Stories of transformation

Formulating a church transformation plan
by Rev. Mark W. Lenneville
Associate General Presbyter
Presbytery of Arkansas

I spent 28 years in the Army as a hospital administrator and chaplain. I learned some important lessons during that time: “keep your head down,” “be careful what you volunteer for,” “a moving target is harder to hit,” “skills are important but there’s no substitute for good leadership” and “don’t not do nuttin’.” Probably one of the most important lessons was, “always have a plan.”

The Presbytery of Arkansas has adopted a guide for formulating a church transformation plan. Here are its components:

1. Vision: Describe God’s vision for the church. Be clear about where the church sees itself now and where God is calling the church to be, do or become in the short-term and long-term future. Sculpt a vision statement that captures God’s vision for the church over the next 10-15 years.

2. Elements for transformation: How is your church doing the following:

a. Creating Spiritual Energy: Address how sufficient spiritual energy can be stimulated within the congregation so that the spiritual strength needed to carry out the ministry grows. Does despair need to be replaced with hope? If so, how is that being intentionally accomplished?

b. Clarifying Its Congregational Identity: Coming To Terms With The Past, Present And Future: Describe the church of yesterday. Describe the church of today. Describe the church of the future.

c. Developing Congregational Leadership: Building A Ministry Team: Describe the professional and volunteer staff that is necessary to carry out the vision. Examine and, as necessary, develop position descriptions for each volunteer and staff member.

d. Being Involved In The Community: Include a summary of a demographic study. This might be a page or two that summarizes relevant findings, ecumenical and mission opportunities, racial ethnic population, age distribution, and economy strength. Cite specific activities, programs, projects or initiatives that will help the congregation fulfill its call to discipleship in the community as it lives out God’s vision for the church.

e. Building A Solid Financial Base For Ministry: How will the present and future ministry be funded? Display itemized and balanced operating income and expense budgets for the next five years. Examine last year’s financial statement showing the budgeted and actual income/expenditures.

3. Goals & Objectives: List measurable goals and objectives to fulfill the vision. What can the church do, be or become to move towards God’s vision for the church?

4. Attendance: List the past five years' attendance figures and analyze these for trends. List the realistic attendance estimates of worship, church school and other regularly scheduled activities for each year. Give data to support your estimates. What are ways that these can increase?

5. Oversight of Project: Describe your church’s internal accountability plans or mechanisms to insure that the ministry plan and vision are being followed and updated as needed.

O yes, there is one other thing that I learned in the military that relates to the church: “Plan your work and work your plan, but don’t let the plan get in the way of accomplishing the mission.” The Ministry Plan is important, but it is only a plan. The church’s mission is to: “help people to encounter God.” The plan is meant to enable this mission and should not keep the mission from occurring.

Does your church have a ministry plan? If not, perhaps the above will be a useful guide for constructing one. Hopefully, in, through and despite it, God will be encountered.

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