The Ministry Strategy – What is Strategy?

Strategy Intro

Navigators start with their port and then determine how to get their.

We use our mission and vision to paint a picture of where the ministry should go. Mission: “To lead all people to be devoted

followers of Christ.” Vision: “To become a church that unchurched

people (in Harrison County) want to go to.” Where are we going with God? What will it

take to get here? How will we have to act?

The Importance of Strategy – 5 Reasons

1. The Strategy Accomplishes the biblical mission (great commission) and vision.2. The Strategy Facilitates understanding.- Why are we involved in these programs? Why sit in the Sunday School Class, Small Group, Worship Service? What are we doing here?3. The Strategy Provides a sense of spiritual momentum.- Do not only “sit and soak”. Move forward.

The Importance of Strategy – 5 Reasons

4. The Strategy Invests God’s resources properly:

Talents: we each have a unique design. This design consists of spiritual gifts, talents, a passion, a temperament, and other factors. God uses these characteristics for ministry. (Job 10:8-9; Ps. 119:73; Isa 29:16; 64:8) (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:1-16)

Time: We always seem to be running out of time. God controls our time and provides us with the amount necessary to accomplish his program (prov. 16:3)

Treasures: All we have comes from his gracious hand (2 Cor 9:10). He gives us the privilege of investing our finances in building his kingdom and church (2 Cor. 8-9).

The Importance of Strategy – 5 Reasons

5. The strategy displays what God is blessing Functions never change, timeless.

(ect. preaching/teaching, evangelism, worship, fellowship.) Forms do change.

1800s camp meetings, 1940-50s Altar Call, 1950-70 Crusades, times are different and changing but God sovereignly works through change.

We must look for the forms God is blessing

The definition of STRATEGY (4 fold)

The process that determines how your ministry will accomplish its mission.

1. Mission: What competent Navigator would set sail if he does not know where he is going? GC – To make disciples. We must ask: a.) What are we supposed to be doing? b.) Are we doing it? c.) If not, why not?

The definition of STRATEGY (4 fold)

2. A Process - The process of moving people from spiritual pre-birth to Christlikeness or maturity. (Mt. 28:19-20; Eph. 4:11-13; Col 1:28; 2:6-7).

Phase 1: pre-birth (unconverted) Phase 2: new birth (converted) Phase 3: maturity (committed)

The definition of STRATEGY (4 fold)

3. The How: A good strategy answers the “HOW?” while the mission and vision of the church answer the WHAT questions. What are we supposed to be doing? What kind of church would we like to be?

- How will the church make disciples?

The definition of STRATEGY (4 fold)

4. The kinds of strategies: Personal Strategy: Christians should have a personal

strategy to accomplish God’s purpose for their life. Corporate Strategy: The church’s strategy. This does

not, however, relieve the individual Christian of his/her individual responsibility to become mature.

Departmental or Programmatic strategy. Each ministry, department, or program of the church needs a strategy. Youth, adult and children’s ministries need to know their own core values (DNA) and develop their own missions and visions. They must come under the umbrella of corporate strategy and not contradict it. Why I have also invited you Sunday School Teachers.

The Strategy for our Ministry

Must be tailor-made for our unique ministry situation.

The preparation for strategic envisioning and the prior steps in the strategic thinking/acting process have a SIGNIFICANT impact on the development of the strategy.

MINISTRY ANALYSIS: evaluates the effectiveness of the old strategy and so influences the new one.

The vision may change around the edges, but not at its core. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE GENERAL STRATEGY.

Strategy – Glancing Ahead to Future Meetings

Corporate strategy framework includes five specific activities that will be covered in upcoming meetings:

1.) Discovering the ministry community (today)

2.) Making mature disciples (next time)3.) Building a dream team (after next)4.) Determining the best setting (after

next)5.) Raising the necessary finances. (last)

Each Area Asks The Following Questions

1.) Whom are we trying to reach?2.) What are we attempting to do for them?3.) Who will do this for them?4.) Where will this take place?5.) How much will it cost?

Break

Break for 5 Minutes - Short Game

Discovering Our Ministry Community

Jesus’ final incarnate words are found in Acts. 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Not only does this passage have the G.C. at its core, but it includes geography. Rather than staying huddled up in Jerusalem, the church is to move out and reach the world with the gospel of Christ.

Define: The Church’s Community

The church’s community is its geographical sphere of spiritual influence.

It asks, “Who are the people that our church can reach? Where are the people that our church can reach?”

If the early church thought strategically about reaching out to their community, today’s churches must do the same.

Discovering the Ministry Community

Today’s work will be learning our community.

The church has 3 kinds of geographical communities1. Our immediate or local community that

is analogous to Jerusalem. (OUR FOCUS)

2. Our intermediate community that compares to Judea and Samaria

3. The international community that extends to the entire world.

Discovering the Ministry Community

People today might think that our lives are no longer centered in places. You might think that community currently seems to consist more of one’s relationship at home, work, their sports teams they play on, and other social environments.

Everyone who attends or could attend a church lives in some large geographical community that is located within so many miles of the church. It could be a five, ten or fifteen minute radius.

Discovering the Ministry Community

Luke is very clear that the church is to be much more than a “Holy huddle” or an “inward-focused family that cares for its own and no one else”.

The church has been given the Christ-given directive to be outward focus on a lost and dying world that desperately needs the Savior.

Important Theological Question: Can a church that is not and has no intention of spiritually impacting its community be in the will of God?

Important Questions

Whom will you reach? To Whom will you minister? To answer these questions you will need to ask 5

additional questions:

1. Who lives in your community?2. How many will you reach in your community?3. Whom will you reach in your community?4. What kind of church will it take to reach your

community?5. How will you position yourself to communicate

with and reach out to your community?

1. Who lives in your community?

Pastor Rick Warren asserts the church ought to be an expert on its community. Rick Warren while in seminary, spent months

studying census data and demographic studies before planting the church. He pinned the data to the walls of their seminary apartment. He was trying to answer the first question.

To answer this question, you must conduct a community analysis, conduct a church analysis, compare the two, and then consider your options.

2. Where is your community?

This establishes your immediate community. You can’t establish who is a part of your community unless you have established the geographic boundaries.

Following Questions that help determine your community boundaries: What is the travel time to and from your church? 20% of people drive from just a few to five minutes to get to

church. 40% will drive from 5-15 min. 23% will drive from 15-25 minutes. 17% will drive 25 min. or more. (Thus 83%)Most will drive up to but not beyond 25 min. to get to church.

See how far you can travel within 25 min. If it’s a rural area, see how far you can get in 15 min.

Usually plan for your county as your community.

2. Where is your community?

Is there a predominant or specific name for the community where you are located? It will usually be the name of your country, city, small town, or even a community within a city or town.

What are the boundaries of your immediate community? Are they geographical barriers, city limits, country lines, census tracts, zip codes, and so forth?

Are you located in an urban, suburban, rural, or some other kind o community?

Is this area old and dying, young and growing , or somewhere in between? Research has shown that younger, growing areas are easier to reach than older, dying areas.

3. Who is your community?

To understand your immediate community, you must consult demographic studies of your community. Demographics provide external information about the

following: median age, occupation, income, marital status, family size, housing, gender, race, and education. They should also provide you with future projections as well as current information.

Changing neighborhoods impact existing congregations. New ethnic groups moving in, providing new opportunities and challenges for church growth and redevelopment.

Demographics Answer

How many people live in the community (total population)?

Is the community growing, plateaued, or decreasing in numbers?

What is the median (middle) age in years? Percent of people under 5 years Percentage of people 18 years and over Percentage of people 65 yrs. And over

What is their average level of education? Percentage who have graduated from high school Percentage who have graduated with a bachelor’s

degree or higher

Demographics Answer

What percentage of the people are married or single?

How many persons on average live in each household?

What percentage are owner-occupants and renter-occupants?

Are there more women or men? What is the predominate ethnic group? Give

percentages of: White, black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, other

What is the median (middle) household income? (info will come from latest census)

Local Community Research

Find the following information from Local community sources: What do most residents do for a

living (white or blue collar)? If married, do both work? Do people tend to dress casually or

formally? What are the most popular ways of

spending spare time? What kind of music do most prefer?

Psychographic Studies

Psychographics information: attitudes, opinions, values. It attempts to move beyond the strictly external information of demographics and into the emotions and intellect, the heart and mind of your community. Sheds light on people’s beliefs and feelings as well as issues affecting them, such as their primary concerns, stress level, and resistance to change.

Psychographic Studies

How many people are unchurched? What are their general preconceptions (or stereotypes)

about churches? - One person said, “church is a parasite that owns the best

property, pays no taxes and helps no one. Under what circumstances might they visit a church? What are the felt needs or deep expectations and which

would bring them to church? Deep down what do they really want out of life? What are

their hopes, dreams, hopes and aspirations? What feeling might they experience before, during and

after a visit to your church? Requires interviewing someone.

Most of this info will need to come from our own research.

Its Biblical!

Culture watchers are found in the bible. The writer of 1 Chronicles provides his readers with the number of those who had decided to join David in his battles against Saul. When he gets to the men of Issachar, he describes them as those, “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” (1 Chron. 12:32)How can the church know what to do if it does not know what is happening? Church culture watchers understand the times and know what their churches should do.

We looked inward with the MINISTRY ANALYSIS. What are we doing and how well are we doing it?

Now we are looking outward. Seeking to discover what is taking place in the world around you and what the future may hold. (this is an on-going process) What’s going on “out there” will affect how we do ministry.

“Wayne Gretzky factor” – believed that it is not important to know where the puck is now as to know where it will be.

GOOD LEADERS HAVE THE SENSE OF WHERE THE CULTURE IS GOING TO BE

Develop a community profile

Here is the formula: your demographic plus your psychographic information equals your community profile. You could name a person to represent the resulting profile, perhaps Community Carl. Example:

What is Community Carl: Carl is a white, 30 yr old. He graduated H.S. who lives in his own home with his wife and 2 kids. He is employed as a computer technician and makes around 50K/yr. His wife earns 30 K/ yr for a combined income of 80 k / yr. He pursues golfing in his spare time, and he and his family enjoy camping. He prefers to dress casually and enjoys contemporary music.

Carl and his wife are struggling in their relationship. He is concerned about

the people his daughter associates with at school. He has no idea how to even begin to address these issues and is open to help. Carl doesn’t attend church or have a religious preference, though his father was Catholic. He did attend church as a child and it was generally a positive experience. He would be OPEN to visiting a church if invited by a neighbor or friend, especially if the visiting church has a more contemporary approach and addresses some of his felt needs.

Develop a community profile

Carl’s demographics are reflected in the first paragraph (a) that describes him and his psychographics in the second (b). When people hear the first paragraph (a) in a sermon or read it somewhere, they have a better idea of the identity of the typical person in their immediate community. Not only will this information help identity the community, but the second paragraph (b) has the potential of touching your people’s hearts with the typical struggles that Carl and others are facing in life. Chances are better that they will have compassion for and reach out to Carol and others with the life-changing message of the gospel of Christ.

(Saddle Back has Saddleback Sam ; Willow Creek has “unchurched Harry”) The idea is to create the typical person is more popular with the builder and boomer generations than with today’s younger people. (Bethany Bob)

The Church Analysis

Knowing who we are: Our church’s demographics will give us the information we need.

What is the congregations median (middle) age in years? percentage of people under 5 yrs. Old percentage of people 18 yrs. And over percentage of people 65 yrs. And over

What is their average level of education? Percentage who have graduated from high school . Percentage who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree or higher

What percentage of the people are married or single? How many persons on average live in each household? How many are owner-occupants and renter-occupants? Are there more women or men? What is the predominant ethnic group?

The Church Analysis

Give percentage of: White, Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino , other

What is the median (middle) household income? What do most do for a living (white or blue collar)? If married, do both work? Do people dress casually or formally? What do most enjoy doing in their spare time? What kind of music do most prefer?

You will need to compare your church’s demographics with the community’s demographics.

The more the church is different from its community, the more difficult it is to reach that community.

The Church Analysis

Understanding who you are. Based on church’s psychographics. What are our people’s preconceptions about church? What felt needs bring them to church? Deep down, what do they really want out of life and out of the church? What are their hopes, dreams, aspirations? What feelings do they experience before, during and after church?

Finding the Information - Sources for this information: Your own personal experience The experiences of others you know well Congregational survey Good congregational demographics Comment cards Church Records

Create A Church Profile

Take the analysis information and consider creating a Church Profile.

Perhaps name them “Members Mike & Molly” Or “First Church Charles.”

Compare the Community Analysis with the Church Analysis

Now you are ready to compare the people in your church (church ministry profile) with the people in your community (community profile). Place side by side to compare. Ask: what does your church share that is in common

with your community? What does it not have in common with the community? Where are there gaps, and how big are those gaps?

Compare the psychographic information as well. (expect significant differences because it reflects those who are believers and those who are not.)

What if the demographics are different?

How will we respond if our church is not like the community?

Perhaps the church has been in the community for a long time, but most of the people who lived in the community when the church began have moved elsewhere.

Merger (merge with church), Reconfigure (have larger church adopt you), Reinvent (church plant), Retire (disband), Relocation (move), Revitalization (renewal).

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL YOU REACH? Envisioning Your Reach.

This question takes you back to your vision. Rick Warren, when he planted his church, he envisioned

a regional church that would reach 20 K people in Orange County, S. California and its becoming a reality.)

The vision of Hill Country Bible Church in Austin, TX is to reach 10 percent of the greater Austin area with the gospel (130,000 people). That all 1.3 million people hear the gospel from the lips of someone at the church. It may seem impossible, but they would point to the fact that we have the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to be Christ’s witnesses, and that’s how they are going to do it. As of Easter 2002, they reached one percent or 13,000. They are ecstatic about it and should celebrate it!

HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL YOU REACH? Envisioning Your Reach.

How many people live in your ministry or targeted community? You should have this info based on your demographic work earlier

in the chapter. How many are unchurched? Take the number of people who attend the worship services

of the community’s churches and subtract that number from the total community population.

With what percentage of the unchurched people who live in the community might your congregation share the gospel? Be willing to stretch yourself.

Determine your growth goals as a church. (how many people do you want to reach for Christ?) This affects the size of your vision (is it a big vision or a small one)?

WHOM WILL YOU REACH?

Remember you can’t reach your goal amount at once. Consider where you will start (who will be receptive?) The church MUST BE WILLING to reach out to anyone and

everyone, regardless of race, creed, color or sex. Some churches not only need to reach anyone and

everyone, but need to focus on a certain group of people to be effective for Christ. Ex. Age range is something to consider. Thom Rainer discovered

that only 4% of the “Bridger gen. (born between 1977 and 1994) are Christians, compared to 65% of the builder gen. (born before 1946).

For a church to survive it must reach and minister to younger generation, focusing its efforts on reaching a younger clientele or facing extinction with the death of its last elderly member. This is NOT easy.

WHOM WILL YOU REACH?

The church will HAVE to be most open to change and a different way of ministry that addresses the needs of and attracts a younger generation.

If you are a Caucasian church in a multi-ethnic community, you should consider focusing on reaching a multi-ethnic contingency.

Your community may be mostly poor or mostly wealthy. You will need to reach out to the poor an disenfranchised or the wealthy who seem to have everything they need.

Some churches may want to consider reaching out to men, since most churches include more women than men.

Whom will you naturally reach?

You will attract people like yourselves or like your congregation. People feel comfortable around people like themselves. (ex.

Young families attract young families) The pastor will also affect who is attracted to the church.

A church tends to attract people who are no more than 10 years older or younger than the pastor. If you need to attract younger people have a younger pastor. (Remember: it takes more than a younger pastor to attract young people.)

Review the church’s demographics and the pastor’s demographics.

If your church is change resistant. The community believes that your church is out of touch with the real world, you will not reach young people, even though they are like you.

WHAT KIND OF CHURCH WILL REACH YOUR COMMUNITY?

Ask yourself whether your congregation is willing to adapt to reach your community. For the saved in your church this a

temporal preference issue. For the lost in the community, this is an

eternal damnation issue. It’s imperative that your people

understand that their answer to this question will have eternal implications!

Pastor & Staff

The kind of pastor Does the pastor need to be young, middle age, or older.

Does he need to have a college degree, a seminary degree, or would it matter? How much experience does he need? What skills, gifts and abilities will he need? Must he be married: Must he have children?

The kind of staff How many staff will it take? Should it be a multi-ethnic

staff? What positions are needed? What education will they need, if any? What skills and abilities are required? (some of the questions for the pastor will also apply to the staff). What kind of education is necessary? What skills and abilities

Worship and the Church

Worship Style Should it be traditional (i.e. liturgical format,

robed choir, hand-bells or contemporary featuring a praise and worship format with a band?) Would a blended format work best? Should the church offer both styles in separate or multiple services?

The congregation Will they need to be genuinely warm and friendly,

inviting and welcoming to outsiders? Should they be ethnically diverse or does that matter? Should they be diverse in age, mostly order, or mostly younger?

Seekers & Church

The church’s response to seekers or spiritually interested lost people will be an indication of whether it values evangelism and wants to reach lost people who are pursuing spiritual matters. 4 Options:1. Seeker Driven – Outward Driven. Goal is to reach

seekers for Christ.2. Seeker Friendly – Design worship with them in mind. 3. Seeker Tolerant – Contemporary style that attracts

seekers, but tend to ignore their presence.4. Seeker Resistant – tend to be hostile to unbelievers.

Give the cold shoulder and may even publically state “We are not a seeker church.”

Ministry, Facility, Technology, Reaching the Community

Types of ministry: Likely need to have a stellar children’s ministry. Does our community want

small groups? Will a Sunday school class or adult bible fellowship serve them best? Will they expect men’s and women’s ministries and sports for their kids? Should the church target singles?

The Facilities Will nice facilities be a factor in drawing people, or will the facilities really

not matter? What style of architecture will people expect, for ex. Western European or modern American? Will you need multisite campus? Will you need lots of parking space?

Technology: Will people expect high or low technology? Do you need a website? Will you

use a website to minister to those in other communities and in other countries?

Your answers will help you see the kinds of changes that you need to make to be most effective in outreach to your community. You should not attempt to make all the changes at once, you will need to move in this direction long term.

What does the community think of us?

How will our church wish to be viewed by the community that we are attempting to reach?

What kind of reputation do or will we have in the community? Our image is critically important because it has everything to do with the church’s purpose – to glorify God (Rom 16:6; 1 Cor 6:20; 10:31).

Reputation is what others think about us or, in this case, about God. To glorify God is honor him by upholding

Knowing our community. 2 Groups

1. Those mostly in the unbelieving community outside your church.

The majority will not understand who we are or what we are about. Don’t be surprised if they look at churches negatively, especially if they’re young. This is based on their perception that churches aren’t making much of a contribution to the community – a perception that unfortunately is true for most churches in most communities.

2. The other audience is those within our church and believers who may or may not attend other churches in the area. Do the people in our congregation and other believers (potential attenders) understand who we are and what we are about? For the church that hasn’t walked through this process the answer is likely no because the church doesn’t understand who they are.

Our Identity

You may already have a reputation in your community especially if its’ a smaller area. Do you know what your reputation is? Ask people who you desire to reach that question.

Consider what you want your reputation to be. Only church people can answer that question. What are you all about? What is your true identity? What do you want it to be?

Our Identity – Capture it!

Capture your identity in just a few words or a sentence because this provides you with a powerful communication tool. Some refer to this as your tagline.

Sample taglines: “A contemporary place where you can creatively connect with

God.” “A safe place to investigate Christianity anonymously.” “A caring place where you can do life deeply together.” “A place where expository Bible teaching touches lives.” “An inspiring place where you can worship God in the depth of

your soul.” “A helping place that truly cares about the community.” “An investigative place where you can explore what real life is

all about.”

Let’s Get Started

Let’s examine our community outside the church and our community inside the church.