Your church has a strategy; it’s either by design or default. If we are to live on mission, we must have a plan.
By Tyler Harden
Does strategy belong in the church?
What came to mind when you read that? For many, strategy within the church context evokes a grim image. It’s a picture tinged by corporate greed. It’s a scene filled with unhealthy pastors neglecting the Holy Spirit and acting as uninhibited, power-hungry, control freaks devising plans to get more people in pews, more giving, and more everything.
Yet for others, strategy is a purposeful plan for engaging people with the hope of the gospel week in and week out. So, which is it?
Like many things, strategy is not innately good or evil. Rather it’s what you do with it. The motives of the heart are what matter.
What if God not only honors strategy but requires it of us?
God is a God of order
To get a better understanding of what strategy is, let’s begin by first defining what it is not. If strategy doesn’t belong in the church, then it’s safe to assume whatever the opposite is would be the goal.
Let’s take a look at a few antonyms of the word “strategy” for some insight:
- Chaos
- Disorder
- Confusion
- Idleness
- Stagnation
No matter how you felt about strategy at the beginning of this article, chances are you can wholeheartedly agree those descriptors are not words God would use to define His desire for the church.
In contrast, Merriam-Webster defines strategy as, “the art of devising or employing plans or stratagems toward a goal.” In other words, a strategy is a plan, a process, or a thought-out method for achieving something.
God is a God of order. He is also a God of strategy.
By design or default
Your church has a strategy; it’s either by design or default.
Many churches that lack a concrete strategy often experience ineffective outreach, burned-out leaders, guests that don’t return, and a surrounding community that couldn’t care less if your church existed.
The absence of a strategy is, in fact, a plan you are willingly choosing to follow. The problem is, because it’s not a thought-out one, it often takes you nowhere. God can do anything, but God also wants you to be responsible with the opportunities He’s given you.
“Many churches that lack a concrete strategy often experience ineffective outreach, burned-out leaders, guests that don’t return, and a surrounding community that couldn’t care less if your church existed.” — @tylerdharden Share on XIn working with hundreds of churches all over America, I’ve seen and heard firsthand the impact of not having a true strategy:
- New people don’t get connected
- Attendance flatlines
- Finances struggle
- Apathy overtakes impact
If we are to live on mission, we must have a plan.
Jesus challenges us to do this in the Great Commission, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20a, CSB).
If we are to go and make disciples, doesn’t it require us to prepare for the journey? Shouldn’t you, as a pastor or church leader, have a plan for equipping people for evangelizing, inviting friends to church, and showing radical gospel hospitality?
If you believe all those things are important, you need a plan — a strategy. Without a strategy, you are not truly living on mission.
Strategy in the Bible
Throughout the Bible, we see countless examples of a divine direction.
- In Genesis, we see the careful planning for Noah’s ark.
- Throughout the New Testament, we read of Paul’s travels to key cultural centers, not just haphazard remote locations of the known world.
- Jesus, a great communicator, was even strategic throughout His ministry.
- Christ often used parables and analogies that would relate to the audience He was addressing — a communication strategy in today’s terms.
- The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 is the prime example of stewardship (a financial strategy).
Yes, God can do anything and use anyone. Yes, God wants us to use our intellect.
“Without a strategy, you are not truly living on mission.” — @tylerdharden Share on XAvoiding a common pitfall
Despite what some may say, “Just preach the gospel” isn’t enough. Yes, preach the gospel, but your church must have a strategy. There needs to be order, a process, a plan … and people to hear the message.
The obsessive pursuit of performance is often considered synonymous with the corporate-style strategies church leaders envision when they think of strategy in the local church.
Performance, if we’re honest, is probably what gives strategy a bad name. But strategy has a clear distinction from performance. Performance is about doing things right, but strategy is about doing the right things.
While goals are necessary to challenge the status quo and drive us forward, strategy is the plan you thoughtfully and prayerfully put into place so you know what to say yes (and no) to.
Godly goals in the local church
Practically speaking, what can strategy look like in the local church? Here are a few examples:
Spiritual strategy
Define a discipleship pathway — a plan to intentionally assist people in advancing deeper in their walk with God.
Financial strategy
Develop a church budget that aligns with and supports the mission goals of the church.
Communication strategy
Put the right message into people’s hands using the right methods.
Hospitality strategy
Have a clear and consistent plan to greet, engage, and follow up with first-time guests to help them get connected.
Outreach strategy
Discern the good from the best so you can be intentional about your time, talent, and treasure.
Multiplication strategy
Whether you want to add campuses or plant new churches, expanding your gospel reach takes an intentional plan to raise up leaders and resources.
God cares about strategy
Regardless of what type of strategy your church needs in this season, surround yourself with godly counsel, approach it with humility, cover it in prayer, and demonstrate a willingness to adapt your goals. Ultimately, God’s strategy for us is far better than we can ever imagine. Our job is to steward what He’s given us for the journey.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
