


What matters is having a combination of long-term and short-term markers to keep your church moving in the right direction. Ignore the semantics and focus on establishing a framework. Every person you ask will provide a different answer. This is probably the most widely debated part of strategic planning.

Which comes first– objectives or goals?.What is the difference between mission and vision?.The typical questions people have relating to the elements are the following: There are several different components or pieces in a strategic plan. What are the elements of a strategic plan? Creates a culture of strategic thinking.Gets everyone on the same page focused and pulling in the same direction.Assists everyone in daily decision making.Clearly defines what is most important for achieving success.Reflects the values of the organization.Additionally, strategic planning is not just something you cross off your list of “to-dos”-you must create a culture of strategic thinking, so your strategic planning does not become an annual retreat but, instead, a part of daily decision making.Ī good strategic plan achieves the following: In fact, it should be quick, simple, and easily executed. Strategic planning does not have to be mysterious, complicated, or time-consuming. A strategic plan is a management tool that serves the purpose of helping an organization do a better job, and it improves organizations because a plan focuses the energy, resources, and time of everyone in the organization in the same direction. A plan spells out where an organization is going over the next year or more and how it is going to get there. Simply put, a strategic plan is the formalized road map that describes how your organization executes the chosen strategy. We do the planning, but God does the directing. Through prayer, the framework for a plan can be established. As you do the planning, let God do the directing.įor the Christian, this is not simply projection-based planning but the realization that through prayer and obedience you can be a catalyst to help bring about a future that is in alignment with God’s will. Scripture says, “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Strategic planning is a process that helps focus on aligning the unique gifts and resources that God has given your organization to take advantage of your opportunities. No one strategic model fits all organizations, but the planning process includes certain basic elements that all churches can use to explore their vision, goals, and next steps of an effective strategic plan. Do you know where your church is going? What will your church be like in three years? Will you be a few steps closer to realizing your vision? If you do not change anything, will the future be any different than the past? One sure-fire way to impact your church’s future is to dust off an old tool-the Strategic Plan.
