Articles for tag: Planning

April 25, 2019

Christian Standard

First Christian Church, Surf City USA

The Vital Role of Setting in a Church’s Master Plan By Mel McGowan Imagine a 2,400-member church that has a rare and beautiful, four-acre setting on the Main Street of Surf City USA, and just down the street from where Huntington Beach Pier juts out over the Pacific Ocean. Not long ago, if you drove by that church—yes, it’s real—all you would have seen was the brick backside and moss-covered roof of a dated A-frame sanctuary. It was so closed off, some area residents thought the century-old church had disbanded. So, when First Christian Church asked for navigational design help

July 14, 2018

Kent E. Fillinger

Kent E. Fillinger

Knowing Where You’re Going Pays Off

By Kent Fillinger I love quotes and short sayings. A favorite of mine is, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there,” from Lewis Carroll, author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger adapted it slightly as, “If you don’t know where you are going, every road will get you nowhere.” But the best mutation of the saying comes from baseball icon (and celebrated linguist) Yogi Berra: “If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.” Regardless of which version you prefer, here’s the point:

January 13, 2018

Christian Standard

How to Prepare for a Financial Storm

By Darren Key and Mike Kocolowski Managing church finances can be like preparing for a hurricane—it’s best to have a plan in place before the wind starts to spin. That way, if the worst-case scenario develops, you’ll be prepared to weather the storm.   Faith and Finances We have consulted with hundreds of churches on financial issues over the last three decades, and we know that managing a church’s cash flow is tricky. Seasonal cycles, unexpected events, and the inherent irregularity of income and expenses add to the complexity. For these reasons, keeping ample reserve funds is critical to your

January 12, 2018

Christian Standard

Open Your Eyes to Manage the Finances of the Church

By Brad Dupray We lived in fear. It could happen at any time. We stood with our freshly shined shoes on the edge of the carpet scanning the mall. Waiting. Watching. Our shoe store’s district manager would show up only about once a month, but when he did, we knew we were in for it. He had a knack for finding those things we didn’t see. We were “store blind.” Store blindness happens when the proprietor or employees of a retail store walk into the environment so many times that they simply don’t perceive the little things—the crooked table, the

June 19, 2017

Michael C. Mack

Are You Truly Leading by (Biblical) Values?

By Michael C. Mack Ken Blanchard, widely known author and management expert, challenges leaders to think about this important question: “Are you truly leading by your values?” Blanchard says he believes “when a company is truly leading by its values, there is only one boss””the values.” As Christian leaders, our values are God-centered and biblically defined. When a church or any other Christian organization is truly leading by its values, we lead according to God”s purposes under his power. These values guide””or should guide””every aspect of church life: how staff members interact with one another, how senior leaders manage, how

February 22, 2017

Christian Standard

Gateway Planning

By Michael C. Mack Spending time with God is your priority as a leader. But it doesn”t just happen. Use the following strategy questions to help you plan a time of solitude with God: How often will I get away alone with God? (Weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually?) How long will I spend alone with God? When will I get away to be alone with God? (Be specific!) Where will I go? What provisions do I need to make for getting away? (Asking for permission, lining up childcare, making financial arrangements, lining up a place to stay, etc.) On my getaways

January 18, 2017

Christian Standard

Habits””Better Than Resolutions

By Jim Tune We”re not far into the new year, but our resolutions have already started to fade into the background. “I”m opening a gym called Resolutions,” someone quipped. “It will have exercise equipment for the first two weeks and then it will turn into a bar for the rest of the year.” We start out well, but our best intentions don”t survive the realities of life. Resolutions aren”t bad; they”re just not enough. According to James Clear, a writer on behavioral change, we should forget goals and embrace systems. “Goals are good for planning your progress and systems are

August 1, 2015

Michael C. Mack

4 Simple Reminders for Small Group Leaders This Fall

By Michael C. Mack This is perhaps the busiest time of the year for small group leaders. If you oversee the groups in your church, you”re probably a couple weeks into a fall campaign. If you lead a group, you”re gearing back up for the fall. Either way, where do you go from here? Here are four simple encouragements. 1. Pray! Leaders can get so busy this time of year that their time with God gets crowded out. Don”t let it happen! Right now you should be spending more, not less, time with God. Pray for your group. If you

July 21, 2014

Christian Standard

Put It in Print

By Rick Jett (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) The best advice I ever received was from Alan Ahlgrim, former senior minister of Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Colorado. About 20 years ago, Alan was teaching one of the graduate classes I was taking at Cincinnati Christian University. One lesson was about personal growth of a leader. He said good leaders are constantly growing. They will read, take classes, attend conferences, and interview other leaders. He explained that growing leaders will set goals. He walked us through an exercise of writing goals and action steps

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