Episode 174: Planning Miracles: Long-Term Vision for Ministry Transformation
Show Notes:
NOTE: The building block toys referenced: Construx.
Long-term planning is like building blocks used to construct your future. There are many tools to use that help us lay things out.
Why plan when Jesus said to not worry about tomorrow?
That doesn’t give us permission to avoid the work needed today to make tomorrow go smoothly. It doesn’t require that we need to be whimsical or fly by the seat of our pants.
When we make good plans, that FREES us from needing to worry.
It’s true that a plan can tend to make us less flexible, but that’s just something we need to be aware of and prevent from happening. We can have both: create a plan WHILE having awareness and preparation of agility and adjustment along the way.
Sometimes, strategic planning can feel like a waste of time. “We’re just talking, not getting things done.”
It’s important to not only clarify or create those things but also figure out how to live them out. Get practical and flesh them out.
Those things also help clarify whether or not our programs are working and which are working better than others.
Without a vision, everything else will be fuzzy.
As you lay out your future plans, ask yourself, “What do we want our people to know, feel, and do?” Then build that into your programming (events, curriculum, activities, etc.).
Remember that you don’t always have to go above and beyond! Think about using the 80/20 principle. Sometimes you can go with something pre-packaged, make some small tweaks, and then take the extra time saved and use it in other strategic ways. Embrace “good enough” in intentional ways, considering spending time in ways that will have a deeper impact on the people you serve.
Key events can often be very impactful and strategic, but often their influence is limited when they are not planned well enough in advance. For example, having an event that which someone could invite an unchurched neighbor is great, but if you only plan and promote it a few weeks in advance, you are preventing them from having enough time and space to get their neighbors aware and invite them.
Use a Preventative Maintenance Calendar to help remember and take care of the important things that don’t feel urgent.
This also prevents the entire ministry from being fully dependent on one person. If all the important things are just in one person’s head, there will be a void when that person eventually leaves.
