Leadership Planning Worksheet

“I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed

through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God's creational intentions.”

John Wesley

In preparation for the Leadership Retreat and the long range planning in the months ahead, please prayerfully review and consider the following pages. The purpose is to spur your thinking, get you dreaming, encourage you to think big, and build momentum for the retreat.

This is a tool for your use as you see fit. Use these pages however it works best for you. Please consider the pages with the expectation of sharing your thoughts with others. Since each area has very different functions, not all the questions fit perfectly for each ministry, but are intended to get you thinking, “What’s Next?”

This tool includes the following sections:o Prayer and Preparationo Where The Ministry Is Todayo What’s Next

We are only asking that you please bring the completed “What’s Next?” to the Leadership Retreat on the morning of June 7. This is an important day for all ministry and administrative leaders to connect, share, and plan. This year, we are asking a little bit more: a look ahead to 2016 and beyond. Your plans, hopes, and inspiration will be invaluable to the process. Your contribution counts!

Pray that each individual leader is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the direction of their ministry area. As we come together corporately at the Retreat and future planning meetings, we will look for themes and ideas that fulfill our church’s mission and give direction to the years ahead.

PRAYER AND PREPARATION

.

1. Spend some time reflecting on the quotes above. How might they give some guidance to your planning strategies?

2. Take a few minutes to pray specifically and intentionally about your ministry.

● ● ●

"Sanctification means intense concentration on

God's point of view. It means every power of body, soul and spirit

chained and kept for God's purpose only."

Oswald Chambers,

in Run Today's Race

● ● ●

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all

things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8

Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these smaller differences ― John Wesley

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and

the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul,

and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

Acts 2:42-43

[A steward] is not at liberty to use what is lodged in his hands as he pleases, but as his master pleases. He has no right to dispose of anything which is in his hands but according to the will of his lord. (Wesley, from his sermon, “The Good Steward.”)

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

Matthew 7:24

WHERE THE MINISTRY IS TODAY

1. In a few sentences, describe the mission of your ministry or administrative area:

2. Consider the activities of the past year.

a. Summarize key activities, recurring events, special programs, and any surprises you had this year in your group. b. From this summary list. Add a word or phrase to each that explains the “so that” or purpose for each key activities.c. Categorize each activity individually by assigning either a Low, Medium or High to its overall effectiveness. Don’t overanalyze – use your first reaction in answering this question.

a. Key Activities of the Last Year b. …So That… c. Low, Medium, High Effectiveness

4. Now take some time to think through your answers. Do you see commonalities among the low-ranked activities? Among the high-ranked activities?

5. Now consider your list on the basis of breadth and depth. Activities that focus on breadth reach out to include more congregants or community members. Activities that focus on depth seek to increase the effectiveness and personal faith walk of individuals or groups. (Some activities do both.) Are there any activities that are struggling to reach their intended goal? What activities might be refined? Merged? Expanded? Phased out? If you acted on these possibilities, how does that affect the “so that…?”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Given the ministries’ thinking about where it is today as well as relevant information such as the demographics of our community in 5-10 years, let’s think big and “dream dreams.” What if you had unlimited resources? A generous budget? Plentiful and useful space? Time to plan? Available skills and talent? Use this space to brainstorm and add more pages as needed.

We’ve always wanted to… Wouldn’t it be great if we…. The Holy Spirit has been leading me to…

[Please bring this completed sheet with you to the June 7 Retreat]

Thank you for your time in sharing your thoughts and ideas as we look at our future as a congregation.

Wesley’s Covenant Prayer:

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.