Getting There Is Worth the Cost

By Gary L. Johnson

Did you ever think gasoline would sell for more than $4 a gallon? The increasing cost of fuel is having an impact on driving habits. In particular, many rethought summer travel plans because of fuel costs. Long-distance travel plans were canceled. Maps were put away in favor of staying close to home. The value of a vacation wasn”t as great as the cost of getting there.

Regretfully, some churches are making a “change in their travel plans” by not practicing strategic planning. “Moving” the local church strategically to a distant point in the future doesn”t happen very often because some leaders believe the cost for strategic planning is too great compared with its potential return.

Yet the benefits of strategic planning are well worth the costs. Strategic planning draws people together””uniting them behind a more clearly defined purpose. With an increased sense of direction, the church uses its resources more carefully. A church that intentionally pursues faith-stretching goals will attract people who are looking for a future-focused church, as compared to a church that merely exists from week-to-week with little sense of direction.

At Indian Creek Christian Church in Indianapolis, we practice a leadership structure called elder governance, a polity structure that fosters greater cooperation between elders and staff. An essential part of elder governance is the creation of a long-range strategic plan through the cooperative efforts of elders and staff.

A strategic plan is a picture of the future that produces excitement within others. Henry Ford described how Americans would one day drive automobiles, and within a few years, they did. Ford”s vision produced excitement in others. Do you have such a vision for the church? Is there a written strategic plan in place that excites people to “come along for the ride”?

The Australian Coat of Arms features two indigenous animals: a kangaroo and an emu. The animals were selected for the coat of arms because they cannot move backward. They struggle to shift into reverse. As a nation, Australia desires to be progressive, moving forward, not backward. Can that be said of the local congregations you and I know? If not, it may be time for some strategic planning.

There are six simple steps to developing a strategic plan. Though simple, they cannot be taken during a weekend retreat. To develop a strategic plan, church leaders must give time and focused attention if it is to succeed.

Step 1: Lay the groundwork

In order to develop a strategic plan, a strong foundation must be in place. Laying the groundwork entails having a vision/mission statement in place””one that is known by the people and is measurable. This allows meaningful discussion around the question, “Are we accomplishing our purpose?”

Also, it is essential to establish rank-ordered core values by which the church operates. Just as a computer has an operating system, a church should have core values by which decisions are made and policies are developed. Without this necessary groundwork, a strategic plan will be built on an unstable foundation.

Step 2: Form a planning team

This team should involve a cross-section of people: elders, staff, and volunteers. With a variety of people serving, church members sense they have ownership in their future. Because the senior minister will communicate the plan, he should be the leader of this team.

Next, determine what areas of ministry will be featured in the strategic plan. Key areas should be represented (i.e., evangelism/missions, discipleship, worship, administration, children/student, etc.). For each area appoint a leader who in turn will recruit three or four individuals to assist in developing their portion of the strategic plan. The leaders of these teams could be staff members who lead in that given area. Volunteers serving on these ministry-specific teams should have passion for and involvement in that ministry area.

Elders should set apart the strategic planning team in a worship service so that the congregation knows the team is working alongside the elders on this project, and with their support.

Step 3: Draft a “statement of preferred future”

In five sentences or less, describe what the church will become by a stated future date. Remember, this statement is a picture of the future and it should produce some excitement in people! Write the statement as if that day has arrived.

Do not plan too far into the future (i.e., a 10-year plan). We ask what we call “the three-year question” at The Creek: “Knowing that Jesus accomplished all he set out to do in three years, what do we need to accomplish in the next three years?” We do strategic planning in three-year cycles, which for us, is conceivable and achievable. Also, Barna states our culture reinvents itself every three to five years. So, this cycle helps us be culturally relevant in our strategic planning.

Step 4: Develop the plan

The senior minister should meet with the leaders of the ministry teams, making assignments, giving due dates, etc. Then, the teams should meet to develop a sequential plan in their area of responsibility that helps accomplish the statement of preferred future. We list these as major initiatives, and a ministry team cannot have more than four major initiatives during a three-year plan. If there are more, the plan becomes too complex and detailed.

We work backwards in developing the plan. We start with the statement of preferred future three years from now. Then we ask what must be accomplished one year from that date, and to accomplish that in year two, what must be accomplished in year one?

During this process, the elders are apprised of progress being made. Their input is essential for keeping the strategic plan on course with the overall vision of the church.

Step 5: Launch the plan

Set aside a Sunday for launching the strategic plan to move the church forward to a specific destination. Celebrate! Call the planning team forward to thank them publicly for their efforts in this endeavor.

Give each family a copy of the plan, and publish it on your Web site. Encourage people to share the plan with others. Spread the word that your church is forward thinking””and moving!

And remember there may be a few detractors. Even Moses had people who wanted nothing to do with going into the promised land and who rejected God”s plan for their future. The same happens today. Yet, just as Joshua moved the people forward, we must do the same””even at the resistance of a few.

Step 6: Manage the plan

Keep the plan from being thrown into a drawer or onto a shelf to be forgotten. To manage the plan: (1) monitor it, (2) mention it, and (3) modify it.

Monitor the plan to measure progress. Our staff reports on their team”s progress every two months at an in-service staff meeting.

Be sure to mention the plan””again and again. Long after the plan has been completed and presented, new people will have come to the church.

Modify the plan, if necessary. A strategic plan is like a budget in that it is a guide. It is flexible, not set in concrete. Events like 9/11 or a flat economy with gas selling for more than $4 a gallon can impact a plan. When traveling, we sometimes must take a detour because of construction. Likewise, we may need to take a detour in a strategic plan because of an event or situation, but our final destination (i.e., statement of preferred future) can still be achieved.

(For an electronic copy of The Creek”s strategic plan, e-mail [email protected]).

 

 

Gary L. Johnson is senior minister and elder with Indian Creek Christian Church, Indianapolis, Indiana.