Strategic Planning: Toward Effective Churches

From time-to-time churches lose their focus and become lost in their being church. The mentality of excellence and the Kingdom is lost to the status quo. Such churches experience a loss in numeric and monetary growth. Without insufficient funds and people, the church continually fails to reach its fullest potential. Ultimately, such churches will close the doors, gain oversight, or begin a strategic planning. Closing the doors removes the problem for good but loses the hope and trust of the community. Gaining oversight may prove to be beneficial. But, the choices of success now are in the hands of a third-party who has no communal or spiritual connection. Many times, this option will begin the process of closing doors. But, churches which begin strategic planning may postpone the day of closing doors. Strategic planning provide for an internal observation of the local church, examining its various systems and operations. It is not for churches who want to close the doors; rather, strategic planning is a call to revitalize with spiritual, organizational, and missional vitality.