Hot Strategy Topics

March 23, 2009 in Growing Strategies with 11 Comments

My next coaching network meets for the first time a week from Friday. Before we gather, I asked the guys involved to rank the strategic topics we might discuss. Here’s how they ranked the proposed topics:

  1. Personal Development
  2. Leading Up/Laterally
  3. Discipleship strategy
  4. Growth Strategies
  5. Volunteer strategy
  6. Communications
  7. Structure
  8. Staffing
  9. Multi-site
  10. Financial stewardship
  11. Series planning

Want to know something funny? With the exception of possibly financial stewardship, I probably would have ranked those topics completely the opposite way. Isn’t God funny? He pulled together a group of guys that are going to stretch me. Needless to say, I’m probably the one who’s going to do the most learning over these next six months.

By the way, what topic do you think is missing from the list? If you were going to talk with a group of your peers about general ministry strategy, what would you want to discuss?

11 Responses to “Hot Strategy Topics”

  1. rick womack March 23, 2009 at 5:41 pm #

    probably because i work with pastors across the state of georgia and i see and hear a lot – but i would at some point add in the value of protecting their family and making family a first priority…

  2. Kevin Cooper March 23, 2009 at 5:43 pm #

    Empowering those INSIDE the church to reach those OUTSIDE the church.

  3. Joshua Blankenship March 23, 2009 at 7:04 pm #

    I find it interesting that leading up/laterally is there, but leading down isn’t. Unless all your guys have that mastered that is. ;)

  4. Kim Martinez March 23, 2009 at 7:54 pm #

    1. hearing what God is saying to people’s hearts and helping them fulfill it.
    2. Outreach that makes sense.
    3. I’ve been contemplating #2 & 3 myself.

  5. David Mehtle March 23, 2009 at 10:01 pm #

    I believe the one thing missing from your list is the development of a team not staff.

  6. Matt Bowman March 24, 2009 at 1:09 pm #

    this idea could be woven into some of the topics that they recommended, but i think it’s worth spending some time on: being “strategically simple”. All organizations, especially churches tend to drift toward complexity. As leaders we have to guard the simple, yet strategic mission of the church

  7. Wes Holbrook March 24, 2009 at 3:29 pm #

    Maintaining UNITY in the body. Especially in a multi-site environment. Thanks.

  8. Victor Lamont March 25, 2009 at 4:21 am #

    The Church exists for those who do not belong to it – both in affluent America and in the depressing areas of the world. Structure and quantity are a far cry from the biblical simplicity of faith and leadership. Be salt, light, yeast said Jesus. All are dangerous in quantity. Its being this that should envelope our learning and discipleship.

  9. Bill Bliss March 26, 2009 at 3:20 pm #

    Tony,

    I might add succession and development of staff/team – raising their lid of competencies.

  10. Dwayne Morris April 2, 2009 at 7:26 am #

    This may fall within your “Personal Development” material, but helping leaders maintain their priorities (God, Family, Ministry) is critical. I’m sure they get it philosophically, but can they download it to their calendars and develop the ability to say “No” to things that really don’t matter? Give them practical applications.

  11. Johnathan April 3, 2009 at 9:59 am #

    Dwayne,

    By any chance did you teach at Chapman HS?