The next lens built into our leadership binoculars is Strategy – or Planning.  Once we determine that our Values lie within the scope of God’s Values (via His Word), and thus God’s mission (to make disciples in His world through His church), we pray earnestly for a specific Vision – or Picture – of how this massive Mission is carried out in our own local church cultural context.  God’s Vision for your urban church might be radically different than God’s vision for my suburban or rural church.  So far, so good?

 

The Strategy, or Plan, is the link between Vision and Mission.  I’m a horrible cook, but if I had a basket of apples and my mission was to make applesauce, I would need to figure how to best do that.  In other words, what is the best recipe for what I would envision as great applesauce?  This aspect of leadership can be the most challenging and also the most fun.  I would submit that the best types of applesauce are not all made the same way, but all involve apples and some sort of intentional process.  This process is what separates applesauce from great applesauce and it also prevents me from unintentionally producing apple pudding.   

 

Do you have clearly defined strategies – or specific plans – for successfully fulfilling every component of your holistic ministry Vision? 

 

When ministries simply fail to strategically plan, they are strategically planning to fail…