Creating a strategic plan for your ministry based on the Simple Church model by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger involves focusing on clarity, movement, alignment, and focus. This model advocates for a streamlined approach to church operations, emphasizing a clear and straightforward process that guides people through spiritual growth. Here are the steps to create a strategic plan following this model:
Establish Clarity:
Define a clear, simple vision and mission for your ministry. It should be easy to understand and communicate.
Ensure that every aspect of your ministry aligns with this vision.
Identify the Process:
Determine the spiritual journey you want people in your ministry to take. This is often a step-by-step process that leads to spiritual maturity.
Clearly articulate each step in this process. For example, the steps might be: welcoming visitors, connecting them to the community, nurturing their faith, and engaging them in service.
Simplify the Structure:
Evaluate your current ministry activities and programs. Eliminate those that do not contribute directly to your defined process of spiritual growth.
Resist the temptation to add complexity. Keep the structure and programs as simple and focused as possible.
Create Movement:
Develop practical ways to move people from one step to the next in your spiritual growth process.
This could involve specific programs, classes, or events that are designed to transition people to the next stage.
Ensure Alignment:
All aspects of the ministry – from children's programs to small groups – should align with the simple process you’ve established.
Regularly check to ensure that all ministry areas are aligned with the overall vision and process.
Focus on Discipleship:
Emphasize personal and communal growth in faith.
Create opportunities for deeper study, prayer, and community engagement that align with your process.
Implement and Communicate the Plan:
Clearly communicate the plan and process to everyone involved in the ministry, from leadership to congregation members.
Provide training and resources as needed to implement the plan effectively.
Monitor and Adapt:
Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your plan in moving people through the spiritual growth process.
Be willing to adapt and make changes as needed to improve clarity, movement, alignment, and focus.
Celebrate Progress:
Acknowledge and celebrate when individuals and the community as a whole make progress in their spiritual journey.
Use these celebrations as opportunities to reinforce the vision and process of your ministry.
Remember, the key to the Simple Church model is not just simplicity for its own sake, but simplicity that clarifies the path of discipleship and makes it easier for people to engage in and progress through their spiritual journey.
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