February 11, 2001
CYBERCOLUMN:
Holy planning
___By Brett Younger
___For some of us, the phrases "committee meetings" and "church planning" elicit the same weeping and gnashing of teeth as the phrase "root canal." Long-range planning committees have for many years identified purposes, stated objectives, and determined goals. The mission of traditional long-range planning was to have long, excruciatingly dull committee meetings that produce a long, excruciatingly dull spiral-bound report filled with dates, dollar amounts and ideas like: (1) increase Sunday morning attendance by 18 percent, (2) remodel the children's building with a Veggie Tales theme and (3) purchase reversible choir robes with Velcro stoles. These reports were put on the shelf with "Everybody Sing-n-Celebrate," "The Texas Baptist Annual 1981" and the previous long-range planning committee report.
BRETT YOUNGER
___An increasingly popular form of long-range church planning is market-driven planning. This form carefully studies the competition. The "competition" has traditionally been understood to be the Methodists or the Baptists, depending on whether you are Baptists or Methodists. In most cities in Texas, the competition is thought to be other Baptists. In almost no church is the competition understood to be a culture that teaches people that they will never be part of a genuine community of grace. After scouting the opposition, the church looks for a niche among people groups. Where do left-handed people go to worship? Is there a church reaching out to dentists? Can we be the church for displaced Luxembourgers?
___A third form of planning is known as reality-based planning (as opposed to fantasy-based planning). When planners utilize this system, they work for incremental changes: (1) increase the Sunday morning attendance by 1.8 percent, (2) paint the 3-year-olds' room avocado green, (2) begin a fund for Velcro stoles and (4) write a note to Dr. Freud—the new left-handed dentist from Luxembourg.
___ Multiple-scenario planning lays out a series of possibilities and forms a contingency plan for each. What will we do if our Sunday morning attendance suddenly increases 18 percent? What if someone leaves lots of money for remodeling, but we want reversible choir robes? What if Dr. Freud comes and brings lots of dentists with him?
___ Visionary-leader planning is one person announcing: "I have been to the mountain top. Follow me." This approach is particularly unpopular with ministers who have raced halfway up Everest only to turn and see that no one else has broken camp.
___Our churches are capable of planning of a different sort. We can imagine our church's future while opening our heart to the Spirit. In our meetings, committees and conversations, rather than debate the merits of details, we can ask: "How can we more fully worship God?" "How can we live like Jesus?" "If we really believe that the church is God's, how will that change the way we act as the church?" "What does it mean for every member of the church to act as a minister?" "How can the church be on the side of the hurting?"
___We need to plan in more-holy-than-ordinary ways. We need to keep asking, "How can our church be the body of Christ?" Maybe the biggest issue facing most churches is whether to set their sights on being bigger, wealthier institutions or whether their primary goal will be to be God's people, no matter what the cost. God's grace works its wonders in the details. God's love offers an agenda that calls us to follow.
___Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth
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