Is Strategic Planning Actually Biblical?

June 23, 2016

“I don’t plan; it gets in the way of the Holy Spirit.”
“I rely on the Spirit to give me direction, why should I plan?”
“God is blessing our church now, so why is planning necessary?”

During my career, I’ve heard plenty of reasons why pastors don’t plan, or at least not in a formal way. But are they correct? Is it in their best interest not to plan?

Biblical support for planning

If you care to address these questions, you do well to consider Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision the people perish.” I realize theologians will argue that this verse has nothing to do with strategic planning. However, I’ve experienced many instances where a lack of planning has left the church and its leaders faltering.

Declining church attendance

A 2014 Barna report on church growth trends revealed that church attendance has declined nationwide for more than a decade. At least part of that decline is due to a lack of planning on the part of pastors.

In a recent article on church health, Tom Rainer estimated that 9 out of 10 churches are either growing at a slower pace than their communities or they are not growing at all. As an antidote he offers 4 ways to address this problem:

Create a plan
Create buy-in from the congregation
Create a culture of disciple making
Stay faithful to the plan

Write it down

Then there are pastors who’ve told me, “I have a plan, but it’s not formal. It’s pretty much in my head.” But if it’s in the pastor’s head, it may be difficult to build consensus around it. That brings me to another verse in Habakuk 2:2, “And the Lord answered me, write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so they may run who read it.”

Engage others in the plan

I don’t think it’s just about vision, particularly if those who read it are to run by it. Effective plans also include goals, strategies and action plans developed by church leadership. That group includes lay leaders, pastors and staff. As Proverbs 15:2 reminds us, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.” If the plan is primarily the pastor’s, it misses the opportunity to motivate church members to engage their talents and experience.

Planning equals good stewardship

Ultimately, pastors have a stewardship responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the church God has placed in their care. Planning is certainly not a panacea for all church ills. Instead it’s a good place to start moving the church forward in a healthy direction.

God set the example for planning

And now that I think of it, God really gave us the idea for planning when He said in Jeremiah 29:11-13, “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

You mean God has a plan for me? Absolutely! You see, seeking God with all our heart involves praying and studying His word, but it also involves planning. And, that happens best with an ear towards the Holy Spirit and help from “many Godly advisors” so that the plans don’t fail.

“I really support The Covenant Group’s strategic planning process because their approach encourages staff-based support with board buy-in, and I felt that was important given what we were trying to achieve. The outcome is an effective plan that builds consensus and provides a clear sense of direction.”
- Jennifer Scott, Director of Development - The Cabbage Patch Settlement House

“The Covenant Group is highly competent, very experienced and knowledgeable. They provided a broad perspective by equipping us with useful data…and best practices in the field. All in all, they are excellent.”
- Dan Jones, CEO - 21st Century Parks

“The campaign has truly been a miracle. People were committed from the beginning, but…even raising $650,000 seemed like a stretch. To nearly double that amount is incredible! When the plan they developed allows you to hit a goal like that, it builds such a sense of community. The momentum built by the campaign is spilling outside the walls of our church and benefiting others in the process.”
-Father John Hollowell - Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church

“For those of us who don’t do this everyday, The Covenant Group instilled confidence in us. They helped us get through the fear and apprehension by providing us with a process, training and motivation. They taught us and helped us plan in a way that was for the better. We have built lasting relationships with donors and we will continue to steward these relationships long into the future.”
- Sue Finke, Director of Institutional Advancement - Covington Catholic High School

“No one anticipated we could raise this amount. Even the Archdiocese is surprised. The funds raised represent about 15 times our annual giving. But it’s not just the financial results. People stand around talking more than they did before the campaign. There is also a renewed and energized spirit among the parishioners. It’s the most exciting thing to happen in our parish in the last 100 years.”
- Gary Libs, Campaign Co-Chair - St. Mary of the Knobs Catholic Church

“The Covenant Group’s process involved a lot of people in our congregation doing small tasks … that built ownership. They took our vision and put it into a concrete plan. They helped us understand the importance of making our vision clear and laid out the steps to make the vision a reality. Their process built consensus and showed people how they could help. Their methods are based on a solid theological foundation that includes key documents, prayer support, and requisite training … all of which were invaluable.”
- Daniel Montgomery, Pastor - Sojourn Community Church

“Everything The Covenant Group did to help us…in the initial stages was helpful…the development of the case statement; our materials; the training of our Board members; strategies; all these steps laid the foundation for eventual success. They brought such a high level of professionalism, a wealth of experience and a strong track record of integrity and success… just being associated with The Covenant Group helped us.”
- Nancy Doctor, Development Director - Wellspring

“The structure The Covenant Group provided was excellent. It allowed our members to use their God-given talents to benefit the church community They helped us develop a plan and identify key leadership candidates to chair the effort, as well as engaging between 80 to 100 people to carry out the work of the campaign. It was truly a whole congregation effort and The Covenant Group helped facilitate that. They helped us reach our full potential as a congregation.”
- Ron Poisel, Pastor - Christ Lutheran Church

Is Strategic Planning Actually Biblical?

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