Strategic Plans

by Judy Comstock

Like many of you, I have participated in brainstorming sessions that were promoted as "strategic planning." The time spent brainstorming during these meetings was a healthy way to list our joys, concerns, and dreams. However, these sessions left me asking the question, "Now what?" At the end of the day we had a long list of ideas, but no clearly defined objectives or action steps. In other words, we had ideas but no plan to get us from point A to point B.

During the years I served as Director of Children's Ministry at Church of the Resurrection, our department was expected to develop an annual strategic plan, as were all of the other departments at the church. A businessman from the church taught us how to use an effective planning approach and how to organize our ideas into a workable plan. The resulting document would align children's ministry around common goals that support the church's mission statement. The plan would be used as a guide to accomplish amazing and necessary goals. Each department director was held accountable during a mid-year assessment meeting and a year-end report.

One of the best examples of how this approach worked effectively relates to our move into a new building. The space that would house our church preschool, the nursery, children's ministry classrooms, children's ministry offices, our resource room, and an electronic welcome center was 64,400 square feet. Yes, that area would hold a lot of chairs, tables, bulletin boards, rocking chairs, toys, and teaching supplies. The big move was scheduled during the week preceding Palm Sunday. We had to recruit our own team of volunteers to move the supplies and equipment, to decorate the bulletin boards, and to assemble the nursery equipment. We had plenty of questions. Where would we get all of the boxes?

Who would create the decorating plan? How would our children and Sunday school teachers know how to transition from their classroom into the new sanctuary for the Palm Branch Parade? Due to safety restrictions enforced by the builder and our facilities director, only designated staff members had been allowed into the new structures. How would we reduce the anxiety that our staff, volunteers, the children, and even the ushers had about safely escorting the children from their classrooms into the new sanctuary for the Palm Branch Parade and back to the secure children's ministry area? Our strategic plan would need to have action steps that answered all of these questions and clearly described a successful transition.

Fast forward to Palm Sunday. We were told that this was the smoothest move in our church's fifteen-year, four-building history. I am convinced that the use of our strategic plan was the reason. The positive results are why this approach has been adopted by other churches and by the staff and board of directors at International Network of Children's Ministry. It is my joy to describe how you can develop a strategic plan and use it for your benefit. Using the components of this strategic planning approach will result in measurable goals, shared duties, and reduced distractions.

Schedule Your Initial Meeting

Here is how we have done strategic planning. First, schedule a time and place for your initial planning meeting. Invite key leaders, volunteers, and parents who have a voice in the department or organization. The planning team should involve ten to twenty people. Designate a scribe to ensure that the details and decisions are recorded. You may want to involve your administrative assistant. Allow at least three hours for the meeting. To ensure involvement of your key players, you may need to provide childcare. If the meeting must take place over a lunch or dinner, offer food that requires very little preparation. This might be a good time for pizza to be delivered. In other words, don't let the food distract you or your guests from the focus of the meeting. It is best to have the meeting in a place where the participants are not distracted by phone calls or won't be called out of the meeting for an issue in a nearby office. Even with these guidelines, it will be impossible for the entire plan to be written by the end of your initial meeting. Homework assignments will be necessary for some of the participants in order to get your document ready to use. Another beneficial component is an unbiased meeting facilitator to help you provide an open, honest environment. Some participants may be inhibited if the pastor or the department director guides the session. Make certain that your facilitator clearly understands the process and goal.

The Sandwich Method

After opening with prayer, the expectations for the planning session should be defined. Initially, everyone will participate by painting a word picture of what is working well: people, processes, structure. Write the concepts on large charts on the wall of the room. The facilitator should keep participants off the "problem-solving path" during this time. Acknowledge all of the things that you and others like about your department, as the next portion can be challenging. My mother-in-law described this as the "sandwich method." She said that it is easier to swallow the bad when it is sandwiched between positive reflections. I like her wise perspective and you too will see the blessing of this approach.

After brainstorming the pluses of the department, consider the challenges that block you from reaching the end goal. Don't get distracted by any problem-solving during this time. One facilitator compared effective brainstorming with popping popcorn. There is nothing like the smell of "burnt" ideas, just as we wrinkle our noses at burnt popcorn. Again, record these next ideas on large wall charts.

Identify Major Issues

Now the fun begins! Give each session participant four to six self-adhesive notes. Instruct them to write their names on each of their note squares. They will use the note squares to "vote" on their top four to six choices of needs. They are not to vote for the same issue more than once. Some of the strategic-planning team members will vote quickly. Others will spend time pondering. Keep an eye on the clock to keep things moving without making participants feel rushed. This is when bowls of snacks and a pitcher of fresh water should be available. Participants will complete their selection or ponder their decisions while waiting on each other.

With the help of the scribe, the facilitator should quickly tally the total votes on each problem area. The goal is to identify only four to six major issues or roadblocks that your department is facing. Getting a buy-in from the strategic planning team is valuable. Some ideas will be so closely aligned that they can be combined. This eliminates redundant ideas. Do not assume that all problems will be addressed. Your goal is to improve or conquer four to six different areas. You may determine some "just do-its." These are plans or ideas for which you have no need to write objectives or programs you will continue doing well.

Write Measurable Objectives

Ask for, or select, a volunteer whose name corresponds with a voting note posted on the list of needs. This process owner will take responsibility for writing a measurable objective or involving a small group committed to the issue. Measurable objectives should include a time dimension or completion date and define a condition or state that describes success. The measurable objective is a snapshot of a desired point in the future.

Example of improperly stated objective:

"Increase participation in Sunday school."

Example of properly stated objective:

"By January 15, 2011 (time dimension), 80% of the children affiliated with our church will be participating at least twice a month in our children's programming (measurable element) as evidenced by a master attendance roster containing the names of the children on our membership roster (future condition)."

Write Strategies

Try to make it this far in your planning day. Hopefully, you will be at a place that the planning team can divide into four to six subgroups. Each subgroup will develop strategies that define how their assigned objective can be accomplished. There will probably be six to ten strategies for each objective. Each strategy should start with an action verb. This is when you consider operational budget, capital expenditures, working capital plans, staffing/organization plans, facilities plans, and compensation or career advancement programs or plans. Strategies may be written to span multiple years.

Example of improperly stated strategy:

"Put together an absentee follow-up plan."

Example of properly stated strategy:

"Select a follow-up plan to be used for absentees (a specific action) by September 2010 (time dimension)."

Action Steps

Each strategy is generally accomplished through multiple tasks called action steps. This is where you determine the "who," "what," and "when" of your plan. It may sound like a lot of effort, but this thoughtful process works. The action steps are the manageable movements needed to fulfill each objective. There may be, or more likely will be, individuals who are not present but need to be involved. It is acceptable to put their names on the actions steps, but don't forget to invite their participation and define the expectations.

Celebrate the Results

Strategic planning "lays the track" for a systematic process. It identifies what will be done, how it will be done, when it will be accomplished, and who will be involved. The plan is not a neatly organized tool that sits on a shelf in your office or in your computer. Your strategic plan reduces distractions and helps ensure that weak areas are improved, maximizing the use of resources and the effectiveness of various members of the team. The entire process is effective with diligent focus on the calendar, the budget, and the defined steps. Periodic reviews by everyone with responsibilities in the plan should be expected.

Mark the completion dates and indicate the measurable results on each action step. To make sure the process is moving forward, a quarterly update should be scheduled. Celebrate the results after each objective is accomplished or at the end of the timeline. Either way, everyone will know that progress is being made.

I was invited by the pastor of a church in Denver to work with their director of children's ministry to develop a strategic plan. The director and I met and set a date for the planning session. She invited her staff members and key volunteers. It was a great evening as ten of us brainstormed what was going well, listed the areas of concern, and selected the top four areas where specific goals were needed. An objective statement was written for all four of the areas. Each subgroup decided when they would meet to complete their responsibilities. A few weeks after our strategic planning session, I visited the church and was impressed with a unique volunteer recruitment approach. After church I complimented the director of children's ministry about what I observed and experienced in the sanctuary. She applauded the work that had already been accomplished as a result of their strategic plan. I look forward to hearing how strategic planning brings positive results at your church.

The forms and examples we used are included on the following pages and on the CD-ROM included with this book.

How To Publicize Your Events

by Pamela Burton

Imagine this: you've been working many long hours trying to plan your big "Back to School" event. You've got the volunteers, bought the food and drinks, and planned great activities. You're ready to go ... right?

Not so fast. You missed one very important element: how do you get people to come?

There are the basic, tried-and-true ways to do this. I'm sure many of you have used the standard ways to publicize your event to your congregation. Just to name a few:

• Bulletin announcement.

• Bulletin inserts.

• Pulpit announcement (a very popular one at the church I worked at!).

• Sending announcements with children to take home.

• Posters.

• Video ads before and after services.

Do these sound familiar? The list above includes great (and inexpensive!) ways to promote any event you plan. It taps into a readymade audience that has already bought into your ministry and will most likely be excited to attend your event. However, what about those people on the fringes: the ones who attend your church but aren't too sure they want to get involved; the ones who only attend church once a month and might miss the announcements during the occasional visit; or the ones who don't attend your church (or any church) at all? How do you reach them with the news of your coming event? Here are some suggestions on how you can make an impact with your promotions.

Make It Personal

Think back to a time when you were looking for a new church. What made the biggest impact on you in your decision? Was it the amazing decor? The well-designed bulletin? Or was it the people that made you feel welcome and at home? Most likely it was the people that helped you make that decision. It's the same with church events: people are more likely to attend if they feel welcomed and wanted. But how do you do that? Here are a few ways to help give your promotions the personal touch:

1. A personal, face-to-face invite from you and your staff. Before you panic, I'm not saying you need to personally go to each person in your church or community and invite them to an event — there just isn't enough time to do that! Instead, greet people as you are walking down the hall/parking lot/etc. and mention you would love to see them at the event. It may seem like these short encounters wouldn't amount to much, but a face-to-face encounter goes a long way. They feel like you cared enough to personally talk to them and that can be a turning point for many.