Wayne Hedlund

Category: STRATEGIC PLANNING

  • Strategic Planning Worksheet

     

    A few months ago I introduced the five step “Strategic Process” through a series of posts which have become quite popular. The post series was entitled, “Guest Experience“. I even provided a worksheet to help you get started utilizing the process in everyday challenges you face. Since that time I have been in communication with the author of the book “Being Strategic“, Erika Andersen. She has graciously given me permission to provide her version of the “Strategic Process Worksheet” to my readers. I’ve discovered I like hers better than mine.

    Feel free to download and use this worksheet as often as you like. It will be of great assistance to you in strategic planning and critical thinking.

     
    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Finding Your Sacred Cow

    This week I suggested that your church may have a ‘sacred cow‘ or two that you’ve been holding onto. I haven’t been entirely fair in my blunt and vague references to the ‘cow’. Today, I will attempt to be more clear and practical.

     

    Definitions:

    • Wikipedia defines a ‘sacred cow’ as something considered (perhaps unreasonably) immune from question or criticism. 
    • Dictionary.com proclaims it as an individual, organization, institution, etc., considered to be exempt from criticism or questioning. 
    • Miriam Webster’s Learners Dictionary says it best from my perspective though: someone or something that has been accepted or respected for a long time and that people are afraid or unwilling to criticize or question.
    A Real Example:
    Several years ago I was leading a Strategic Meeting at Elim Gospel Church. We were discussing the number of programs, events, and activities that were potentially sideways energy and not centered around our primary mission as a church. The reality was that some of these activities were stealing our best people and resources – and they weren’t strategically helping our church and it’s people grow. We had just read Andy Stanley’s book, Seven Practices for Effective Ministry (required reading at our church) and decided we needed to “Narrow the Focus”.
     
    So far, so good. We all acknowledged that we needed to streamline our church programs to maximize effectiveness and make room for focused growth. Our next step was when the sacred cows stepped into the room (Note: cows don’t mix with elephants very well!). We wrote down on a white board all of the church related activities that could be counted as something that should be evaluated. Once we built our list we systematically began discussing each activity to decide what to do with them. At the end of the meeting we had decided to cut exactly ZERO things.
     
    Here’s what the conversation sort of sounded like, 

    Wayne: “So how about VBS? Is that something we should consider ending?”

    Team Member: “No. We can’t lose that. We have hundreds of children attend that each year and it’s attracting a lot of families from the community.”

    Wayne: “OK. Well, let’s consider the ‘Women’s Community Bible Study’.”

    Team Member: “No, no. I feel we would really be making a big mistake there. A lot of women from the other churches attend that event. It’s a great way to serve those other churches and it’s very well attended.”

    Wayne: “Umm. Our Easter Production?”

    Team Member: “Wow. You really think we should consider doing a normal service? Besides Christmas Eve services that Sunday service is our highest attending service of the year!”

    Suffice it to say, that was not one of our funnest meetings. I left that meeting feeling deflated and as if we had wasted several hours of everybody’s time. What we realized was that although we wanted to do the right thing and cut back, none of us were committed to really questioning these and other events. They had become sacred cows for us. (Note: I specifically used those three examples from our discussion for a reason. We have since successfully ‘killed the cow’ in each of those cases. If you’re interested in how we did it, shoot me an email or post a comment.)
     
    Three Disclaimers:
    1. Before you look at the final section below, please be reminded that IF one of these have become a ‘sacred cow’ it’s possible you either don’t know it or aren’t willing to admit it. I talk about that in my post entitled, “The Smelly Cow“.
    2. I am NOT trying to say that the below examples shouldn’t be happening in your church. It’s quite probable that many of them should. However, what may be very appropriate, strategic, and anointed by God in one church may in fact become the opposite in another.
    3. If you look closely at the above definitions you will note that a sacred cow is NOT NECESSARILY something that you shouldn’t be doing. It can also include something that you should be doing, but that you ARE NOT willing to question. So here it is, “Are you willing to question any or all of the below examples in your church ministry?”
    Sacred Cow Examples:
    Following are a few examples of activities, events, etc. that COULD end up becoming ‘sacred cows’ for your church. I’d love to listen to your internal dialog as you read them. Hopefully, they won’t sound that meeting we had many years ago!
    • A Program or Ministry.
      It is possible your church supports a ministry that happens every week or month that isn’t really an integral part of your church’s mission. This may include a men’s or women’s program, a children’s program, a class, perhaps even your mid-week service {gasp}! 
    • An Event.
      Of course, there may be many events that you host occasionally or even annually that really need to be questioned and evaluated. Understand, you shouldn’t really be checking to see if the event is successful based on how many people attend or even how effective the event is. Rather, you want to know, “Is it strategic and fulfilling our mission as a church?” An event may include a special service like an Easter or Christmas service, a youth overnight retreat, a seminar or conference that you host, maybe even your Vacation Bible School.
    • A Service Element.
      A service element may include ANYTHING you do immediately before, during, or after a Sunday service. Often, churches get so used to doing the same things every week that they become sacred and untouchable. This is how church services can become ineffective and irrelevant in reaching their communities. Your members who have been around for years don’t even question what happens each week, but your guests sure do! Examples of service elements include your style of worship, how you receive the offering, the volume of the service, the temperature in the room, how you give the announcements, how you host communion, whether Aunt Edith should play the piano and possibly even how you preach every single week! Ouch.
    • Your Language.
      Sometimes the words you use every week are inappropriate and unhelpful to your listeners – and in particular to your guests. This will include the obvious words like “sanctification”, “justification” and what-not. However, it may also include words like “visitor”, “heathens”, and “secular”. (Example: We no longer refer to new people each Sunday as ‘visitors’ – it sounds like they won’t be staying long. We now call them our guests.) Finally, your language will also include the many assumptions you may make from the pulpit about your listeners, like ‘everyone here already knows all the stories/people in the Bible’ and ‘everyone here understands our church’s history and culture’.
    • Your Things.
      What would happen if you walked down the hall and removed that picture of the founding pastor from 50 years ago? What things does your church possess and most often display that have become sacred cows? How about the seats in the sanctuary? The offering baskets? The stained glass windows? I’m not suggesting you clean house this Saturday – if you do so, you may end up with a church split. I AM suggesting that you may have some sacred cow ‘things’ kicking around that should be identified. What to do with them is another topic entirely.
    • Your Building.
      Every pastor and leader understands intellectually that the ‘church’ is the people, not the building. However, we can often be guilty of giving our building more ‘sacred value’ than our people. Nowhere in your mission statement is there a reference to your building (I hope). How have you preferred your building over your people? Additionally, parts of the building can become sacred cows – like the color of the carpet or walls or the wall that divides two rooms which could really serve your church better as one big room.
    • Your People.
      Don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling your people cows. However, sometimes we can have people in positions of influence or ministry in the church and nobody is willing to question whether they are really serving the church well in that role. Just because someone has been on the worship team, an elder, or a greeter for the last 20 years does not mean they should be today and tomorrow.
    • Your Systems.
      You may not realize it, but you have systems. They are the procedures that you either officially or unofficially utilize to get things done. Here’s the deal with systems: rarely do the same systems serve the church forever. In fact, just like the parts of your car, systems can get old and wear-out. A growing church will always be evaluating how decisions are made, how the bulletins are produced, how guests are followed up on, etc. to ensure those systems are still serving the ministry of the church as best as possible. If you ever hear someone respond to the question, ‘Why do you do it this way?’ with ‘Because that’s how we’ve always done it.’ then I submit that you may have a system that has run it’s course.
    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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  • Thursday Quote: Shutting Down Low Performing Ministries

    Will Mancini

    My Thursday quote this week is from Will Mancini’s blog entitled, “3 Strategic Alternatives to Shutting Down a Low Performing Ministry“. If you’ve been following the thread of this week’s series about ‘The Sacred Cow‘ then you’ll also discover this article particularly helpful.

    Here’s a teaser from Will’s post:

    “Is it time to close a program in your church? Many leaders will tell you, “When the horse is dead, dismount.” But this classic advice rolls of the tongue much easier than it plays in real life.

    As a leader in ministry you have no doubt faced ministries that just ought to go. Like sour milk, they live past their shelf-life. But for various reasons, you just can’t do it. Maybe there is still a group of precious saints being served by the program. Or maybe the decision-making culture of the church just requires more time to process.”

    Want to read more? Check it out RIGHT HERE.

     

  • The Smelly Cow

    Every once in a while I have the privilege to lead all day meetings at Elim Gospel Church where I serve as Executive Pastor. After a couple hours of intense discussions we’ll take a break. Everyone will stand up, leave the room, go to the bathroom, get a new cup of coffee, etc. Ten minutes later, I’ll walk back in the room and be inundated with an odor I hadn’t noticed before. Ugh. We’ll all notice it. The windows get opened and we valiantly attempt to air it out. All those bodies stuffed into that room add up to some serious BO. Here’s the deal. Most of us didn’t notice it until we left and came back.

     
    Two days ago I told you my sad story about a cow I cared about and then had to kill. I also suggested that some of our churches have cows as well. They are most often referred to and known as sacred cows.
     
    Their not. They are only treated like sacred cows. They are really smelly cows. You know what it’s like to get used to a smell. You’ve been in numerous situations where the odor is mildly unbearable for most people – but surprisingly not to you.
     
    By now you’re wondering what in the world my point is. Simply this. The ‘cows’ in your church aren’t very obvious to you and your members. They may be staring you in the face. You just might be gently patting one on the back while reading this article.

    However, sacred cows are usually quite obvious to your guests. Ouch. Is it possible that’s one of the reason some of them don’t come back?

     
    Do you have any sacred cows at your church? Not sure? I have a suggestion for you. Try sniffing them out. Here are a few ideas on how to get started…
    • Draft a few questions that are designed specifically to sniff out sacred (smelly) cows. Here are a couple to consider: 
      Was there anything that made you feel uncomfortable when you first arrived at our church? Was there anything about the Sunday service that was confusing to you or that didn’t seem to have a real point that you could tell? Is there anything anyone did or said that made you feel like an outsider? Is there anything about the facility that seems out of place? What can you think of about this church that has always been confusing to you? If you have attended other churches before, what would you say is really different compared to your other church experiences – good or bad?
    • Ask key people who might have some measure of authority to answer these questions. This could include:
      Any new members of your church within the past year. First time guests within the past 2 months (give them a call). First time guests each Sunday (make a feedback card or form). Guest speakers who have spoken in the past year. Trusted family members of attendees who visited from out of town.
    • Select four people who you trust know how to think critically to spend two weeks asking the question, “why?” to anything and everything. 
      I recommend you give them a notebook and have them journal all of their ‘why’ questions in the notebook. I also suggest they not share their ‘why’ questions with you or anyone else until the two weeks are over. Anytime they have a ‘why’ question that they can’t reasonably answer themselves, have them highlight them for further consideration after the two weeks are over.
    • Hire a mystery guest to come to your church. 
      Check out my post about mystery guests right here. 
    If you find some cows, I’d love it if you’d let me know.
     

  • How to Draft a Mission Statement

    When I was a teenager I was drafted by my dad to mop the kitchen floor. He handed me one of those mops professionals use with the long strings at the end. I started swiping the floor back and forth with the wet mop head. This went on for a few minutes until he walked into the room and saw what I was doing. He kindly notified me that the proper way to mop was like “this”. In about two minutes I was mopping the floor like a pro. I was also pretty sure my dad knew what he was talking about as he was the Facility Director at the local hospital.

    The thing is, I have very rarely seen anyone mop the floor this way. Sure, I’ve seen some pro’s do it, but rarely have I seen the average janitor at local schools or churches use this kind of mop properly. This shocks me almost every time because it’s actually easier and more effective to mop the floor the right way rather than the wrong way. Since I learned what to do so long ago, I just assumed everyone knew how to do it.

    The same is true for drafting a mission statement. It can seem intimidating and hard at first, but once you’ve walked through the process most people discover it wasn’t as difficult as they thought it would be. Don’t misunderstand, it’s still work (so is mopping the floor), but it doesn’t have to be an ineffective use of your time.

    How to Draft a Mission Statement

    • Pray. The Bible states very clearly that church leaders must “keep watch over you {believers} as those who must give an account” – Hebrews 13: 17. We hold a holy responsibility that should never be held lightly. Make sure you have submitted all of your conversations and ideas to the Lord regularly and first.
    • Start from Scratch. You may have a mission statement already. I suggest you consider setting it aside and begin afresh. The process of revisiting why you do what you do will bring clarity to your church and either confirm or clarify if your current statement is relevant or not.
    • Ask Yourself, “Why are we here?”. One question. Why are we here? This is the question your mission statement will eventually answer. Why does your church exist? 
    • Set aside Assumptions. It’s so easy to make assumptions and hold conversations without addressing those assumptions. Assumptions can create a lot of confusion. I recommend you ask yourself the question, “Is there anything we think about church that we take for granted or just assume?”
    • Brainstorm and Refine. You’ll want to do a lot of brainstorming, and then a lot of refining. Develop lists of ideas, words, sentences on white-boards – and then categorize them, refine them, and update them. You may go through this process several times.
    • Identify Key Words. There will likely be key words that resonate with you and your team. Note them and set them aside for future consideration. You may not use them all, but you will want to consider them when you get to the final stages of your statement construction.
    • Get Feedback. Sometimes teams can get so focused that they get tunnel vision and will miss the obvious. Draft two or three statements you are considering and run them by a few key people for input and feedback to bring back to the team. In fact – email them to me and I’ll give you my thoughts!
    • Benchmark. Check out some other churches mission statements. Be careful though! A lot of churches have missions that mean nothing to them, but sit proudly three layers into their website for anyone to find and copy. Perhaps I will post a few great mission statement examples sometime in the future.
    • Don’t confuse Values with Mission. Don’t confuse your core values with your mission statement. For instance, you hopefully have a core value of being bible-based. That shouldn’t be part of your mission statement. You probably have a value of being caring or generational, etc. Those should be summarized on a different document rather than in the mission statement. 
    • Keep it Biblical. This may seem obvious – perhaps too obvious. Remember Paul’s exhortation to Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
    • Keep it Broad. You’re mission statement will need to be very broad. You can’t write out everything the church DOES. You need to boil down all of the concepts and Scriptures down to the very basics of ‘why you exist’ as a church in your community. For example, your statement should encompass every ministry and person in your church that you know reflects the heartbeat of your church.
    • Keep it Specific. OK. That sounds like the opposite of broad . . . almost. It’s not. You don’t want to be vague in your terminology. “Providing food and clothes to the homeless.” is both a broad and specific statement.  
    • Keep it Brief. This is the perhaps the hardest part (well, the second hardest). Allen Cox defined a mission as ‘an organization’s brief, compelling statement of purpose.’ I recommend your mission statement be one sentence and no more than two sentences – and if possible short ones. 
    • Keep it Simple. Don’t use a lot of adjectives, christianeze, and run-on sentences. Also, if it requires an extra paragraph explaining the reasoning behind it, it’s too complicated. 
    • Evaluate EVERY Word. That’s right. When you near the end of the process you should ask yourselves if every word accurately reflects what you want to say and why. You will also evaluate whether every word is necessary or not.
    • Make it Memorable. I said above that making the statement brief is the second hardest part. This is probably the hardest for most of us. It needs to be memorable. Something that almost rolls off your tongue. Easy to remember. There’s no point in having a mission statement if your congregation can’t remember it. 
    • Don’t Give Up. Sometimes this process can be overwhelming and tedious. Don’t give up. It will be worth it in the end. If you’re getting stuck, consider taking a break for a few minutes, hours, or days. Try approaching the conversation from a different angle. Split into small groups of 3 and have the small groups tackle the problem and return to discuss what happened. Press through.
    • Don’t Lose Your Sense of Humor. Last but not least, have some fun. Make a few jokes. Laugh a little. It’s OK.

  • Why Mission?

    Why are we doing this?

    When I was in High School I got hired to pick rock. It was an inglorious job. Hard labor. Long hours. Sore back. One day after finishing picking rock in a field, the farmer asked me and a buddy to start picking rock in a neighboring field that looked like it never had, nor ever would be, used to grow anything. It was not only full of stones and rocks, it was very uneven. To this day I really don’t know if he had some plan to eventually do something with that land, or if he knew I had an hour left on the clock and was trying to keep me busy. I remember talking to my buddy and asking the question in exasperation, “Why are we doing this?” It was hard work and I wasn’t motivated at all to do the job. At least when I was picking rock in the other fields I had a halfway good idea of ‘why’ I was doing it. Suffice it to say, I didn’t really enjoy the job.

    Question. Is your church guilty of that as well? Are there activities, events, perhaps even messages on Sunday’s that aren’t really connected to the mission of your church?

    I would like to suggest that if you haven’t taken the time to draft a mission statement, you really don’t know the answer to that. If you DO have a mission statement, but personally don’t know it off the top of your head, then I would also suggest you really don’t know the answer. If you can quote the mission statement, but none of your elders or leaders can, then I still hold that you likely don’t really know if your church regularly or sometimes departs from its God-given purpose.

    Defining, refining, and incorporating your church’s mission into the daily life of your church can be one of the most healthy and inspiring things you’ve done in a decade. Really. I’m not just talking about talking. I already talked about that right here. I’m talking about rebuilding your culture around your mission.

    Aubrey Malphurs did a great job expressing the benefits to a church mission in her book, Advanced Strategic Planning. Here are a few of them for you to consider:

    • Mission dictates ministry direction.
      When you have a mission statement, you have somewhere to go. Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might end up someplace else.” 
    • Mission formulates the ministry function.
      You will never do ministry that matters until you define what matters. Your mission will help you clarify, “What are we supposed to be doing?” 
    • Mission focuses the ministry’s future.
      A mission gives you and your congregation something tangible to focus on. It defines you and gives you a hope for what is to come. The opposite is true as well. Without a mission statement the future will look fuzzy and out of focus. You won’t really know for sure where you are going or what you are aiming for.
    • Mission provides a guideline for decision making.
      Mission is to ministry what a compass is to a navigator. It provides a framework for critical thinking and decision making.
    • Mission inspires ministry unity.
      A mission statement can draw your members together as a team or community. It broadcasts, ‘Here is where we are going. Let’s all pull together and with God’s help make it happen.’
    • Mission shapes strategy.
      It’s really hard to create and implement strategic plans and steps when you don’t have a target to aim at. Your mission provides the basic framework for strategy.
    • Mission shapes ministry effectiveness.
      There would be no point, in the scheme of things, to draft a mission if it didn’t have the high potential to improve your overall effectiveness. It does. Studies show that organizations that have and operate from a well drafted mission statement are much more likely to succeed than those that don’t.
    • Mission ensures an enduring organization.
      This is one of my favorites. When you have a mission that the whole church knows and believes in, you have something that will last through multiple pastors and leaders and for years and years to come. It brings consistency and continuity to your church’s future.
    • Mission facilitates evaluation.
      We’ve all heard it said, ‘You can’t expect what you don’t inspect.’ Well, you can’t inspect what you don’t expect, either. If you don’t have a clear goal to aim for then you can’t evaluate how well you are doing in getting there.
    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Make it so.

    “Make it so.”

    Back in the day I was a big fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation. If you watched the series at all you will remember Captain Picard’s famous line, “Make it so.” Leadership gurus all around have gotten tons of mileage out of that little line. Let’s get it done. Do what you need to. Let’s stop talking and start doing.

    Here’s the thing. In the church world, we like to talk . . . a lot. Probably too much. This is especially true when it comes to mission, vision, and values. In my last post I wrote a quick and informal definition for each of these three concepts. Here’s what I said,

    “Your mission can help you and your congregation clarify WHO YOU ARE. It can play a huge role in focusing your leadership on your church being the church the way God designed you to be. Your vision can become an expression of what you believe that will look like one day. It is your hope for the future. Your values can act as your guide, or the guardrails, as you walk down the path from where you are to where you are going.”

    Please note the word, “can” in each of those sentences. That was intentional. I really, really wanted to say, “will”. That wouldn’t be realistic. When you finish figuring out your ministry’s mission, vision, and values you are hardly done. In fact, you’ve reached ground zero.

    Now you’re ready to create a culture that revolves around your mission. You’re ready to begin the strategic process to see your vision fulfilled. You’re ready to roll-out to your leadership your ministry philosophy in such a way that it becomes part of your language throughout the week, on Sunday mornings, and even in the homes of your church attendees. Now it’s time to, “Make it so.”

    How about you? As Andy Stanley has said, “Is the statement on your wall happening down the hall?”

  • Mission, Vision and Values . . . Oh, My!

    mission, vision, and values . . . oh, my!

    When I was a kid I watched “The Wizard of Oz” like every other kid about once a year. I had sort of a love/hate relationship with the movie. I never told anyone, but some parts were really scary to me. I did NOT like the wicked witch or the evil winged monkeys. I also remember being really scared the first time Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Man met the lion. I know I wasn’t alone. There are few in our nation who don’t know where, “Lions, tigers, and bears. Oh, my!” came from!

    I think a lot of pastors feel about the same way about mission, vision, and values. Scary. What in the world are they? How do they fit together (or do they)? And are they really that important? Sometimes people will talk about them like they are somehow connected to the second coming of Christ or something. Certainly, we aren’t going to see God move or church growth without them, right?

    I’d like to set the records straight.

    In your ministry I think they are important and can be extremely helpful in clarifying who you are, where you are going and how you will get there. That said, you can survive without them. You already knew that. There are thousands of churches in the world that don’t have a clear mission, vision, or values and some of them are doing quite well thank you. God is even showing up and changing lives on a regular basis.

    So why this almost religious preoccupation with them? I will say, some people can get a little legalistic and pushy about all this strategic stuff. I try really hard NOT to be one of them, but it is hard.

    For me, it can be compared to something like godly counsel in the lives of your congregation. Do you believe that godly counsel could be a valuable and important part of your parishioner’s lives? I’m pretty sure you do.

    Do you think they can still survive, hear from God, and grow spiritually without it? Likely.

    But you also likely believe that they would be missing a key ingredient in life that could greatly impact their spiritual growth, eliminate unnecessary heartache, and bring them to levels of maturity and spiritual health they could not otherwise obtain.

    I think you get the point.

    Your mission can help you and your congregation clarify WHO YOU ARE. It can play a huge role in focusing your leadership on your church being the church the way God designed you to be. Your vision can become an expression of what you believe that will look like one day. It is your hope for the future. Your values can act as your guide, or the guardrails, as you walk down the path from where you are to where you are going.

    I hope to begin a series this week exploring each of these aspects of church life. Stay tuned for more mission, vision, and values . . . oh, my!

  • Critical Thinking in a Nutshell

    This post has been removed. It is now part of my new e-book entitled:

    Thinking for a Change:
    a fresh look at critical thinking

    I’d love it if you would consider purchasing the book and letting me know what you think. You can learn more about this e-book right here or feel free to purchase it right now! Cost is only $3.99. Thanks!


  • Thinking for a Change

    This post has been removed. It is now part of my new e-book entitled:

    Thinking for a Change: a fresh look at critical thinking

    I’d love it if you would consider purchasing the book and letting me know what you think. You can learn more about this e-book right here or feel free to purchase it right now! Cost is only $3.99. Thanks!