Years ago I asked a pastor I knew, “What are you doing at your church? What’s your strategy?” He looked at me as if I had cursed, then said, “I don’t believe in strategy. I just do what the Lord says?” I replied, “Great, what is He saying?” “To preach the Bible?” “But what does that involve? What does the Bible tell us about local church ministry?” Our conversation didn’t advance much after that.
The Bible is sufficient. It reveals everything one must know to follow the Lord, including the mission of the church. Too often, however, leaders in the church ignore the significance of strategy for fulfilling said mission. I’ve heard people say, “Don’t talk to me about strategy. We don’t need that corporate thinking in the church.” It’s as if they believe I’m asking them to choose man’s ways as opposed to God’s, strategy being defined by them as a worldly attempt to do what only God can do.
To be fair, after sitting through too many poor strategy presentations, I see how one might draw such conclusions. But at it’s root, strategy is a rather simple and essential concept for ministry leaders.
Strategy is simply what you and your team will do in fulfillment of your mission. It’s the path from where you are to where you believe God is leading you.
Building on this pathway metaphor, strategy has several elements:
A destination: Where are you heading? For congregations, what does scripture describe as the work of the church, and what outcomes should you expect?
A beginning point: Where are you now? What do you understand about the current state of the church in relation to what scripture says the church should be?
A route: Where will you go to get there? What steps should the church take in order to move toward the destination?
A team: Who will do what? The church is a corporate entity, described by Paul as “the body of Christ.” So who will fill what functions so the body goes where it needs to go?
A supply: What resources do you need to support the journey, and where will they come from?
Anyone who has completed anything has processed these points. Jesus certainly did. His destination was the redemption of a people for the Father’s glory. Though He is eternal, we might define the fall as a beginning point. His route led him through the cross, resurrection, and His offer of salvation. His team included the apostles, and now includes you. His supply included the scriptures, the Father at work through Him, and the resources supporting He and the disciples.
My point: Strategy is not a four-letter word. It’s a clear understanding of the path your church will follow in fulfillment of God’s will. It’s spiritual. It’s about obedience to Him. Never ignore it. He who knows not where he is going seldom ends up where he needs to be.
For a great post on the relationship between strategy and vision, read this recent blog entry by Sam Rainer.
Blessings,
Bro. Jim