Does your ministry have a plan? It may seem odd to have a plan for a ministry when we know God directs those plans and guides us. Yet the Bible encourages both planning and having advisors. Unfortunately, ministries either meander along with no real plan or try to force their plan on God, even when it is obvious to others He wants some changes in it.
The current pandemic points out the advantages of having a plan. Ministries that had planned for contingencies were ready to shift gears smoothly and continue to minister to others – even if it meant a radical departure from their norm. Other ministries had absolutely no plan for any crisis, much less one of this nature. They are still struggling to find their footing and may not be able to in time to help the people they normally serve.
Creating a godly strategic plan takes time and effort. The current forced social distancing may give you the time to work on a plan for your ministry. If your ministry involves multiple people as leaders or volunteers, set up a virtual meeting to work on it.
So what are the elements of a godly strategic plan? We have several tools to help. The first, The ABC’s of a Godly Strategic Plan, actually goes through the process step by step. If you believe you need additional input from parents, we also have a tool to help conduct a listening tour to help you get helpful feedback from the people you already serve or hope to serve in the future. Finally, we have a tool to help you set goals that will be meaningful and encourage those involved with your ministry to work towards them.
Taking the time now to develop a godly strategic plan for your ministry can make it easier to reach others and point them towards God. It can even make it more likely you can easily handle anything that could potentially drive your ministry off course. It really is a good way to spend some of this time at home.