Overview of Planning Process Slide 3 Slide 4 The conversation - - PDF document

Slide 1

Introduction to Strategic Planning

Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43.18-19

Slide 2

Overview of Planning Process

Slide 3

Slide 4

Benefits

• Gets people talking and thinking about their

identity and purpose

• Allows a congregation to identify and claim its
• wn story
• Offers a very diverse group of people a way to

negotiate their racial, ethnic, cultural, and multigenerational differences

The conversation enables people to identify and claim who they are and what they are to do as a faith community—this brings a congregation’s identity into focus It allows a congregation to identify and claim its own story People of faith need to find new paths and practice new behaviors to make a difference. Offers a very diverse group of people a way to negotiate their racial, ethnic, cultural, and multigenerational differences. About discernment, not perfection.. The process of planning encourages the congregation to discern: What are the congregations’ strengths? What incompleteness does the congregation need to accept?

Slide 5

What is strategic planning?

Slide 6

Operational Definition:

• A structured conversation about what a group
• f people believe God calls them to be or do

The operational definition of strategic planning is a structured conversation about what a group

• f people believe God calls them

to be or do.

Slide 7

Three fundamental questions:

The three fundamental questions of congregational formation that rest at the heart of congregational planning are: Who are we? This is the identity question. who we currently are and who we have been in the past.

• Clear and honest self-

knowledge is a mark of personal maturity

Slide 8

Three fundamental questions:

What has God called us to do? This is the purpose question

• Based on what we know

about ourselves and our situation, what do we believe we are called to do? How are we to develop and mature?

Slide 9

Three fundamental questions:

Who is our neighbor?

Who is our neighbor? This is the contextual question. Where do we live in time and space?

Slide 10

Planning doesn’t need to be complicated—simplicity is actually better

Slide 11

If the planning program is

• vercomplicated and
• verwhelming. gathering too much

data or addressing too many questions in search of the perfect congregation can sink a planning team into a swamp of information that overwhelms rather than providing helpful focus.

Slide 12

A common failure in strategic planning is twofold: 1) copying the plans of others. This process simply does not work; no

• ne else’s calling is like ours. This

looks good on paper yet proves to be fruitless.

Slide 13

2) The plan is never really

• implemented. Instead, all focus is
• n the writing a strategic plan

document resulting in a new vision and/or mission statement. Too

• ften, the plan as well as the

vision/mission statement sits collecting dust on a shelf. The following guidelines will help to ensure the planning process is carried out and implemented

• completely. If you choose to

deviate from these guidelines acknowledge this and manage accordingly.

Slide 14

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Involve the right people

Involve the right people in the planning process: It’s critical that all parts of the congregation are represented and work at exchanging feedback in

• rder to function effectively. Get

input from everyone who will be responsible to carry out parts of the plan, along with representatives from groups who will be affected by the plan. Of course, people also should be involved if they will be responsible to review and authorize the plan.

Slide 15

What kind of criteria do we use in selecting the right person for the right job at the right time?

Slide 16

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Involve the right people
• Building a planning committee

– Size

• Ideal 5-7 persons (including pastor)
• Max 9 persons (including pastor)

Building a Planning Committee Size Ideal size is 5 to 7 persons, including the pastor Maximum size is 9 persons, including the pastor

Slide 17

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Involve the right people
• Building a planning committee

– Size

• Ideal 5-7 persons (including pastor)
• Max 9 persons (including pastor)

– People not to invite

People Not to Invite People who would slow the process down (too detail-

• riented, focused on the

past, oppose the pastor, have pet projects, inflexible, etc.)

Slide 18

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Involve the right people
• Building a planning committee

– Size

• Ideal 5-7 persons (including pastor)
• Max 9 persons (including pastor)

– People not to invite – People to invite

People to Invite Active in the congregation, with a voice, flexible, open to new possibilities

Slide 19

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Involve the right people
• Building a planning committee

– Size

• Ideal 5-7 persons (including pastor)
• Max 9 persons (including pastor)

– People not to invite – People to invite – Who should be the Chairperson?

Who should be the Chairperson? Someone from the congregation who is known and respected and listened to

Slide 20

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate

Communication is key—in multiple forms, and frequently, especially as things change

Slide 21

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Goals and objectives should be SMARTER

Goals and Objectives Should Be SMARTER: SMARTER is an acronym, that is, a word composed by joining letters from different words in a phrase or set of words. In this case, a SMARTER goal or objective is:

Slide 22

S - Specific

Specific: A goal that is concrete is easier to visualize and get motivated about. It’s also easier to know when you’ve reached it. “Losing 20 pounds” is more specific than “losing weight.”

Slide 23

S – Specific M – Measurable

Measurable: Again, if something can be measured, we know when we are there—20 pounds can be measured, we know when we are halfway there, or have reached the goal.

Slide 24

S – Specific M – Measurable A – Acceptable

Acceptable: But there has to be a buy-in—I need to be convinced I need to lose 20 pounds. Maybe it’s an intermediate goalpost to losing 50 pounds, or my risk of developing diabetes will drop by some percentage?

Slide 25

S – Specific M – Measurable A – Acceptable R – Realistic

Realistic: Even if I do accept responsibility to pursue a goal that is specific and measurable, the goal won't be useful to me or others if, for example, the goal is to "Lose 20 pounds in five days".

Slide 26

S – Specific M – Measurable A – Acceptable R – Realistic T – Time frame

Time frame: It may mean more if I commit to a realistic goal to "Lose 20 pounds in two months". However, it'll mean more to others (particularly if they are planning to help me or guide me to reach the goal) if I specify that I will exercise 30 minutes five days a week for each of those eight weeks with a goal of losing ten pounds per month

Slide 27

S – Specific M – Measurable A – Acceptable R – Realistic T – Time frame E – Extending

Extending: The goal should stretch the performer's capabilities. For example, I am more interested in losing that weight in the spring before summer shorts weather (such is vanity!)

Slide 28

S – Specific M – Measurable A – Acceptable R – Realistic T – Time frame E – Extending R - Rewarding

Rewarding: I'm more inclined to lose the weight if I feel I will be rewarded in some way for losing the weight—better health, easier movement, clothes fit better, etc.

Slide 29

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Goals and objectives should be SMARTER
• Build in Accountability

Plans should have built-in accountability—who is responsible for what, with goals and objectives, due dates, etc. Responsibilities should be included in policies, procedures, job descriptions, performance reviews, and so on, where appropriate.

Slide 30

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Goals and objectives should be SMARTER
• Build in Accountability
• Note Deviations

It's OK to deviate from the plan. The plan is not a set of rules. It's an overall guideline. As important as following the plan is noticing deviations and adjusting the plan accordingly.

Slide 31

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Goals and objectives should be SMARTER
• Build in Accountability
• Note Deviations
• Evaluate Planning Process and Plans

During the planning process, regularly collect feedback from

• participants. Do they agree with the

planning process? If not, what don't they like and how could it be done better? In large, ongoing planning processes (such as strategic planning, business planning, project planning, etc.), it's critical to collect this kind of feedback

• regularly. Do this during

implementation, too.

Slide 32

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Goals and objectives should be SMARTER
• Build in Accountability
• Note Deviations
• Evaluate Planning Process and Plans
• Treasure of planning process is the planning

Recurring Planning Process is at Least as Important as Plan Document: Far too often, primary emphasis is placed on the plan document. This is extremely unfortunate because the real treasure of planning is the planning process itself. During planning, planners learn a great deal from ongoing analysis, reflection, discussion, debates and dialogue around issues and goals in the system.

Slide 33

Guidelines for successful planning:

• Communicate, communicate, communicate
• Goals and objectives should be SMARTER
• Build in Accountability
• Note Deviations
• Evaluate Planning Process and Plans
• Treasure of planning process is the planning
• Acknowledge and celebrate!

Critical -- But Frequently Missing Step -- Acknowledgement and Celebration of Results:

Slide 34

A word of caution Be alert to the following killers: Tradition Fear of ridicule Temptation of copying others Stereotypes of people, conditions, roles and governing councils Complacency of some stakeholders Fatigued leaders Short-term thinking "Naysayers"

Slide 35

Our next step is the needs assessment.

Slide 36

Feel like you’ve keep trying and trying and you get no where? Frequent complaints about strategic plans: 1) they are merely "to-do" lists of what to accomplish

• ver the next few years. 2) never

seems to come in handy when the church is faced with having to make a difficult, major decision. 3) really doesn't help the church face the future. These complaints arise because churches fail to perform thorough data gathering.

Data-Gathering Resources

• Starts with self

– Suggested scripture

• Matthew 4.1-11; 7.3-5; 26.36-44; Luke 4.42;

Mark 6.45-46, Galatians 1.13-24

– Self Assessment

• Personal issues

It starts with self-assessment: what are each of us called to do? For some this may be a long and complex journey for personal preparation means carving out the time and space to discern God’s voice and direction or the leader’s own ministry and for the congregation, and living with the tension that this creates. It might be wise to start with scripture then ask yourself some questions around your personal issues. This preparation may increase awareness of personal issues that may affect your capacity to play a key role in congregational transformation – and face it for many of us strategic planning is transformation. Next you want to look at your leadership style.

Slide 38

Data-Gathering Resources

• Starts with self

– Suggested scripture

• Matthew 4.1-11; 7.3-5; 26.36-44; Luke 4.42;

Mark 6.45-46, Galatians 1.13-24

– Self Assessment

• Personal issues
• Leadership style

The objective of evaluating our leadership style is to increase awareness of factors that may help or hinder your capacity to lead faithfully and effectively.

• How does my own stage in life

and my spiritual journey influence my ministry leadership?

• What personal strengths tend to

enhance my ability to lead change?

• What personal behaviors, when

misused, tend to hinder my change leadership efforts.

• What new information and skills

do I need to learn to become a more effective change leader?

Slide 39

Data-Gathering Resources

• Starts with self

– Suggested scripture

• Matthew 4.1-11; 7.3-5; 26.36-44; Luke 4.42;

Mark 6.45-46, Galatians 1.13-24

– Self Assessment

• Personal issues
• Leadership style
• Accountability Partnership

The objective of accountability partnership is to establish a person or group with whom you will become mutually accountable to help each other achieve designated objectives. These partnerships can be formed in pairs or small groups. They involve significant commitment, personal disclosure, and care.

Slide 40

Data-Gathering Resources

• Starts with self

– Suggested scripture

• Matthew 4.1-11; 7.3-5; 26.36-44; Luke 4.42;

Mark 6.45-46, Galatians 1.13-24

– Self Assessment

• Personal issues
• Leadership style
• Accountability partnership
• Personal mission statement

The objective of a personal mission statement is to clarify succinctly your current sense of God’s purpose for your life. A simple process can be described as:

• List a key activity that you do

that is important to you

• Ask yourself why you do it
• In response to this answer, ask

why this is important to you

• Continue until you are

describing a very deep level of belief and practice

• Do the same exercise with
• ther important activities
• Note the similarities and

themes at each of the deepest levels.

• Use these reflections to

generate a one-sentence statement of what you believe to be God’s mission for your life. NOTE: Remember you are not doing these things by yourself. The entire committee of 5 to 9 people are also evaluating

• themselves. I would also

encourage home cell groups or bible studies to travel this journey at the same time.

Slide 41

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

The spiritual, relational, and

• rganizational events in a

church’s past are crucial elements of the congregation's

• present. Some of these

experiences are sources of a great strength and merit continued celebration. Other situations may have been painful episodes for which healing is still not complete. Fully understanding and pursuing God’s vision of the future requires a clear perception of this history.

Slide 42

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year

If possible, start at the very beginning of the church’s life – the period before its incorporation.

Slide 43

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year – Organizational developments

This category includes elements such as legal incorporation, land purchases, building projects, debt retirement, site relocations, and sharing of facilities with other groups.

Slide 44

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year – Organizational developments – Church staff changes

Note when senior pastors and

• ther staff started and ended

their ministries with the church and the primary reason for their departure.

Slide 45

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year – Organizational developments – Church staff changes – Relationship with the community

Some congregations begin as a church almost entirely of persons who live near the

• facility. Some have never drawn

members heavily from the geographical neighborhood but have reached a specific group

• f people. Other congregations

began by reaching nearby residents but now include a significant number who commute to the church from

• utlying areas. What has been

the trend in your church? Also list any significant interactions with the community.

Slide 46

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year – Organizational developments – Church staff changes – Relationship with the community – Major ministries started and ended

List the starting date (and ending, if applicable) of the major ministries of the church, such as worship, discipleship, and social services.

Slide 47

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year – Organizational developments – Church staff changes – Relationship with the community – Major ministries started and ended – Changes in spiritual or relational vitality

Were there distinctive times or events in which the church was especially responsive to God’s leadership? When the congregation seemed clearly unresponsive to God? When the people were particularly close and supportive of each

• ther? When the church was

involved in intense conflict?

Slide 48

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church history timeline

– Year – Organizational developments – Church staff changes – Relationship with the community – Major ministries started and ended – Changes in spiritual or relational vitality – Other significant events or developments

List any other noteworthy aspects

• f the church’s history that

seem to fall outside of the other categories, such as sponsorship of a new church, development of a long-range plan, or demographic shifts in the community.

Slide 49

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• Church Statistical History

Create a snapshot of your statistical history. This can be done by creating a chart and customizing the categories to fit you heritage and congregation. Approximate if necessary. Again, this portion will not be done this weekend—the planning committee will be working on this (with input from rest of congregation) in near future

Slide 50

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis provides a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction

• f a church. SWOT is an

acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

• threats. Strengths and

weaknesses are internal

• factors. Opportunities and

threats are external factors. Simply put – we cannot move forward until we know what we are dealing with and the good news is we now have a partial base to work with because we now have evaluated ourselves,

gathered the church history and church stats. How can we work on our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats unless we know what they are?

Slide 51

SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis has been the subject of much research. Strengths: attributes of the person that are helpful to achieving the

• bjective.

Weaknesses: attributes of the person that are harmful to achieving the objective. Opportunities: external conditions that are helpful to achieving the

• bjective.

Threats: external conditions which could do damage to the business's performance. Here the objective seems attainable, the SWOTs are used as inputs to the creative generation of possible strategies, by asking and answering each of the following four questions, many times: How can we use and capitalize on each strength? How can we improve each weakness? How can we exploit and benefit from each Opportunity? How can we mitigate each threat?

Slide 52

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• SWOT analysis

– Brainstorm with the congregation

How do we perform a SWOT analysis? Brainstorm with the congregation. Some ideas to get them going under strength might include: Capabilities, resources, assets, people, Weaknesses might include: Gaps in capabilities, morale, commitment, leadership, Opportunities might include: Partnership, agencies, distribution Threats might include: Loss of key staff, economy, etc.

Slide 53

Data-Gathering Resources (continued)

• SWOT analysis

– Brainstorm with the congregation – Use the Congregational Self-Assessment in your package – Create a survey using Monkey Survey

• Example:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=f6_2fsy IiJvV_2fpf0lwv9eLZg_3d_3d

Slide 54

Most churches collect the data and then become stagnant. Sometimes the information can be

• verwhelming and we’re not sure

what do to next. This is called learning stage or maybe even the grouping stage.

Slide 55

Group information

• Empowering Leadership
• Gift Oriented Ministry
• Passionate Spirituality
• Functional Structures
• Inspiring Worship Service
• Holistic Small Groups
• Need Oriented Evangelism
• Loving Relationships

After you have finished gathering the data group the information into eight categories: Empowering Leadership Gift Orientated Ministry Passionate Spirituality Functional Structures Inspiring Worship Service Holistic Small Groups Need Orientate Evangelism Loving Relationships Why these specific eight categories? Because this focuses

• n universal principles that apply to

all kinds of churches regardless of style, theology, denomination, culture, or leaning toward a specific church mode. The key to each of these Quality Characteristics is the adjective “empowering, gift orientated, passionate, etc. Now you take each item and imagine a wooden barrel.

Slide 56

The minimum factor

Service attendance Minimum factor Quality characteristics

Functional Structures

This is called the minimum factor bucket. Imagine a barrel with eight staves, each representing the eight Quality

• Characteristics. The staves in the

barrel represent the score of the 8 Quality Characteristics. With this analogy, you can only fill the bucket (Service Attendance) to the level of the lowest stave. So to increase the capacity of the bucket, we must increase the height of the lowest stave, which is the Minimum Factor. Whether you realize it or not, you have just created your priorities.

Slide 57

Action Plan Questions

• Stakeholders
• Right person, right place, right time
• Who could develop a plan for

improvement?

• How does this effect others?
• What is the next step?

Who are the stakeholders in this area? Are the right people in the right jobs to make the necessary improvements? Who could develop a plan for improvement? How do you think improvement in this plan could effect other areas? What needs to be your very next step?

Slide 58

Action Plan Questions

• Stakeholders
• Right person, right place, right time
• Who could develop a plan for

improvement?

• How does this affect others?
• What is the next step?

If we go back to the bucket and see that the lowest stave is in holistic small groups – lets work through this plan and see what we come up with. Work through the questions then come up with suggestions for improvements.

• Host or participate in a small group

leadership-training event. It is not realistic to expect new small groups to form if training isn’t not provided. The participation of the leaders of the church, whether they lead a small or group or not, would send a strong message to the church about the importance of this kind of training event.

• Have the pastor form a small group to

train leaders. Following the example

• f Jesus, pastors can both model the

value of small groups and train

leaders simultaneously. The expectation is that at the end of a specified time , those participating in the small group would begin two or more small groups. The pastor could then recruit more people to start the process over again.

• Transform committees into small

groups that study and pray. Many committee meetings involve a lot of talking, a little disagreement, few decisions and almost no prayer. If all committee meetings began with a time

• f Bible study and prayer, they would

begin to take on the character of a small group. In addition to helping people grow in the Christian faith, this might also lead to more and better decisions made with less disagreement.

• Start a new Sunday School class.

Sunday School classes can function as small groups. They can be great sources of strength, learning and support for participants. Beginning new classes is most effective if those who are not currently participating in Sunday School or a small group are specifically and personally invited to take part in the new class. Offering a short-term class (3-6 weeks) may help people feel like attending does not commit them to going to Sunday School forever. A positive experience

• n their part will increase the

likelihood of their choosing to participate over a longer period of time.

• Do this with next lowest bucket plank

until you have worked your way through the list.

Slide 59

A clear mission statement describes what you do. Everything else hinges from the mission statement. (vision and goals). Think about it – after gathering your data – you probably have a good idea of mission God has called your church to do. Now you need to formalize it.

Slide 60

Visualize the Future Churches with the most effective

• utreach are the ones who have

the clearest sense of their vision and mission. When ministries fail to make impact it is often due to the fact that they don’t have an idea about what they are trying to accomplish. Instead they are short-sighted, looking for program promotion success on a month-to-month

• basis. They want people coming to

their event or involved in their church, but they don’t know where they are heading–they lack vision. They want to make headlines in their community, but don’t know why people should pay any attention to them. This is where the mission and vision statements come in—they should inform all decisions and

• activities. If something that is

suggested does not fit these, then it must be put aside—or else the mission and vision statements need to be scrutimized.

Slide 61

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” –Yogi Berra

All churches have programs of one kind or another. But how many really know why they are doing what they are doing and where it all is leading them? Instead of seeking and developing a clear sense of vision, many churches are content with running the programs their church has always offered. They attract new

• people. Staff members come and
• go. And over the course of years

they make no real progress toward any particular end. If a ministry is going to grow it will need a clear vision from God that is clearly communicated to the

• people. That starts with the humble

seeking of God. I am not one of those who tell people they need to drum up a vision to make their church grow. Instead, I believe they need to seek God, find out what She is doing and join Him. Churches need to find the vision for reaching a specific people in the community.

Slide 62

Okay – we’ve celebrated, done the happy dance, and communicated with the congregation. Now we turn

• ur attention to Objectives, goals,

and recommendations. This is the part—along with the more detailed self-study—that we will be working

• n in the next year or so.

Slide 63

Write Goals and Objectives Goals and objectives are like stair steps to your mission and vision. Realistic goals and objectives are developed from the data gathering

• process. Objectives set the

agenda, are broad, and global in nature. Write two to five objectives that give action to your mission/vision and will take a few years to

• achieve. Then, develop goals to

achieve each objective. Goals should be measurable, quantifiable, and support your

• bjectives. Think about achieving

them in a one-year timeframe. Effective goals must state how much of what kind of performance by when is to be accomplished and by whom. Make sure both your goals and objectives build on your strengths; shore up your weaknesses; capitalize on your

• pportunities; and recognize your

threats We must base our goals upon our Mission Statement. If we've created our Mission Statement according to the process above, we'll now have "big" goals to achieve by one year from

• today. From here, we might need

to break them down into quarterly, monthly and even weekly

• goals. Stephen Covey has a great

quote in his book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In it, he says: "If you don't set your goals based upon your Mission Statement, you may be climbing the ladder of success only to realize, when you get to the top, you're on the WRONG BUILDING." Amen!

Slide 64

Once we have created our mission and vision statements, and have put together our action plans, we can begin to implement it all.

Slide 65

Almost Done

• Evaluate Resources
• Get board approval

Evaluate Resources Now that we have completed our goals and objectives, it is time to do a resource assessment. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to all well laid strategic plans is time and

• money. As with every church,

budgets are never big enough to do everything you want to do. Prioritize key goals by asking: Do implementing the goals make financial sense? Do we have the human resources to achieve your plan? Get Board approval

Slide 67Slide 66

Almost Done

• Evaluate Resources
• Get board approval
• Take action

Take Action Tactics set specific actions/action plans that lead to implementing our goals and objectives. Basically write a to-do list for each goal. Be cognizant of stepping on any ministry team leaders’ toes. If there is a ministry team leader get his/her input. A quick way to develop tactics is to answer this question: What roadblocks exist to achieving our goals? Use the answer to develop action items for each goal. Assign responsibilities and deadlines to ensure

• implementation. A great method to

get buy-in from our stakeholders is to assign a goal to each team

• member. Ask him/her to write the

action plan and be responsible for making sure each task is accomplished.

Almost Done

• Evaluate Resources
• Get board approval
• Take action
• Make strategy a habit.

Keep Score Earlier, you wrote goals that were

• measurable. Put these

measurements and targets on a scorecard (in Excel), which acts as an instrument panel guiding your company towards achieving your

• vision. With the scorecard, you can

actively track your progress on a monthly basis. Make strategy a habit!

Slide 68

Celebrate and communicate!

Slide 69

Conclusion

• Three critical questions

–Who are we? –What has God called us to do or be? –Who is our neighbor?

Conclusion The planning process is a holy process of conversation. Conversation is holy because, at its best, it is about a people’s understanding of their identity as a faith community, their sense of purpose, and their relationship with

• God. Though the holy conversation

may take a multitude of shapes and directions, at its heart that conversation centers around three critical formation questions: Who are we? What has God called us to do or be? Who is our neighbor?

Slide 70

Spiritual discernment

This approach to planning is to take the risk of spiritual

• discernment. When a congregation

follows a predetermined planning program, it will begin at the beginning, work through the steps, exercises, and information in the middle, and end up with a plan.

Slide 71

Remember

• The plan does not have to be perfect

Remember that the plan does not have to be perfect and the congregation (or any system) cannot learn faster than it can learn.

Slide 72

Remember

• The plan does not have to be perfect
• Don’t rush ahead

Don’t rush ahead, despite the reality that there will those in the congregation or on the board- including yourself – who will be anxious to get to the “answer” and know what to “do.”

Slide 73

Remember

• The plan does not have to be perfect
• Don’t rush ahead
• A planning process cannot be all vision

A planning process cannot be all vision without structure, direction, prayer, or holy conversation. Neither can the planning process simply be a list of tasks or exercises.

Slide 74

Remember

• The plan does not have to be perfect
• Don’t rush ahead
• A planning process cannot be all vision
• Create many strategies

Create many strategies, so that you may have a chance of finding some really good ones. Focus on strategies aimed at achieving the selected objective by deriving your strategies from the SWOTs, which

• riginated from the selected
• bjective.

Slide 75

Remember

• The plan does not have to be perfect
• Don’t rush ahead
• A planning process cannot be all vision
• Ask these 4 questions, repeatedly

– How can we…

• Use the strengths
• Stop the weaknesses?
• Exploit the Opportunities?
• Defend against the threats?

Ask these 4 questions, repeatedly: "How can we . . .

• a. Use the Strengths?
• b. Stop the Weaknesses?
• c. Exploit the Opportunities?
• d. Defend against the Threats?"

Emphasize the Strengths and

• Opportunities. Focus on the

Strengths that differentiate this

• rganization from its
• competitors. Do not overlook the

Weaknesses and Threats that might threaten the survival of the

• rganization.

Slide 76

Emphasize the Strengths and

• Opportunities. Focus on the

Strengths that differentiate this

• rganization from its
• competitors. Do not overlook the

Weaknesses and Threats that might threaten the survival of the

• rganization.

A well-crafted mission and vision statement becomes the glue that binds the various parts of the church together and drives behavior in your stakeholders. Congratulations on your decision to make this journey.