With the New Year, your church has the opportunity to focus on new beginnings and set new resolutions and goals for the future of your ministry. Your church will begin planning all of the events, sermons, and outreach efforts for the entire year.
Whether you want to grow church membership, increase stewardship, or have another project in mind, your success depends on developing your project plan with strategy and focus. Here are four tools to help you plan strategically:
1) Time.
It takes time to plan a project, so don’t rush in. How much time? That depends. The bigger your plan, the more time it will take to pull everything together and get sufficient resources and funding. In a large church, getting the necessary approvals to begin may take more time than it would at a smaller church. But a sound plan can help you reach your goals, so take whatever time you need to put one together.
2) Research.
Data and facts that inform your project mission and goals also give your project its structure and a sound reason for being. Do your research up front so you’ll have the information and guidance to make effective decisions during your project.
3) Thoroughness + Simplicity.
Your plan needs to include all the necessary steps, but they have to be simple enough for others to grasp. If they can’t easily understand the guiding principles of your project, you might need to tighten its scope. Focus on the mission so your project’s objectives are clear.
4) Flexibility.
You’ll most likely find at some point that adjustments are needed. Don’t let the need to add or subtract steps derail your project. Anything that can’t be done now can always be revisited. Putting things aside isn’t the same thing as abandoning them completely.
An outline for a successful strategic plan and examples that illustrate each step can be found in 6-Step Strategic Plan to Grow Your Ministry, an article from Vanco Payment Solutions. Download it today and start taking steps to achieving your New Year’s resolutions.
