Setting goals is always a part of the planning process as one season draws to a close and you begin preparing for the next.
One thing that many churches and individuals have begun doing in recent years is to set a year-long goal that you intend to work toward from January through December.
This type of goal is more about your ministry’s spiritual growth and discipleship journey, rather than focusing on numbers or statistics.
The purpose of setting a year-long discipleship goal in addition to the regular goals and plans you make for your congregation is to have a specific focus that you want your entire congregation to work toward together.
Step #1: Determine What You Want to Work On
A year-long discipleship goal for your church should be something that you want to see your whole congregation work toward.
This goal can be based on a specific verse or spiritual attribute that you want to focus on in the coming year.
Say you have a congregation of strong believers who are still learning how to share their faith with others. Setting a goal to “be intentional” throughout the year can help remind your members in every season to look for intentional opportunities to share their testimonies and invite others in.
If you have a wide range of ages in your congregation, you can set a goal to connect the generations and emphasize training the next group of church leaders.
Choosing a theme verse for the year is also a good option when setting a church-wide discipleship goal.
The primary consideration when determining what to work on is identifying something that your entire church can do, regardless of where they are in their individual discipleship journeys.
Creating a spirit of generosity, building a heart for missions, or embracing serving opportunities are all things that believers can work toward regardless of their spiritual maturity.
Step #2: Communicate Your Goal Repeatedly
Once you determine what you want your year-long discipleship goal to be, you need to communicate it to your church repeatedly.
The worst thing you can do in your quest to increase discipleship is not communicate your goal clearly and effectively. Your members need to know not only what your discipleship goal is, but also how they can work toward accomplishing it over the next 12 months.
Just as you do with the other goals you set for your ministry, you should check in on your progress throughout the year and keep your congregants updated on how things are going. Remind them what you’re working toward and why you are focusing on that effort this year.
If you’re working to build a heart for missions, your members need to hear about it regularly. If you’ve chosen to emphasize a verse like Mark 12:30-31 to love the Lord your God, your members should know that verse and how they can really let it transform their spiritual journeys in the coming year.
Include your year-long discipleship goal in your newsletters, slides, announcements, or other communication methods that work for your church.
Step #3: Find Ways to Incorporate Your Goal Throughout the Year
The best way to achieve genuine growth toward your year-long discipleship goal is to take the time now, at the end of the year, to plan how you can incorporate your goal into your ministry in the coming months.
You want your goal to be at the forefront of your congregation’s mind regularly throughout the year, and that will only happen if you’re intentional about bringing it before them repeatedly.
Some ideas for incorporating your goal are to:
- Plan a sermon or sermon series once a quarter that addresses key aspects of your goal (e.g., if your goal is to build a culture of generosity, use these messages to discuss what true generosity entails and how to incorporate it into various areas of life).
- Organize missions and outreach opportunities that emphasize the goal and give your congregants real experiences practicing the specific aspect of discipleship you’re working on.
- Use your small groups and Bible study times to go deeper into the Word of God to learn about the heart behind your goal, why it’s important, and how it relates to being a disciple.
- Schedule check-ins at the middle of the year to reflect on how your church has grown toward your goal.
Your year-long discipleship goal isn’t the only thing your church is working toward next year. You likely have other goals for growth, giving, attendance, and more. Those targets are just as important to the growth and spiritual development of your congregation.
But having a single goal for spiritual growth that your entire congregation can work toward together will help unite your members as they all strive to grow together.
The end of the year is the perfect time to set a special goal for the next 12 months. You’ve got time to think through what you want to work toward, make a plan to communicate your goal regularly, and decide how to incorporate your goal into other areas of your ministry throughout the year.
Choosing a specific year-long goal will give you something that everyone can work toward together, regardless of where they are in their personal discipleship journeys, and has the potential to help your entire congregation transform over the next year.
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