Skip to main content

Creating a Game Plan: Making a Plan is Planning Not to Fail

There's a quote that is a favorite in church leadership and also in business: 'failing to plan is planning to fail'.


That speaks truth when it comes with all aspects of our lives- ministry, business, family and even at a personal level. Whether small or big scale, having a strategic plan is needed. It serves as the church/ self or company’s game plan if it desires to compete successfully in the world. Strategic planning is synonymous with strategic management. The latter is often used in the academia while the former is often used in the business world. 
Becoming a pastor of a thriving church have taught lessons of always creating a 'game plan' in order to reach the church's goals, purpose, vision and mission. In the world one of the focuses of having a strategic plan is marketing. Convert it to spiritual matters it might be called in different terms; winning the lost, evangelism and so forth. 
Am I saying that we must 'market' the Gospel? No and Yes  . 
First is No. The Gospel could never be bought or sold but a Gift from God through Jesus.. 
Second is Yes. As a Management major I learned that if we are going to do the Heavenly Father's 'Business' we must learn how to present it to get ahead of the competition (not other churches but the enemy of our souls) and generating, satisfying the will of the Father in a target time and date. 
A 'marketing strategy' will greatly help the Body of Christ to convert all the resources whether it is the people and their capabilities and turn it into opportunities with the best process. Its purpose is to increase the total 'profit' of the church- in short, people being saved and brought at the feet of Jesus within the aimed harvest field and at the same time it hits the church’s goals and vision and creating a sustainable competitive advantage against the enemy.  We don't need to look further, just read the life of Jesus. In three years time He gave an example of a 'strategy' that narrows down the list of work we need to do for His vision. When he said that we must 'go and make disciples', it was not a suggestion but a great commission. Very overwhelming isn't it? How on earth are you going to 'make disciples of all nations?' Yet he simply led by example.Here's a few points:
  1. He himself was a Disciple of God
  2. He created a system, strategy to reach everyone in a SMART manner (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bounded) by winning and training 12 men or disciples that he passed on his vision of salvation in just 3 years. 
No wonder He is the the Son of God and also God Himself- omnipresent and omnipotent. But its amazing to analyze in the aspect of management. Discipleship should never be questioned at church- its part of His command. And it should never be thought to have stopped just at the time of the disciples. It was that very purpose that Jesus portrayed that strategic plan so that His message and work for salvation will live on as He does in eternity. That until the message will continues to spread and 'until all the nations have heard the Gospel' (Matthew 24) in the last days, that is when He will finally come. Without that vision of multiplication and the strategy of making 12 disciples who will carry it out and in turn win another 12 to pass it on, we wouldn't be here now and will be continuing until He comes (discipleship sustains).

Paul said in Philippians 1:6- that the Good work that started the moment we believe in Him until Jesus comes. How will that 'good work' continue if we don't? Christian life- radically lived, is like a 'suicide mission' as we are called to be 'lambs among wolves'. How will we ever endure? 

I learned in the life of the Savior. He taught them to go in pairs, to be one of mind and Spirit and move seamlessly like a human body functions. To utilize His 5 gifts in the church- the prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers and evangelist. To 'Develop' them. You don't become an evangelist ASAP- much is an Education major right after enrollment. It will take 4 years of study and even passing the board exam. There is a 'process'. Jesus Knew that. 

God is truly a great planner when He declared this: 'For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.' Jeremiah 29:11 
Soli Deo Gloria!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blogging again!

I miss blogging! So after nights of sipping on my coffee and thinking (and also looking at the stack of paper of all my preaching notes) I've decided to blog them. :D Since becoming a pastor 3 years ago, I would prepare for my sermons or preaching every week. It doesn't include the time I would also prepare for my G12 cell group with my core leaders and opencell life groups we conduct. I also have notes for every class I conduct on our Post-encounter, School of Leaders 1 and 2. So yes, if material is the question, no doubt I have plenty of those. Then I also though of what I am passionate about. It was always been this- reading, writing and speaking. It's also a way to keep my leaders updated of all that's happening to the church here in Kabacan; where the Spirit of God is leading us and what are some of the issues that needs to be addressed as it also resonates in the emphasis of each preaching I share. If you happen to read one of my blog posts feel free to co...
2 comments
Read more

Bring them back to Repentance? IMPOSSIBLE

This message in Hebrews 6:4 to 6, can be a warning to 3 people: Those who ‘turned away from God”; Those who have not ‘turned away from God and; Those who know people who “turned from God”.   It stands as a warning to us.  Have we heard God’s voice and trembled? I don’t mean fear that keeps us from coming to God, but the kind of fear that is spoken in Proverbs as “the foundation of wisdom.” We fondly pray that God would speak to us and hear His voice but do we really know what we are praying? It reminded me of the Israelites who were at the foot of Mount Sinai. When they heard God’s thunderous voice, they did not dare come nearer and asked Moses to speak in their behalf (Deuteronomy 5:23-27). To quote Francis Chan, “When you pick up your Bible, you are actually holding something better than a voice coming out of a cloud on the top of a mountain.” So this warning must really create a Holy fear in us that will keep us from turning away from God. It ...
Post a Comment
Read more

“Restless? Be STILL”

See the picture? That’s our University field. It’s so vast for me even I’ve seen it almost my whole life. Growing up inside the campus, growing up seeing all of these for 22 years, I still never get use to these. Masarap mag senti sa mga lugar na ito. Maaliwalas, tahimik at malawak- kasing lawak ng imagination ko. Peace. Lately, I’ve been struggling with peace. Heart. Mind. Body. Soul. Whenever I see this vastness I would dream again. That God would fill this with so many young people that will worship Him, give their lives to Him. And you know what? It excites me. And scares me. It makes me happy. And makes me nervous. Maybe it’s just really part of my personality. As Kabacan Ministry is taking off- Sunday services and open cells, my list of goals and dreams also increases. It’s not a bad thing- having goals are all important so that you would know if we really are progressing. “But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.” Phil3:16. Since all of these are happening,...
Post a Comment
Read more