CHAPTER 1: PREPARING TO THINK AND ACT

Summary

Chapter one of this book lays a foundation for developing a strategic plan for the life of a church with emphasis on guiding a church through a major change in direction. The first step in developing a strategic plan for a church is assessing whether or not the church is ready for change (p. 18). Key factors are the church body’s openness to change (p. 18), the pastor’s attitude toward change (p. 18), and the “board’s” support for change (p. 20).

The book suggests that the pastor should lead any effort to change (p. 20) and should include key people, such as church staff members, lay leaders, people of influence, a female advisor to the board to bring a woman’s perspective, and finally an outside consultant, if possible (p.20-21). These people should be assembled into a “planning team” (p. 22) and should have specific facilities for conducting its affairs, such as a “resource-rich team center” on the church’s campus or an off-site venue such as a conference center or hotel meeting room (p. 25).

The author lists several methods for facilitating discussion, generating ideas, resolving issues, building consensus, and making decisions (p. 25). These methods include Powwows, Brainstorming, Workouts, Mindquakes and Storyboarding, Scenarios (p. 26-33). The author uses Storyboarding more than any other method to help churches implement strategic planning initiatives (p. 30). Storyboarding is essentially brainstorming combined with a form of consensus building called “a Workout” (p. 30). It is especially effective in discovering a church’s core values and developing a church’s vision or mission statement (p. 32). These are the building blocks for developing a successful strategic plan for a church.

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. Appendix A (p. 214) is a “Readiness for Change Inventory” questionnaire which can be used by all members of the planning team to assess a church’s readiness for change. The inventory’s seventeen questions are exhaustive and insightful, and can reveal where a church stands spiritually, emotionally and mentally on the question of developing and implementing strategic change.
2. The use of a “resource-rich team center” as the primary environment for holding planning team meetings seems very useful as it provides an environment conducive to generating creative ideas, researching solutions and making decisions (p. 25). Such a center would make available the latest audio, video, and internet technologies, as well as other visual aids such as projectors, dry-erase boards, etc. (p. 25).
3. Storyboarding is appealing as a practical method of approaching the strategic planning process. It is inclusive, quick-paced, and effective. It is especially helpful in prioritizing the best ideas and eliminating the ones which are not practical or germane.

CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Summary

Chapter two introduces the concept of the Sigmoid or “S” curve as a means of understanding the various stages of a church’s life cycle (p.39). The five stages are birth, growth, plateau, decline and death (p.40). The author suggests that the church in western Europe is in serious decline and that the church in North America will soon follow (40-42). Moreover, the author believes mainline denominations in North America are declining, but conservative evangelical churches are growing (p. 42).

The first conclusion the Sigmoid curve seems to support is that all churches will progress through each of the stages in the life cycle until they reach the final stage, death (p. 45-46). The solution to this problem is for churches to start new “S” curves before they plateau (p. 46). This can be done through a number of methods including church planting (p. 46), church growth (p. 47), and church revitalization (p. 50).

Church revitalization, while very difficult for churches in the final stages of decline, is still possible if an effective strategic planning process in implemented (p. 50). Steps in an effective strategic planning process include a ministry analysis, values discovery and development, mission development, environmental scan, vision development, strategy development, strategy implementation, ministry contingencies, and ministry evaluation. Ministry analysis seeks to discover what kind of church we are (p. 51). Values discovery and development seeks to identify why we do what we do as a church (p. 52). In mission development the church attempts to discover what it is we are supposed to be doing as a church (p. 53). Through the environmental scan the church determines what is happening in our community (p. 53). In vision development the church looks ahead to envision what we might become (p. 53). The strategy development step helps us organize a plan of action, and the strategy implementation step is where we begin to take action (p. 53-54). In ministry contingencies we attempt to anticipate the unexpected (p. 54). And in ministry evaluation, expectations are measured against results and adjustments are made to keep our church continually growing and improving its effectiveness (p. 54). The final idea presented in this chapter is the theology of change, which addresses some of the issues surrounding the difficulties of implementing major change in the local church.

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. The concept that all churches have a life cycle with specific discernible stages is very helpful in assessing where a church is at a particular point in its life cycle and in determining, to some extent, what it should be doing at that stage in its life (p. 39).
2. The strategic planning process seems to be well thought out and tested in real world scenarios (p. 51). The writer of this papers plans to implement such a planning process in his own church.
3. The distinction the book makes between forms and functions in churches makes it easier to understand what needs to change and what needs to remain the same as a church works to begin new “S” curves in its life cycle (p. 56).

CHAPTER 3: ANALYZING THE MINISTRY

Summary

The first two chapters of the book deal with issues regarding preparing a church to think and act strategically. Chapter three delves into the first step in the strategic planning process, which is ministry analysis. It attempts to answer the question, what kind of church are we? The church should be analyzed both internally and externally. Internal evaluation includes a series of audits performed by the planning team.

Internal Analysis

The internal analysis consists of a series of audits which are performed to gather information about the church from internal sources. The life cycle audit helps the church identify and come to agreement as to where the church is on the life cycle curve (p. 62). The performance audit assesses the church’s strengths, weaknesses and limitations (p. 63). The direction audit assesses the church’s mission and vision (p. 66). The strategy audit assesses how the church attempts to accomplish its mission and ministry. The congregational audit helps answer the question, Who are we (p. 67)? The culture audit helps define “the way we do things around here” (p. 68). The obstacles audit asks, What kind of obstacles do we face (p. 69)? The Spirituality audit determines how the church is progressing spiritually (p. 70). The energy audit assesses the church’s energy level (p. 71). The emotions audit evaluates the church’s energy level (p. 71). The finances audit assesses the church’s financial health (p. 72). The age audit identifies the age group of the majority of the church’s members (p. 73).

External Analysis

The external analysis consists of a series of audits which are performed to gather information about external factors that impact the church and its ministry. The community audit regards both demographics and psychographics. The demographics questions is, Who is our community (p. 73)? The psychographics question is, What are their needs, values, wants, attitudes and desires (p. 74)? The threats audits signal existing and potential threats to the church (p. 74). The opportunities audit assesses the opportunity for ministry in the community and beyond (p. 75).

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. The life cycle audit will help our small church determine exactly which stage of life it is currently experiencing (p. 62), and give insight into how we might begin to address necessary change to help our church thrive and grow.
2. The direction audit will help us formulate a vision and mission (p. 66) which our church does not currently have.
3. The community audit will help us focus our efforts on reaching our community with the gospel of Christ (p. 73).

CHAPTER 4: DISCOVERING CORE VALUES

Summary

Chapter 4 explains the second step in the strategic thinking and acting process, which is to answer the question, Why do we do what we do (p. 78)? To answer this question, a church must undertake the processes of discovering its core values and developing a coherent core values statement. A church’s values must be identified, ratified and communicated (p. 79). The values discovery process includes dialoguing within the planning team about values, studying the credos of other churches, performing a Core Values Audit, conducting a storyboarding session, describing the perfect church and reviewing the church’s budget (p. 95). The values statement discovery process involves determining if a statement is a value or a form, determining the number of values, deciding on a credo format and testing it (p. 98). Ultimately, the goal is to establish and communicate values that are shared by both the leadership and the congregation (p. 88).

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. Struggling churches often do not have people who share the same values (p. 88). This is true in my own church where some people want the church to be a home-school oriented church, others want a seminary classroom, others want a church that focuses on patriarchal family style worship services, etc.       If the values of a church are established and communicated early on, it is easier for prospective members to evaluate whether or not a church is a good fit for them. It also helps current members to reevaluate their own commitment to the church. It gets everyone on the same page. It also helps people who cannot buy in to the values of the church to find another church more suited to their needs, gifts and calling.
2. Churches with a single towering value (p. 89) are using a niche ministry approach which is likely detracting from their effectiveness in fulfilling the Great Commission. This is also quite true of my own church and needs to be addressed. Figure 15 (p. 91) was helpful in clarifying this issue for my church, which, according to Figure 15 appear to be a “classroom church.”
3. Asking team members to describe the perfect church (p. 94) is a method of values discovery method I plan to use in my own church soon. It gives people a chance to dream and combine their creativity with their own personal values.

CHAPTER 5: DEVELOPING A MISSION

Summary

Chapter 5 takes up the question, What are we supposed to be doing? Christ is the supreme example in this regard, as He gave the church the Great Commission (P. 99). The mission statement expresses where we are going as a church (p. 100) and what it will look like when we get there (p.101). To put it another way, the mission statement answers the question, What is our business (p. 102)? The statement should be a broad, brief, and biblical expression of what the church is supposed to be doing (p. 105). The chapter addresses the four critical steps in the process by which a mission statement is developed (p. 113). The mission must be communicated along with the values of the church in a clear and memorable fashion, or it will accomplish little, if anything at all (p. 114).

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. A great insight is that the church “mission is to the ministry what a rudder is to a ship” (p. 101). Our church is utterly rudderless. We show up on Sunday morning, sing, have a one-hour Bible-study type sermon and leave. On Wednesday evening, we arrive, share prayer requests, pray, sometimes watch a half-hour video on apologetics and leave. A couple of times a month there is a social event such as a Bible Q&A or a game night at someone’s home. Our church desperately needs a mission statement to define what we are supposed to be doing. We are doing church, but we have no direction.
2. Four questions should be asked of the planning team to determine what the church is supposed to be doing functionally (p. 107):
   1. What is this church supposed to be doing?
   2. What is this church actually doing?
   3. Why are you as a church not doing what you are supposed to be doing?
   4. What will it take for you to change and do what you are supposed to be doing?
3. The process should begin with the pastor developing a rough draft of the mission statement and then holding one or two “town hall” meetings to get the congregation’s input and support for the mission (p. 108).

CHAPTER 6: SCANNING THE ENVIRONMENT

Summary

Chapter 6 explores the means by which the question may be answered, What is going on out there? This is the fourth step in thinking and acting strategically (p. 117). This is a continuous process that should be conducted throughout the life of the church (p. 117). First church members or leader should be enlisted as culture watchers to help the church exegete the culture, that is, attempt to understand it (p. 117), and church watchers to can synthesize information about other churches and how they address various issues in ministry (p. 128). This is done through a two-part environmental scan, Understanding the Times and Knowing What the Church Should Do (p. 117-118). To understand the times, the church needs to gather information about the church’s environment through a demographics study and a psychographic study (P. 119). In addition, the author suggests the use of a method known as “scan, clip and review” (p. 123) to gather analyze and disseminate cultural information to the church’s leadership. To determine what the church should do about its conclusions from these studies and methods, the church should consult other churches in its area which are successfully addressing the same issues (124).

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. That learning what is going on outside the church and what the future may hold that will impact the church should be a continual lifelong quest was a profound insight and might be easily missed (p. 117). External dynamics are dynamic and change. The church should stay abreast of the external factors that impact the church now, and it should attempt to reason what future factors will impact the church.
2. The church scan, or “cross pollination” method of learning what other churches are doing to address various issues is useful up to a point. Care should be taken to avoid attempting to mimic other church growth models, but rather to simply draw from other churches the methods and experiences that seem mostly adaptable or likely to work in the present church situation (p. 124).
3. Christian Schwarz conducted a large scale study of healthy churches which identified eight traits that were common among the healthiest churches:

1. Empowering, equipping and supportive leadership.
2. Spiritual gifts discovery and deployment ministry.
3. Passionate spirituality.
4. Organized around functions.
5. Meaningful worship experience.
6. Small groups.
7. Needs-oriented evangelism.

Intimate relationships.This chapter addresses the question, What kind of church would we like to be (p. 133)? The chapter is divided into four sections: the reasons for a vision (134), the definition of a vision (p. 138), developing the vision (p. 142) and communicating the vision (p. 149). The church’s vision is the call around which the church can rally together in unity (p. 134). It gives purpose to the church (p. 135), and it sustains the ministry (p. 137).

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

There is a distinction between a church’s vision and other important concepts such as values, goals and mission (p. 138-140). While values are a church’s core beliefs, it’s goals are things it wishes to accomplish, and its mission is what its business is, the vision statement is that document which expresses what the church wants to become; it is a picture of the church’s future (p. 141). The development of a vision statement begins with prayer (p. 145) and results in an expansion of the church’s mission statement (p. 145). The vision should be communicated to the church along with its values and mission as a single unit (p. 149).

CHAPTER 7: DEVELOPING A VISION

Summary

1. The insight that “the consequence of character and vision is followers” (p. 136) is profound. This gives new meaning to the Scripture, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18.
2. The distinction between values and vision (p. 138) is particularly helpful, that values drive the ministry while vision focuses it.
3. Developing the vision statement on the mission statement by expanding it, and then adding the church’s purpose, core values and strategy round out the total vision statement and make it understandable and accessible to the church as a whole.

CHAPTER 8: DEVELOPING A STRATEGY

Summary

This chapter explains how to develop an effective strategy to accomplish the church’s vision. Whether its Rick Warren’s baseball diamond (p. 154), Malphurs’ three-legged stool (p. 264), or any other effective plan, a church needs a strategy or its vision will die on the vine. The strategy essentially answers the question, How will we get where we want to be (p. 151)? The vision is the target of the strategy, but the values direct it (158).

The process begins with establishing the target group and constructing a profile person, such as Compass Connie (pp. 159-160), for our fellowship, Compass Community Church. To get the strategy into shape, the mission statement, strategic goals, action steps, and a visual are key (p. 161). The strategic goals are the steps in the process of moving from non-Christian to mature believer (p. 162). Each church should identify these steps according to their own values, mission and vision. The visual is something the church can use to communicate the objectives of the strategy (baseball diamond, stool, etc.) to give the people something with which to identify (p. 163).

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. In developing the church’s strategy, it should “manage backward from the future, rather than forward from the past” (152). The church needs to make a paradigm shift that does not consider what is, but what can be, and how to get there given its current resources or new, yet unidentified, undeveloped or untapped resources.
2. Businesses that specialize do well. Churches that specialize in a target group know who they are trying to reach and will likely succeed (p. 160, 174)
3. In identifying the target group, saved, lost or both are each viable and legitimate options (p. 159).

CHAPTER 9: IMPLEMENTING THE STRATEGY

Summary

Chapter 9 answers the question, Where do we begin, when and with whom? The church needs to set goals for the strategy implementation plan (p. 176), prioritize steps and tasks (p. 179), assign responsibilities (p. 181), communicate the plan (p. 183) and follow up through monthly implementation review (MIR) meetings (p. 184).

Implementing a new church strategy involves change. The entire process of establishing an implementation plan and putting it into action should be covered in prayer (pp. 179-180). There are important considerations in facilitating change (pp. 178-179). The congregation wants to know what is going to happen, how it will affect them and if they will have a place in the new order (p. 178). Leadership must communicate the church’s values, mission, vision, strategy and implementation plan patiently, thoroughly and often. The church’s new strategy will take time to implement. The church must focus on progress. As the church consistently works toward the new vision, results will start to appear. This will build confidence and give momentum to the venture.

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. Malphurs’ revelation that he used this process successfully at his own church, Northwood Community Church, when he took over as pastor in 1996 gives credence to his methods. The church was a revitalization project which was near death. His system works and is transferable.
2. Formulating implementation goals requires determining what must be corrected or implemented first to begin realizing the vision (p. 176). The church can get bogged down if priorities are not set in order to perform items in the correct logical order. It is also critical to try to produce maximum results as soon as possible. When people see results, they become motivated. Results are what the implementation is all about.
3. The section on identifying misalignments was particularly helpful. The object is to match current activities, programs, traditions and patterns with the church values, mission, vision and strategy to determine what roadblocks exist in implementing the new strategy (p. 177).       Once roadblocks and snags are identified, solutions and work-arounds can be put into place to keep the implementation process running smoothly.

CHAPTER 10: PREPARING FOR CONTINGENCIES

Summary

In chapter 10, the author cautions that the church should anticipate and develop plans to respond to unexpected crises or blessings. He identifies four stages of such events (p. 189):

1. The crisis stage.
2. The acute crisis stage.
3. The chronic crisis stage.
4. The crisis resolution stage.

Contingency planning involves identifying potential contingencies (p. 195) and developing a plan for each contingency. The leaders of each church ministry should be responsible for planning for contingencies and implementing contingency plans in their own areas of responsibility (p. 194). Contingency prevention should not be overlooked in the planning process (p. 196). As contingencies are identified, it will become obvious that some merely need to be addressed with preventative measures, thereby eliminating any real threat they may impose.

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. The insight that contingency planning should take into consideration both good and bad contingencies (p. 189) was eye-opening since contingency planning usually only focuses on negative events rather than positive ones. Our church has experienced a number of good and bad contingencies. In every case, our church has failed to respond from a prepared plan. In some cases, including cases of good contingencies, our church has not capitalized on them due to a lack of preparedness.
2. Johnson & Johnson’s handling of the Tylenol tampering debacle is an excellent example of how to deal with contingencies with honor and integrity. The church’s contingency plans should focus on what is right, even if what is right is costly to the church. The church that deals with contingencies with honor and integrity, with an eye to what is right and to what is best for the church will gain more favor with God and men than the church whose sole purpose is its own best interests, and ignores what is right. Contingency plans should focus on both short-term and long-term results.
3. Choosing a spokesperson to communicate with the congregation, authorities, or outside parties is an important insight (p. 195).   This is a valuable insight. Even though our church is quite small, having a predetermined spokesperson waiting in the wings can reduce confusion in an urgent situation and facilitate a smooth and effective response.

CHAPTER 11: EVALUATING THE MINISTRY

Summary

The final chapter of this book deals with evaluating the ministry. The purpose of evaluation is to determine what is working and what is not working in the church’s ministry and to determine where the church’s ministry is not aligned with its core values, mission, vision and strategy (p. 202). Malphurs recommends that evaluation be performed by three groups: church insiders, members, regular attenders, other ministry leaders and visitors (pp. 205-207).

A qualified person should be put in charge of the process (p. 209). An appraisal form should be developed (p. 210), and then the system should be communicated to all involved, especially those whose ministry and performance is to be appraised.

The Chapter’s Three Best Insights or Ideas

1. Malphurs’ use of a “Com Card” (communication card) to elicit feed back from worshipers regarding the quality and effectiveness of the worship service (p. 207) is a useful idea. People like to give feedback and feedback is essential to keeping our services fresh.
2. Ministry and performance evaluation should be conducted at least twice a year. Feedback that is too long in coming is not useful to the ministries and people being appraised (p. 211).
3. The Questions for Analysis, Discussion and Action at the end of the chapter (pp. 212-213) will be helpful for our leadership team to consider. There may be some resistance to establishing an evaluation system in such a small church, but these questions will help people mentally prepare for and use such a system.

CONCLUSION

This book is among the best I’ve read regarding leadership in ministry. My small church has not grown much since it was formed 6 years ago. The church is not dynamic because it lacks resources or people. Its lackluster performance is due to a lack of vision and strategy. This book will transform our church as we actually put its principles into practice.