’s take a quick look at each element.
Mission: Review the very purpose for which the church exists – to make new disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. How is the church doing in its alignment and accomplishment? How can the church better align?
Vision: Vision is the unique way your church lives out the mission of disciples discipling others. It is God’s preferred future for your church. Is your church moving toward God’s preferred future? Is the preferred future becoming reality? Is the vision still providing momentum, direction, and energy? If so, great! If not, is it time to re-vision?
Core Values: Whether they have been identified or not, these values exist and guide your church. Naming the core values help leaders know the boundaries of their decision making. Are the stated core values still a correct reflection of the church’s DNA or do they need to be evaluated?
Goals: What are the three to five things your church will focus on in the upcoming year to allow the vision to become reality to make disciples within the boundaries of your core values? Make sure the stated goals are S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and, time-based).
Objectives or strategies: This is where the rubber hits the proverbial road. Ministries are planned based on the goals to live into the vision to accomplish the mission within the boundaries of the core values. Objectives are set by the ministry teams (not the council/board). Budgets are then aligned to the objectives.
The best format for strategic ministry planning is typically the pastor and council/board to go away into a retreat setting. The atypical location and a break from the routine agenda allows for creativity and concentration for this important work.
Every year it is essential for a church to not only intentionally plan, but to also evaluate the current year ending. How did the church do at accomplishing the goals? What is working? What needs to be tweaked? What is to be celebrated? How does what we accomplished this year speak to how we intentionally and strategically plan for next year?
While some dread the idea of planning, the power of being intentional and strategic to align all we do and how we use our resources in our mission is not only essential, but faithful to who God calls us to be as the church! So … what is your strategic ministry plan for 2018?
