Church ministry is intense and time-consuming, both for pastors and volunteer leaders. It often takes everything we have just to keep up with the routine — preaching, visiting, counseling, leading volunteers, taking responsibility for ministry and programs. Every now and then at a conference we will hear fragments of phrases like 'long-range planning', 'vision', 'strategic planning', and we think 'That stuff is great for big churches with lots of staff but I am neck deep and treading water just keeping up with the day to day'.
The fact is that thoughtful planning — strategic planning — helps us in the areas where we are most burdened — time management, priorities, responsibilities, leadership challenges. The strategic plan may well be the most crucial step in maximizing the effectiveness of your ministry.
The most important thing to know about strategic planning is that it is a process, not a project or a product. There is often more value in the process itself than in the end result.
Strategic planning helps us understand the current state of our church, helps us determine what our church is called to be, and provides tangible initiatives for the next part of your journey.
Please don't confuse strategic planning with "master-planning". Master planning is typically associated with facility and site development. Strategic planning will give your church a set of key priorities for ministry — so that facilities, locations, staffing, and other infrastructural decisions are easier to make.
Doing ministry without strategic planning is much like camping in the wilderness without a map or compass. We can accomplish a lot of urgent things where we are — providing shelter, searching for wood, starting a fire, preparing food. But once we get ready to break camp, we have no idea where to head next. The business of the urgent is important and fulfilling until we look up and realize that we are not quite sure why we are working so hard and where we want to go next.
Strategic planning provides both the map for the journey and the compass for clear direction. Taking time out to insure that you have these items will insure a more effective journey.
- So that our work in the present is part of a bigger picture.
- So that both staff and volunteer leaders are united around a clear purpose and direction.
- So that the church will know what it wants to be when it grows up and has a clear understanding of what it will take to get there.
- So that our church will have the energy that comes from unity in mission, vision, values, and strategy.
- So that we will have a measure of what NOT to do and so that we will have an agreed upon standard when there are disputes about the nature and focus of our church's ministry.
Strategic planning is an investment that requires time, deep thought, confronting the facts with brutal honesty, probably some conflict, and a lot of hard work. Is it worth it? Review the bullet points just above and answer that question for yourself!
TAG begins each strategic planning journey with a congregational survey, the Healthy Church Index. This ensures that all congregants have had a voice in the process. We gather a variety of data from your church. If you haven't already conducted a demographic study of your local community, we'll do it for you. We then typically come to your church to conduct a series of focus groups — with newcomers, long-term members, volunteers, lay leaders, and any target audiences. After synthesizing all the data, we send your leadership team a comprehensive report that highlights your church's key strengths, challenges, concerns, opportunities, and possibilities.
Once we have completed a thorough assessment of your church, we will work with your leadership over a 1.5 - 2 day retreat to develop a clear strategic focus. The retreat will begin with outside learning and a debrief of your church's assessment. You will then be professionally guided to develop your own unique strategic plan. The plan will typically include your church's core values, revised and focused mission statement, and key five year strategies. Following the retreat, TAG will send your final strategic plan within one week.
Once the church has a clear strategic focus, you may need a TAG consultant to help you turn your strategies into project plans. Over the course of 1-2 days, TAG will provide outside expertise in your particular areas of strategic focus, and help your church to develop a clear set of milestones and responsibilities. Implementation is often the most challenging part of strategic planning. And implementation will rarely occur without clear project plans. TAG can assist your leadership team in developing a communication plan for your congregation – including the possibility of a TAG consultant presenting your strategic plan to the congregation.
Additional Resources: TAG complements strategic planning services with other options, including executive coaching, stewardship campaigns (as a follow-up to strategic planning), ministry and program development services, organizational structuring and alignment.
