REINVENT YOUR FUTURE

Sample LEADING WELL Plans

Simple, strategic plans for living and leading well 

Benefits of Creating Annual Plans

  • Maps help paint a  clear, compelling picture of your preferred future.
  • Maps help leaders set start and end dates for their dreams.
  • Maps help leaders discern who can help them carry out faithful next steps.
  • Maps help leaders understand what to say "no" and "yes" to everyday.
Create plans for . . .
  • Yourself  -  to help you  consistently do what matters most to you.
  • Staff  -  to help leaders set, celebrate and collaborate on  goals.
  • Ministry teams  - to develop priorities and action steps around desired goals.
  • Elected leaders  - to achieve  short- and long-term goals for their church.
  • Collaborations - to keep everyone the same page about who's doing what.

TIPS for creating Annual Plans

  • Set worthy  goals that you're passionate about and willing to sacrifice for.
  • Align your plans with your purpose, priorities, and callings.
  • Take time to pray, discern, and dream before designing a plan.
  • Commit to working on it, reviewing it, and updating it on a regular basis.
  •  Decide what format or platform you'll use to create your road map.
  • Decide who will help co-create the road map.  Who will provide input.
  • Assign a point person and a due date for tasks listed on the roadmap.
  •  If a goal is assigned to a group, clarify which group member team  will "own' it.
  • Let go of perfection.  Learn to prototype.  Adapt and improve as you go.
  • View your road map as a working document that can be changed as needed.
  • Give yourself permission to do less and go deeper with what matters most. 
  • Giver yourself permission to drop or defer goals if you'r overcommitted.
  •  Anticipate obstacles.  Plan for them.  Work around  them.

SAMPLE  ROAD  MAPS  TO  REVIEW 

You'll find three sample road maps to review below.  The  first map is a sample of  one's personal road map for 2022 that's organized around the 6Fs related to personal wholeness and well-being.  It also includes personal experiments to try this year along with 6 habits embed in one's life. The goals/intentions are organized by WHEN (which quarter of the year) that they'll be completed.

The second map is a 1 YEAR CONGREGATIONAL ROAD MAP that focuses on the 4Gs - Gather, Grow, Give, and Go  - which reflect the language the church leaders use to describe their congregation's mission and vision.  It also includes 2 systems goals that will help the congregation execute its goals more efficiently.

The third map, a 1 YEAR STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM ROAD MAP, outlines a planning process a church used to guide their visioning process which led to the development and implementation of their 3 year plan

Learnings  from  leaders  who  have  created  road  maps

  • Leaders have found it helpful  to break down  annual goals into quarterly "rocks."  The shorter timeframe creates urgency and helps people develop more concise, concrete plans to address RIGHT NOW.
  •  Leaders learned that if there wasn't a point person and a deadline associated with a goal or task, it usually didn't get done.
  • Leaders needed to create space/margins for dreaming and doing. It's hard to move forward if everyone working on the project is overcommitted. 
  • Leaders learned that some of the best results they experienced was when they wove their initiatives into what people were already doing rather than forcing people to create new habits and routines.
  • Reflecting on one's results is often  just as important as the  achieving the results. Reflection led to rethinking assumptions and approaches that often led to better ways to living and doing ministry than what they originally envisioned.

Sample LIVING WELL Plans 

GOAL | Walk 10,000 steps daily and ENJOY it!
  • Determine which device will be used to track steps.
  • Average 4000 steps/day for the first month; increase average 1000/day.
  • Walk while I'm planning my sermon & making member check-in calls.
  • Invite 3 friends to walk with me once a week.
  • Launch a weekly walkers groups for church members and me.
  • Listen to favorite podcasts while walking.
GOAL | Create faith-focused conversations with my 2 children
  • Share highs, lows, noteworthy, and prayer concerns before bedtime.
  • Read Daily Text "lectio divina style" while having dinner. 
  • Discuss current news
  • Use the news to help kids connect what we do with what we believe and value.
Top 5 FUTURE SKILL/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT   Intentions
  • Redesign Surface to Soul Youtube Channel; add 50 videos (APR).
  • Log 1000+ coaching hours log; submit new recordings (JUN).
  • Develop MCC Coaching School course (JUN-AUG).
  • Creation of Udemy-style online learning modules (SEP-DEC).
  • Redesign Surface to Soul as a resource/podcast portal (ONGOING).
Pilot 5 MONTHLY EXPERIMENTS
  • Send 5  affirmations via email/texts every day (APR).
  • Post a picture everyday via email, text, or social media (MAY).
  • Do not read, watch,  or listen to news (JULY).
  • Don't eat after 8pm; fast 1 day a week. (AUG).
  • Go to bed by 10:00pm every night (SEP).
Top 5 FUN/ADVENTURE  Intentions
  • Travel to Ireland and England with Brett (JAN)
  • Trip to Miami with Kenton (JAN)
  • Spring break trip to Tucson with Gina (MAR).
  • Tour Ring Road and Golden Circle in Iceland (MAY)
  • Hike Crater Lake; drive Oregon coast (AUG).
Top 5 FRIENDS  &  FAMILY  Intentions
  • Re-engage with friends and colleagues via Facebook/Instagram (JAN).
  • Pilot 15 minute phone conversations with 3 friends/week (MAR).
  • Explore new small group opportunities at church (MAY).
  • Host/help plan family reunion event (JUN).
  • Invite friends for brunch/dinner once a month (ONGOING).
Top 5 FITNESS Intentions
  • Purchase annual ski pass; ski 12 or more times this year (JAN).
  • Participate in a sleep study; focus on better sleeping habits (APR).
  • Rent kayak rack at Cobblestone; kayak 12+ times this summer (MAY)
  • Average 7500 steps/day  via rebounder or walking (ONGOING).
  • Practice 1MAD and 18:6 eating routines (ONGOING).
Embed 5 NEW HABITS  into daily/weekly routine 
  • Practice Pomodoro; schedule  2-hour daily deep dives (FEB).
  • Process 90% emails via iPhone; flag high priority emails (MAR).
  • Practice 15-minute weight-free workout 3 times/week (MAR).
  • Post 3 Surface to Soul blogs every week (APR).
  • Create 3 Youtube videos per week for clients (MAY).
Learnings related to the creation and fulfillment of my intentions 
  • I overestimate what I can accomplish in the near future and underestimate what I can accomplish in a given year.
  • I do my best creative work before 8am and when using the Pomodoro technique.
  • I  struggle using  systems that I  didn't help create. I need to tell others what I need to do my best work.
  • Clutter distracts and depresses me. My follow through is better when I remove the physical and digital clutter.

1 Year Congregational Road Map 

GATHER GOALS | To welcome, befriend, care & connect

WHO

Q1:  Create a more welcoming home page and website for newcomers visiting our site (Scott).
  • Create welcome video from pastor to post on the home page.
  • Create a "first-time visitors/What to expect" page on website.
  • Add high quality, people-oriented  images to site that  age and ethnic diversity.
Q2:  Introduce 10-minute "caring conversations" time into  leadership meetings (Miles).
  • Add caring conversations to staff, ministry team and elected leader meetings.
  • Add caring conversations to worship service once a month and to annual meeting agendas.
  • Include caring conversations in New Ministry Partners orientations and choir/band rehearsals.
Q3:  Create a Facebook team and posting schedule designed to generate online conversations (Elizabeth).
  • Develop job description for Facebook team and criteria for selecting team members.
  • Recruit team members; orient team; create plans for curating content to post.
  • Create schedule for posting content and plans for growing # of followers.
Q4:  Provide online and in person hospitality training focused on relationship-building (Ella).
  • Assemble training team to develop online and in person hospitality training. 
  • Design training modules for asyncronous training training and follow up.
  • Design training modules for in person training: schedule and promote training dates.
Scott



Miles



Elizabeth



Ella

GROW GOALS | To support home-centered faith practices

WHO

Q1:  Highlight parenting, grand parenting, and god-parenting as callings in people's lives (Janet).
  • Plan and lead "Helping Parents and Faith Mentors Pass On Faith" Sermon Series.
  • Introduce the role of parents and faith mentors in helping young people grow spiritually. 
  • Share weekly faith stories about ways people can help others follow Jesus every day.
Q2:  Introduce 1 new spiritual practice for  households can "try on" each quarter (Patrick). 
  • Curate content for demonstrating lectio divina, examen, dinner prayers, and Sabbath-keeping moments.
  • Design plans for demonstrating spiritual practices  onsite/in person.
  • Design plans for demonstrating spiritual practices via Youtube, emails, texts, and social media.
Q3:  Introduce faith stories/testimonies into the worship services  or "take-home tools" at least twice a month (Jon). 
  • Embed 2 or more faith stories into sermons, prayers, ministry moments, and  "take-home" tools. 
  • Create a series of video clips highlighting  ways members are currently living into their callings.
  • Pilot 2 new home-based small group studies based on weekly lectionary readings.
Q4:  Host a Youtube/Zoom 4-week series to support parents/grandparents in being faith mentors for young people (Kara). 
  • Create Faith Mentoring team to create 4-6 Youtube videos to be used with small groups/households. 
  • Pilot sending Youtube links via texts, inviting members to sharing their learning, experiments, etc.
  • Promote short-term video series at new member and faith formation orientations.
Janet



Patrick



Jon



Kara


GIVE GOALS | To help servants begin a journey of generosity.

WHO

Q1:  Include stories of transformation and generosity with quarterly giving statements (Matthew).
  • Create sample scripts to give to members to use as templates for writing their own faith stories.
  • Create giving statement script that include Ask, Thank, Tell language & highlights forms of engagement.
  • Capture stories and quotes from individuals/organizations who benefit from our church's generosity.
Q2:  Increase, the  percentage of members who give online to more than 40 percent (George).
  • Pilot the use of Tithely to support online giving; list members to personally invite  to give online.
  • Launch giving by text option for donors; promote giving by text during worship and at special events.
  • Include opportunities to donate (1 time and online) when registering for activities.
Q3:  Reframe stories shared about generosity through the lens of Ask, Thank, Tell (Stacie).
  • Capture Ask, Thank, Tell stories from paid staff, elected leaders and members of the stewardship team.
  • Capture Ask, Thank, Tell stories from 2 new members and  2 members from every generation
  • Capture transformation stories from ministry team leaders.
Q4:  Update the church website to include why content related  what we do (Melanie).
  • Update WHY content on the Homepage, the Staff page, and the Giving page.
  • Update WHY content on the  Faith Formation and Servant Opportunities page.
  • List and create 6 Youtube videos that capture the joys and benefits of  being an engaged member.
Matthew



George



Stacie



Melanie

GO GOALS | To befriend our neighbors & serve our community

Q1:  Conduct interviews with community leaders (Kaneesha).
  • Make list of community leaders to interview and list of questions to ask; recruit interviewers.
  • Compile data; discuss and interpret results with church leaders.
  • Create written report and Youtube video summarizing learnings, recommendations, and next steps.
Q2:  Gather demographic information about our local community (Sarah).
  • Inquire about demographic data City Hall has available for our use; research Percept and FaithX reports.
  • Compile report on demographics, share learnings with church leaders and members.
  • Use data to inform outreach efforts for the upcoming year.
Q3:  Host lunch with  local churches leader to learn from and collaborate with one another (Alex).
  • Set date, time and agenda for the event; email invitations to church leaders and local ministry partners.
  • Recruit individuals to manage registrations, order or prepare food for the event.
  • Set up meeting space for dining, hospitality and gathering of people's ideas and insights.
Q4:  Host 4 or more leadership meetings and events at settings beyond the church walls (Emily).
  • Have elected leaders meet once a quarter at a local setting; host off-site staff meetings once/month 
  • Invite leaders to share ways they see the local community changing at monthly meetings.
  • Identify individuals and organizations to befriend and potentially partner and meet with in the future.

WHO

Kaneesha



Sarah



Alex



Emily

We  will develop  SYSTEMS  to  select,  onboard,  and  support   leaders.

Q1:  Create/update job descriptions for paid staff, elected leaders, and ministry teams (Darrin).
  • Review job descriptions to more closely align with our  purpose, priorities,  passions and preferred future.
  • Assist leaders and teams with setting short-term (less than 1 year) goals that align with our purpose.
  • Schedule quarterly check-ins and annual reviews with paid staff; annual reviews with elected leaders.
  • Interview leaders and teams to discover what need to thrive as a team and collaborate well.
Q2:  Update our leadership manual to include tools for leading meetings, planning events, etc (Cris).
  • Update policies found in the leadership manual to reflect new norms and best practices.
  • Add leadership skills section to leadership manual. 
  • Post leadership training resources (PDFs, videos, links) on church website..
Q3: Redesign nominating process to ensure that the right people are invited into the right leadership roles (Kyle).
  • Clarify the role of the Nominating Team and the criteria for selecting elected and ministry team leaders.
  • Create invitation letter templates and update job descriptions for the positions to be filled.
  • Create checklist of items leaders will be oriented on BEFORE they begin their term of service.
Q4:  Have elected leaders read and discuss the book, Teams that Thrive (Heather). 
  • Order books for leaders; decide on start/end dates for discussing and apply concepts from the book. 
  • Provide opportunities for leaders and teams to share what they need to thrive as a team; collaborate well.
  • Identify the essential elements our teams need to lead purposefully, prayerfully, and proactively.

WHO

Darrin




Cris



Kyle



Heather

We  will  develop  SYSTEMS  to  improve  our  capacity  to  execute.

Q1:  Help leaders focus on faithful next steps and  90 day short-term goals (Penny).
  • Have paid staff, elected leaders, and ministry teams set, review, and celebrate quarterly goals.
  • Provide a coach/mentor to help leaders/teams to set and review goals.
  • Select a person to create a master list of ministry goals.
Q2:  Identify norms, practices, and procedures that slow down and derail the efforts of  their teams (Diane).
  • Interview leaders and  teams about  what prevents them from taking action and thriving in their roles.
  • Identify norms, assumptions, and approaches that aren't working and need to be reinvented..  
  • Assign a point person for each item that needs to be reviewed, reframed, and reinvented.
Q3:  Create an Annual Leadership Planning Calendar to help leaders collaborate and plan ahead (Nate).
  • Review sample leadership calendars; determine criteria for what items are listed on this calendar.
  • Create first draft of calendar; gather feedback from leaders; further refine list of projects and events.
  • Begin using the Leadership Planning Calendar to build monthly meeting agendas.
Q4:  Assist team leaders with creating and updating their  list of 30-day tasks team members can help complete (Jeff).
  • Begin including list of possible tasks/next steps for team member in the monthly meeting agendas. 
  • Create new norms about what team members need to do between monthly meetings.
  • Build into future meetings agendas a review of recent celebrations, bright spots, and learnings.

WHO

Penny



Diane



Nate



Jeff


1 Year Strategic Planning Team Road Map for Congregations

PRIORITY 1  |  Enhance WORSHIP as an event and a way of life.

Worship is central to the Christian life. But why do we do it? Who is it for? It’s where we celebrate victories, heal wounds, address challenges, step into God’s story, and learn to follow in the way of Jesus. Worship is where the whole community comes together as one, therefore it serves as a hub for all other aspects of who we are (devotion, compassion, and justice). Worship is a means to an end, not an end itself, and that end is a kind of spiritual connection, healing, and growth that breeds disciples of Jesus.

PROJECT 1:   ENHANCE THE SUNDAY WORSHIP EXPERIENCE
A  |  Experiment with fresh ways of celebrating communion 2-4 times a month at the discretion of the pastor - Q1.
B  |  Increase engagement of online worshippers (sermons/prayers/storytelling/Facebook host) - Q2.
C  |  Posting “sermon only” links on our website or list sermon time stamps on weekly YouTube videos - Q2.
D  |  Highlight ways that households are using weekly take home resources with family members and group - Q2.
E  |  Create 3-minute kid’s video messages as part of weekly worship - Q3.  

PROJECT 2:   EXTEND HOSPITALITY BEFORE, DURING & AFTER WORSHIP
A  |  Explore ways to invite members/guests to linger onsite or online following the worship service - Q1.
B  |  Update website information to enhance hospitality to onsite and online guests - Q2.
C  |  Ask task force/Council to complete Hospitality Audit; share feedback & suggestions at 2/10 meeting - Q2.
D  | Create a welcome packet/flier for first-time guests; highlight ways guests can participate in current ministries- Q2.

PROJECT 3:   EXTEND WORSHIP INTO PEOPLE’S DAILY LIVES
A  |  Highlight every Sunday 3 ways to extend Worship, Devotion, and Compassion, and Justice into people’s daily lives - Q1.
B  |  Introduce/demonstrate spiritual practices during worship and via e-news and social media - Q2.
C  |  Create scripts to support members with sharing their faith stories during weekly worship services - Q2.
D  |  Recruit person to coordinate schedule for having members share their faith stories during weekly worship - Q2.

PRIORITY 2  |  Equip people to practice DEVOTION in their daily lives

Devotion speaks to how we “devote” ourselves to a way of life, or rule of life, that include practices (means of grace) and accountability (a community of mutual trust and integrates personal and social holiness are. Social holiness is the ways in which we engage being together in addition to our own personal acts of piety. We invite everyone who views ____ as their church home to be a part of a group of some kind, preferably a life group. This is our church's primary vehicle for helping people give and receive care, pray for one another, search the scriptures, and do acts of compassion and justice in the world.

PROJECT 1:   PILOT THE LAUNCHING OF 3 LIFE GROUPS
A  |  Define what LIFE GROUPS are, how often they meet, and when people can join - Q1.
B  |  Create an initial list of people to invite to Monday night, Tuesday morning and other Life Groups meeting dates - Q1.
C  |  Create list of resources and links to post on church website to support Life Group facilitators - Q1.
D  |  Demonstrate ways that households can use devotional resources individually, and with their family - Q2.

PROJECT 2:   IDENTIFY EXISTING SMALL GROUP MINISTRIES; CLARIFY THEIR UNIQUENESS
A  |  Create contact lists to be used for inviting people into small group activities - Q3.
B  |  Write 3-5 sentence descriptions for each one of our church's small groups - Q3.
C  |  Provide small group facilitators with training, a leadership guide, and resources to access online - Q3.

PROJECT 3:   INTRODUCE SPIRITUAL PRACTICES TO  MEMBERS/FRIENDS OF OUR FAITH COMMUNITY
A  |  Curate initial list of resources to be posted on our website - Q1.
B  |  Introduce and demonstrate a new spiritual practice for members “try on” once a quarter - Q2.
C  |  Introduce members to 2 new online, app-based, or printed faith formation resources every month - Q2.

PRIORITY 3  |  Extend COMPASSION to each other and our neighbors.

Compassion speaks to the works that we do that heal and restore. It means that we feel the suffering of others and we act. We already do quite a bit in the area of compassion throughout monthly outreach focus. We need to keep doing this, evaluating which ones are fruitful and which aren’t, and change them accordingly. Where we need to grow is getting the congregation to be more active in compassion, for which Life Groups can be a great mechanism.

PROJECT 1:   EXTEND CARE, CONNECTION AND COMPASSION TO OUR MEMBERS
A  |  Create/update annual calendar of community outreach activities - Q1.
B  |  Update directory; share with members/community leaders - Q1.
C  |  Describe ways that small groups will lead to deeper connection and care among members - Q1.
D  |  Consider having an annual leadership calendar that lists key projects/events - Q1.

PROJECT 2:   EXTEND CARE, CONNECTION AND COMPASSION TO OUR NEIGHBORS
A  |  List what’s currently happening to connect with, care for, and collaborate with people from our local community - Q1.
B  |  Support Community Outreach Team as outlined in their 2022 priorities and goals - Q1.
C  |  Create a list of additional ways to extend compassion to our neighbors; review on a quarterly basis - Q2.

PRIORITY 4  |  Promote JUSTICE to foster equity and wholeness for all.

Justice speaks to the work that we do, not to respond to suffering, but to prevent it. It is the work of dismantling systems of oppression and rebuilding them as systems of equity and wholeness. Our next focus in this area will be to “Build a Beloved Community” groups. We will continue to advocate for marginalized groups in our local community and will collaborate with the city and local organizations and will be a catalyst for connecting local faith communities around works of justice.

PROJECT 1:  PILOT BUILDING A BELOVED COMMUNITY TRAINING EVENT 
A  |  Invite lay and elected leaders to watch the “Beloved Community” videos - Q1.
B  |  Ask Community Outreach Committee leaders if they’d like to host Beloved Community conversations - Q2.
C  |  Assist with planning and promoting a Beloved Community training and discussion event for all members - Q3.
D  |  After training, list ways to engage our members in building a beloved community within the local community - Q4.

1 Year Strategic Planning Team Road Map for Congregations

STEP  1  |  Form a  Vision  Team  (2-3  months)

KEY RESULTS:  Recruit and orient your team; Introduce your team to the congregation.
  • Decide on the size of the team; write a ministry description for the team.
  • Identify crucial roles for the team and which team members will fulfill these roles.
  • Decide when meetings will be held, how often, and if they'll be in person or online.
  • Determine how team members will communicate with each other between meetings.
  • Decide where shared documents will be stored and how people will  access/edit them.
  • Commission the team  during a worship; post team info on website and social media sites.

STEP  2  |  REVIEW  your  ministry  context  (2-3 months)

KEY RESULTS:  Create a Ministry Site Report; share findings with the congregation.
  • Survey or interview staff and elected leaders; Create and share SCORE report.
  • Conduct Congregational Vitality Assessments (online survey, follow up focus groups).
  • Gather demographic information and share findings with church leaders/members.
  • Interview community leaders about the changes, needs and opportunities for the community.
  • Assess the congregation's structure; describe on decisions are made and executed.
  • List all Committees, teams, task forces, and project coordinators along with key contacts.

STEP  3  |  RETHINK  what's  possible  (2  months)

KEY RESULTS:  Host a visioning retreat to review, rethink, and reinvent ministries.
  • Develop a pre-work packet for retreat participants.
  • Have staff, committees, teams, and task forces complete Celebrate, Tweak, Add & Delete form.
  • Facilitate a vision-casting retreat to address core values, primary goals and strategies.
  • Identify norms and key messages that reflect emerging goals, values and strategies.
  • Write a Vivid Vision narrative describing God’s preferred future for our organization.
  • Share Vivid Vision with paid staff and elected leaders; update Vivid Vision based on feedback.

STEP  4  |  REINVENT  ministry  using  a  new  road  map  (2+  months)

KEY RESULTS:  Design a Strategic Road Map highlighting priorities, projects, and plans.
  • Transfer ideas and intentions from visioning retreat to digital road map.
  • Work with staff and Vision Team to develop tasks, timelines and accountability for key initiatives.
  • Meet with elected leaders to review/update lines of authority and timeline for all goals and tasks.
  • Live into the roadmap; walk alongside ministry leaders overseeing key initiatives.

WHO  |  WHEN

PENNY  |  MAR 31
  SARA  |  JAN 15
 SARA  |  JAN 15
TEAM  | FEB  2
TEAM  |FEB  2
TEAM  | MAR 3
COURTNEY  |  MAR 31

WHO  |  WHEN

SAMUEL  |  MAY 31
ADRIAN  | APR 30
JASON  | MAY 31
TIM  | JUNE 15
CATHY  | JUN 15
JORDAN  | JUN 30
RON  |  JUN 30

WHO  |  WHEN

AMANDA  |  JUL 31
TIM  |  JUL 10
LEADERS  |  JULY  10
TEAM  |  JUL 17
CATHY  |  JUL 24
HEATHER  | JUL 31
SARAH  |  AUG 10

WHO  |  WHEN

STAN  |  DEC 31
TIM  |  AUG 15
TEAMS  | SEP 15
LEADERS  | OCT 2
LEADERS  |  DEC 31