So far, we have answered the following questions about strategy:

What is a strategy?
Why do we need one?
What makes for a good one?

(Go to Parts 1 and 2 below to review.)

Now it’s time to ask, “How do we craft a strategy for our congregation?”

Good question! Let’s check it out.

Not long ago, I was invited to work with a congregation who needed to craft a strategy statement. They had their poetry: A pithy, memorable mission statement. It was biblical, inspiring, and pointed to the transformative difference they could make in the community with Jesus and his love. What they needed now was a strategy so the people of the congregation would know how to participate in what the poetry inspired and promised.

In other words, “How will our congregation intentionally and consistently make, mentor, and send out disciples who know how to join Jesus on his mission?”

In advance, I asked the pastor to gather leaders of the congregation who were living a life of mission. To get started, I met with these leaders and talked about what a strategy is and what makes for a good one. I then divided them into working groups and asked them to write down their congregation’s mission statement. This they did with ease. They knew their poetry well and were clearly inspired by it.

Next, I pointed out that the congregation obviously had components of an effective strategy scattered throughout its ministry options since the leaders had somehow become excited participants in the mission themselves. The question was, “What are the components that caused this transformation?”

Or to put the question another way, why were some members transformed into excited mission-participants and others not. What were some members participating in and others not?

In order to tease out these answers, I asked the leaders to write down all the congregational activities, classes, and programs which had inspired and prepared them to live a life of mission. The groups got to work. When they were done, I asked them to identify and write down why they had experienced transformation by participating in these activities?

When they had completed this part of the exercise, I invited them to review everything they had written down and circle common words or phrases that emerged. What pattern, pathway, or progression did the words reveal for how the congregation was making, mentoring, and sending out disciples to join Jesus on his mission?

Once they had clarified which components were the cause of the transformation, they had essentially discerned their strategy. All that was left was to brainstorm pithy ways to communicate it.

In time, because of their newfound clarity, it would be much simpler to evaluate which ministry activities served the congregational strategy best, which ones needed to be reformed so they could serve the strategy better, and which ones needed to eventually be phased out because they actually distracted or diverted people from the strategy.

Likewise, when they were ready to create new activities and programs, their strategic clarity would enable them to intentionally include the components necessary to consistently make, mentor, and send disciples to join Jesus on his mission as a daily lifestyle.

Are you and your leaders ready to start crafting the congregation’s strategy statement?

Invite leaders who themselves are participating regularly in accomplishing the congregation’s mission to help craft the strategy.
Have them write down the congregation’s mission statement and pose the following question: “How will our congregation intentionally and consistently make, mentor, and send out disciples who know how to accomplish this mission?”
Explain what a strategy is, why one is needed, and what makes for a good one.
Have them list all the activities, classes, and programs the congregation currently offers which inspired and prepared them to live a life of mission.
Next, ask them to identify why participation in these ministries resulted in their transformation.
Now review everything written down and circle common words or phrases that emerge.
What pattern, pathway, or progression do the words or phrases reveal for how disciples are being made, mentored, and sent out to join Jesus on his mission? This is the essence of your strategy.
Brainstorm pithy words or phrases to communicate the strategy.

If your congregation needs help with this process, Rev. Greg Finke and Dwelling 1:14 are ready and available. Contact us at finkeonthemove@gmail.com.

[Below is Part 1 of a three-part series.]

Poetry is not strategy.

Congregations and their leaders spend many hours (and dollars) crafting mission and vision statements so they can articulate in clear, pithy, memorable ways who they are and where they want to go.

I call these kinds of statements “the poetry of the congregation” because – if crafted well – they sound good and make people feel good while also communicating critical clarity about the identity and purpose of the congregation.

Here are some examples of the poetry congregations are using:

Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known
Gather, Grow, Go
Love God, Love People, Make Disciples
Reach Up, Reach In, Reach Out
Share the Love of Christ with Our Neighbors and the Nations

I know of several congregations who have spent a year (or more) in meetings and tens of thousands of dollars on consultants to craft their poetry. Was it a waste of resources? Not at all. In fact, it was absolutely necessary. People and their leaders need the clarity. They need to be able to communicate in memorable, pithy ways who they are and where they are going.

However, as necessary as the poetry is, it is not sufficient for moving the congregation forward into the envisioned future. Why? Because while “the poetry” is important, it isn’t a strategy.

Strategy is the plan of action. Beyond knowing who they are and where they are going, people need to know HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? What’s the pathway? What’s the process? What are the day-by-day practices and action-steps people can take so that they are able to actually live in the reality of what the poetry describes and promises?

In other words, “What do we need to DO?”

For example, one congregation’s poetry might read: “We are a congregation of disciples who make disciples who make disciples.” Great! This statement is clear, biblical, and inspiring. But, what do I need to do to participate in that? Now that I am inspired to be a disciple who makes disciples, what do I do and who will help me start to do it?

The problem is, most congregational leaders don’t have an answer for that. They crafted the poetry but never constructed the strategy. They have inspiring poetry to use on their website and in their publications, but no clear process for helping their people step into the reality of what the poetry inspires.

There is an exercise I do with leaders to help them recognize this blind spot. I give them a large piece of paper and ask them to write down the congregation’s mission and vision statements (their poetry). I then say, “If a person walked up to you after worship one Sunday and said, ‘I want to live out this congregation’s mission. What do I do now?’ What would you tell them?” I then ask them to draw a flow chart illustrating their strategy for helping the person to start living out the reality their poetry inspires.

You know what happens most of the time? They realize they don’t have a strategy to illustrate. They have a strategy for becoming members of the congregation. They have a strategy for assimilation into the programs of the congregation. They even have a strategy for getting offering envelopes into the homes of the congregation. But they don’t have a strategy for helping people to live out what their poetry says is the most important outcome of the congregation.

In fact, during this exercise leaders often chuckle and say, “Well, no one ever asks that question.” And I say to them, “Why is that? Could it be because no one actually expects anyone to do anything with your poetry… except be inspired by it?”

Your people need the poetry. But to live in the reality of what the poetry describes and promises they also need the strategy.

What’s yours?

In the next couple posts, we will look at what is needed to construct a practical strategy that works.

Discussion questions to process with congregational leaders:

In the gospels, what is the main thing Jesus tells His followers to do? Are we doing it?
What is our congregation’s mission and/or vision statements? (In other words, what is the poetry we use?)
Do we have a simple strategy to follow so that people are able to actually live in the reality of what our poetry describes and promises? What is it?
If a person walked up to one of us after worship and asked, “I want to live out this congregation’s mission. What do I do now?” What would we tell them?
Can we draw a flow chart illustrating the strategy such a person can follow to start living out the reality our poetry inspires?

From Poetry to Strategy: Part 3 – “How to Craft a Strategy for Your Congregation”

From Poetry to Strategy, Part 1 - “What Every Congregation Needs from Its Leaders”