Strategy

Ever work really hard toward something and find that something to be a good thing, even meeting all your hopes, only to realize a week later, a month later, or a year later that the needle really didn’t move?

We see this when churches go to great lengths to provide a special day or event in the hope that it might catapult their ministry in a new direction. High-attendance days, community-wide festivals, and special sermon series can all be great tools for a church. But when they are done without strategic intent, most don’t provide much lasting benefit.

They often have a great build-up and may even be great events. But afterward, they can feel anticlimactic, leaving the church tired and asking,

“What did we really accomplish with XYZ event?”

It’s not that these things aren’t good or useful. It’s that many churches do them simply because they seem like the right things to do, believing they will improve attendance, improve their standing in the community, or improve their overall effectiveness.

And that’s the issue: focusing on improvement instead of long-term success and goals.

I know “success” is a word we don’t often use in the church. To me, success is accomplishing what God has called your church to do over time. Success isn’t simply increasing attendance or meeting the budget, although those things can certainly be part of it. Success comes from a deep sense of calling from God and faithfully pursuing that calling over time.

Success requires strategy.  Strategy isn’t just about improvement. Ultimately, strategy is about moving toward success. But for a church to be successful, it has to know what it is trying to accomplish.

Too often, we begin a journey of improvement without ever really defining the finish line.

Sometimes those improvements are sparked by simply trying to keep up with the organizations or churches around us. Their success in one area causes us to seek improvement in that same area so we can keep up or, perhaps, so we don’t feel like we’re being left behind.

For example, maybe the church down the street has a thriving men’s ministry. You think, “We should improve our men’s ministry.” So you begin making plans for additional men-focused programming, additional funding, additional communication, and additional staff or volunteer involvement.

But did you really consider or pray through the finish line?

Does improving your men’s ministry actually help you accomplish what God has called your church to accomplish?

If the answer is yes, then go for it. If the answer is no…

you may have just spent a tremendous amount of time, energy, and resources on something that is good but not something that is best for your church.

Strategy isn’t about improvement. Strategy is about making intentional decisions that move you closer to what God has called your church to do.

Anything less is busywork at best and disobedience at worst. 

If you’d like some help with your strategy, reach out to jason@xppartners.org.