Helping churches get unstuck never gets old. In June, I traveled to Tampa Bay, Florida to team-up with Matthew Hartsfield and the Van Dyke Church leadership team to develop a Strategic Operating Plan.
Our experience was a great example of using the StratOp process to put vision into action. In fact, the plan is already changing the entire culture of the church. The plan was later used as the basis for “The 320 Project.” Now, Van Dyke has clear values, vision initiatives and next steps.
Getting unstuck is exciting. Pastor Matthew said,
[blockquote author=”” link=””]We launched The 320 Project this weekend with great excitement. A wave of people have been stepping up to join the cause as members of the Van Dyke Church. Each time I read our mission, values and vision, my pulse starts racing and my heart starts pounding. God has poured particular vision initiatives into our hearts to bring focus and clarity to the expression of our mission and values over the next several years.[/blockquote]
The church is now focusing on what is important. They are experiencing alignment because the leadership team can see the church as a whole entity and not just a collection of parts. Their renewed creativity and passion is evident.
These plans are designed to close the gap between the vision and the activity that takes place in a church or other organization. Without an action plan, churches end up doing what churches have always done, but they’re hoping (and praying) for different results. Their vision may be distinct, but people have no idea what they’re supposed to do to accomplish the vision. Of course, the only way to get different results is to embrace different strategies and actions.
Contact us if you’d like to learn more about the strategic operating plan and this consulting engagement.
