Does Strategic Planning Contradict the Holy Spirit?

I am neck deep in strategic thinking. The school where I teach is engaged in an aggressive strategic planning initiative. We are working with an excellent consulting team and are asking hard but important questions about the present and the future. But all this has got me wondering about the apostles.

The execution of the apostolic mission seems to have been driven as much by Spirit directed intuition (Paul’s ministry in Phrygia and Galatia) and the apparent vagaries of circumstance (the scattering of persecution) as by planning. It is true that Paul planted churches along trade routes and in major cities. But was this a pre-meditated apostolic “strategy?” Or was it simply a consequence of the natural constraints of travel in his day?

It is also true that Jesus revealed the broad outlines of the church’s mission in the Great Commission and in Acts 1:8-9. But I can’t help noticing that he framed this agenda in language that sounds more like a promise than a plan. There is nothing in the early church that resembles the kind of business planning we commonly employ today. No charts. No maps. No slogans.

When the church met to discuss the implications of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles at the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, their concerns and conclusions seem to have been driven more by theology than by strategy. Indeed, some of Paul’s actions seem decidedly un-strategic. He ignored some opportunities for expansion because he did not have a sense of liberty from the Holy Spirit. He refused to “contextualize” his preaching style to suit the preferences of the Corinthians.

What does this mean for the church’s practice of “strategery?” I do not think it invalidates it. If anything, it gives us a certain freedom to embrace the process and trust God to work through it. At the same time, the apostolic example is an important reminder that the Holy Spirit does not deal with the church as if it were an elegant machine. The church’s operations are organic not mechanical. There is a place for planning, progress and, yes, strategy. But the church is also a place of chaos, mystery and creation. The Spirit continues to brood over the church just as he did over the waters of creation. He will not stop until the work is finished.

What Will the New Health Care Bill Mean for Churches?

(Editor's Note: Since this post publishes, we've since released "Health Care Reform: How the new laws will affect your church.")

Now that President Obama has signed the health care reform bill into law, many churches are wondering what the impact will be on staffing costs.

“Does the church have to pay 100 percent of the employee’s premiums?” “Will we be required to cover our entire church daycare staff, which currently does not receive medical insurance as a benefit?” “Will we have to pay large fees and/or provide heathcare for our employees? Health insurance is very expensive and being forced to pay could mean we no longer can afford our small staff.”

These are the kinds of questions and concerns that are surfacing on discussion boards and through readers’ questions to us.

I can appreciate the trepidation many churches are feeling. We are in a very dynamic period, with several state attorneys general having filed legal challenges to the new law in recent days, and Senate Republicans engaging in parliamentary maneuvering. No one can say what the results of these efforts will be.

And, note two additional considerations: First, if the Republican Party regains control of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections later this year, it will have the authority to defund implementation of many, if not most, of the provisions in the new law. Second, even if none of these roadblocks stop this legislation, many of the provisions in the law do not take effect immediately. Some do not take effect for several years.

The bottom line is that it is premature to say what all of the ramifications of this bill will be.

I am currently reviewing the impact of each provision in this 2,500-page bill on churches, while at the same time monitoring the potential obstacles to full implementation. I will be sharing the results of my analysis in upcoming articles for Church Law & Tax Report and Church Finance Today.

In the meantime, if you have questions on this new legislation, please feel free to submit them to: CLTReditor(at)christianitytoday.com.

Did the Grinch Steal December from Churches?

In the latest “State of the Plate,” survey, in which we worked with Maximum Generosity’s Brian Kluth to poll 1,000 church leaders on the health of their churches’ finances in 2009, an interesting pattern emerged—December didn’t save the day for many congregations the way it typically does.

Is it a new reality? Or yet another anomaly in a year wrought with economic firsts? That remains to be seen.

One down year alone doesn’t indicate a trend. But when I interviewed attorney Frank Sommerville, a veteran of nonprofits and churches, last November for the Spring 2010 Your Church cover story, he projected an “ugly” December, and said it very well may be a sign of the times: “Don’t bank on December. (Churches) need to know the reality is that it’s not going to be as easy for them to raise money in December as it has been in the past.”

We’ll have to watch closely in 2010, and for good reason. December brings increased attendance to many churches because of the holidays. And in the past, many who showed up often did so with a year-end bonus or other financial windfall in hand. That led to a surge in giving to churches, which then typically helped them meet their annual budgets just as the year came to a close.

That didn’t happen for many in 2009, though. And if the pattern continues in 2010, it may change the way churches view giving initiatives year-round, not to mention the ways they budget for expenses—and when.

The “State of the Plate” told us the following about December and the start of 2010:

• 32% of churches surveyed said that their December year-end giving “missed” their expectations.

• Only 23% of churches indicated that year-end giving surpassed their expectation.

• With nearly a third missing giving expectations at the end of 2009, many churches likely entered 2010 looking for ways to slow their church spending.

The full report is available on YourChurchResources.com.

As Kluth points out in his forthcoming report for Your Church, “Even Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, with about 20,000 people attending weekly worship services, ran behind its multimillion-dollar budget before Warren sent out a last-minute email appeal encouraging year-end gifts. Saddleback Church received more than $2.4 million, allowing the megachurch to end the year in the black. But other churches weren’t as fortunate.”

While we watch 2010 to see how December plays out, especially as the economy (hopefully) begins to show signs of recovery, church leaders should still learn from these three lessons of 2009:

• Make conversations about giving and generosity a year-round endeavor, and not just one that comes up when there’s a budget crisis;
• Temper expectations for December collections, even with expected increases in attendance;
• Tighten any spending occurring in December.

Did December collections fall short at your church? What are you doing this year to respond?

Is Preaching Against Homosexuality a Hate Crime?

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Richard offered thorough coverage of this topic in the March/April issue of Church Law & Tax Report. Subscribe to the bimonthly newsletter to get thorough law and tax coverage throughout the year.

How Finance, Sexual Wrongdoings Challenged One Church

My lawyer said, "Just follow my lead and answer the questions he asks, and everything will be okay." I clung to his advice as I entered the smartly decorated boardroom lined with towering bookshelves. The first thing I noticed was the videographer and stenographer setting up their equipment. Then the opposing counsel, who to me represented evil incarnate, walked into the room.

"Please state your full name for the record." His tone and mannerisms suggested this was strictly routine. For the others in the room, this was just another work day. They pushed buttons on the camera, they typed on the stenograph machine, they served coffee, they represented their clients—this was a 9-5 job for everyone in the room. Everyone, that is, except me.

I cleared my throat and said, "Ralph Webster Neighbour III."

"I am sure your lawyer has explained to you the deposition process, but let me explain it again for the record …"

There was that phrase again—"for the record." I thought: This is high stakes. The church's reputation and my future are on the line here! I also knew this deposition was just the beginning; we would walk at least another year through this legal maze.

I couldn't believe this was happening to me—a seventh generation pastor. But here I was, giving a deposition in a sexual misconduct lawsuit. This was not what I signed up for!

This article first appeared in Leadership journal. The full version is available at LeadershipJournal.net. For additional resources on embezzlement and sexual misconduct issues for churches, please visit:

- Secure Your Church Finances
- The Essential Guide to Church Finances
- Sexual Harassment in Your Church
- Boundaries for Healthy Church Relationships
- Child Sexual Abuse Response Plan
- Safe Mentoring Relationships
- Reducing the Risk, a child abuse prevention training program for church leaders.

Leading a Holistic Church Staff

Charlie couldn’t lead the church staff. The harder he tried, the more he failed. With 3,000 people in worship each week, the church seemed healthy. The staff, however, seemed emotionally sick and suffered from high turnover. When people left the church staff, they invariably stepped out of full-time ministry. Former staff members expressed bitterness and unhappiness with how they were treated. Charlie knew his ministry was failing. He couldn’t lead and mentor the staff. Charlie couldn’t release the staff to each person’s potential, fully using their gifts for ministry in the church.

Stories like Charlie’s always get our attention, but they don’t provide much positive traction for growth.

I spent some time recently talking with some executive pastors of significant churches around the country to discover their best practices for leading staff. What I found surprised me—not the best practices themselves, but the fact that my independent interviews, without any prodding by me, all connected to one common thread: holistic staffs.

Let’s look at how these leaders develop and oversee holistic staffs, and the lessons we can learn from them for our own ministries:

The Power of Many

Roger Dermody

Roger Dermody is the executive pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. With more than 3,000 people attending the weekly worship services, Bel Air employs 7 full-time pastors and 62 full-time staff members. The church’s approach to ministry leadership is different than many: It uses a triad comprised of Senior Pastor Mark Brewer, Executive Director Glenn Reph, and Dermody.

“That has been informally referred to as either the unholy troika or the Three Stooges,” Dermody says, showing the humor that permeates the staff culture. Humor aside, why a triad? Brewer, Reph and Dermody feel that their individual gifts complement each other, “and make our entire leadership stronger,” Dermody says. Thus, at the heart of Bel Air is a leadership community where one individual does not have all the gifts. There is an open recognition that others are essential to a fully developed team.

Mary Carroll

Hosanna Lutheran in Lakeville, Minnesota, uses a similar approach, recognizing the power that comes from intentionally identifying and using a variety of gifted people. Mary Carroll is the executive pastor of this church, which averages 4,000 people each week at worship services. “A huge part of my life and my faith story is a passion to help others see themselves as the wonderfully gifted and talented person the Lord created them to be, rather than believe the lies they may have heard,” she says.

Carroll and Bill Bohline, the lead pastor, demonstrate the high value placed on the giftedness of the individual. In their reporting relationship, the pastors report to Bohline for vision, theology, pastoral leadership, and worship. The pastors then report to Carroll for strategic planning, performance management, resource allocation, and process integration.

“At Hosanna, the model works very well because it allows Pastor Bill to focus on the highest priority matters that only he can do,” Carroll says.

Carroll notes that she and Bohline are “the exact opposite of each other in terms of Myers-Briggs personality type and varied in our Gallup Strengths themes; we approach situations differently and complement each other well.”

She says she feels that affirming each person’s giftedness is essential for a strong team.

“No one is more ‘important’ than anyone else,” Carroll says. Each team member has “differing roles, responsibilities and decision-making authority.”

Using Structure to Spur Creativity

Stacey Campbell

Stacey Campbell is the executive pastor of Christ Community Church in Greeley, Colorado, where 2,100 people worship each weekend. He comes at the issue of giftedness from a different perspective. Central questions for Christ Community are:

- How can we boost morale to communicate trust, ownership and belief in the individual and the team?
- How can we challenge each staff member to become the leader that God designed him or her to be?

The premise at Christ Community is about gifts and wanting each person to rise to their God-given potential. But the church’s mechanism for doing this is different than many others.

“I believe structure enhances creativity. In fact, you can’t have creativity without structure,” Campbell says. He uses the metaphor of a sandbox and emphasizes that he wants staff to have a large sandbox with clear boundaries. Campbell feels that this gives freedom for staff members to innovate while moving in the same direction at the same time.

With a highly relational and decentralized leadership style, Campbell gives “suggestions and opinions, but (I) trust the point-people to make the final call,” he says.

Though staff members make the “final calls,” Campbell holds the staff accountable to meet their goals.

Get Personal

Nicholas Smith

Nicholas Smith is the executive pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Lindenwold, New Jersey. Bethany, led by Bishop David Evans, is a dynamic African-American church that draws 30,000 people.

Smith begins with giftedness and then adds a highly personal dimension. “At Bethany we try to get to know the person’s ministry side as well as personal side. I want to know the person outside of their gifts and get to know them as an individual,” he says. “I believe in meeting the spiritual and natural side of people.”

Bethany emphasizes the whole individual, made up of gifts, ministry, spiritual dimension, and their natural habits.

Smith sources his perspective in the leadership model of Jesus. He emphasizes the “patient, hands-on, team-builder and good teacher” aspects of the life of Christ. The fact that Jesus chose some of his disciples by saying “follow Me,” is important to Smith.

“It’s in the following process that the real change happens in leading people,” he says. “Giving them something to follow, as well as teaching along the way, will bring transformation.” He enjoys helping people transform into the potential leader that God intends.

This model can build successful ministry leaders, Smith says. “Jesus worked this model in a team setting, allowing the disciples to grow together and find a sense of purpose and unity amongst each other. The twelve became His extensions and, as a team, shook up the world. The team process allows a leader to save time by teaching in group settings, rather than one-on-one meetings.”

The issue with a team setting is that everyone does not grow at the same rate. So as leaders we must then become a coach and inspire them in the way that is the most effective to them. Thus, even with a one-on-twelve teaching format, the leader must acknowledge and work with the unique learning styles and giftedness of each person.

My Surprise

As I began working on this article, I asked executive pastors to send me five or six lines on the following concepts:

• What are your leadership practices and habits (communication, style, morale-boosting, relationship-building)?
• What are your basics, your fundamentals, meaning the meeting schedules/frequencies, meeting types (group, one-on-one, agenda construction, reviews, hires/fires/underperformance warnings, check-ins with the senior pastor, and so on)?
• What turns your crank, gets you excited about leading a staff? What do you do well? What do you want to improve?

There was no hidden agenda in the questions. I simply wanted the best practices of leading a church staff in America today.

I began to read the responses from the church leaders while teaching my doctor of ministry students in India. As I began to read the responses, I wondered if I was tired or experiencing culture shock. The results were so similar and strong, I was not able to get beyond the first question. Each person had a dynamically strong emphasis on discovering the giftedness and “wiring” of each person. I like that word “wiring” because it emphasizes that there is a Creator who formed and made each person in a unique way. We shouldn’t be surprised at this concept, as it is evident in Psalm 139:13–14 (NIV):

“For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Not only did God make us, but we should celebrate His wonderful work—us!

The Holistic Staff

A good term for the findings from these executive pastors is holistic staff.

A holistic staff is one in which the leaders intentionally pursue a path of developing the whole person. This may be evident in a multi-person leadership team, where each person brings a different and essential gift to the team. Successful church staffs have members who know their unique contribution to the team. Staff members have—and need— structure, but also need to develop as whole persons.

Great leaders do not treat people as cogs in God’s giant wheel. Great leaders see beyond the stated needs of people and challenge them to grow in their multi-faceted life with others and with God.

Mary Carroll puts it this way: “We incorporate and publish the Gallup Strengths for each of our staff to increase understanding of our differences and to encourage complementary partnerships.”

Roger Demody says, “I’ve seen firsthand that there really is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’ in management.”

What type of leader are you? How will you learn from these great churches concerning the best practices of staff leadership? Are you leading a holistic staff?

Is God Calling You To Move?

A man 3,000 miles away whom I had never met, the chairman of a pulpit search committee, came to the point quickly on the phone: Would I consider meeting with his group to discuss becoming senior pastor of their church?

This unexpected phone call propelled me into a deep, soul-searching phase. Without any prior experience, I was suddenly faced with one of the most difficult decisions of my ministry career: Should I stay or should I go?

It's easy to think it's God's will to move on when the invitation is to a larger church, the salary and benefits are better, and you're having problems where you are. But greener pastures are not necessarily God's will. He may simply be using that invitation to test our resolve and determination to carry on.

How Long Is Long Enough?

We are all aware that some pastors accomplish a great deal by staying in one church a long time. My father-in-law's most productive years came near the end of a 24-year pastorate. It's significant that most larger churches have been established and built by those who have stayed for decades.

Knowing this made me want to stay longer in Montreal. Shouldn't I be the leader who would take this church on to greatness?

But on the other hand, some pastors stay too long. They hang on when in fact their ministry has peaked or been completed. Some are incapable of leading the church to its next plateau. They fail to recognize their own limitations. Their ego says they can do it all.

There is no simple formula for how long to stay before moving on. Who of us can declare unequivocally, "So-and-so stayed too long" or "left too soon"? We may have our private opinions, but we also know we could be mistaken.

If we are less than sure about the other fellow's tenure, how much more about our own? Rural, suburban, and inner-city churches differ. Our ministerial gifts vary. The person with a teaching/pastoral ministry will tend to last longer than someone whose ministry is more prophetic or evangelistic. Still, we can't plug all the descriptors into a computer and get a divine print-out.

Factors in God's Timing

So how do we decide? Do we discover God's will only on our knees in a quiet office, or does God use other ways to tell us to move on? Does he not frequently indicate his plan through circumstances and then later confirm it with an inner spiritual conviction?

I believe God's will, usually, is the logical thing to do. Therefore, here are some factors I consider when evaluating a possible change.

Major problems in the present church. I don't mean routine snags. You can't run away every time things don't go your way. Problems are challenges to overcome. By handling them, our ministry grows and our relationship with God becomes more precious. One chronic troublemaker in a church usually isn't reason for leaving. Every congregation has its quota of grace-builders, and while it is a delight to leave them behind when you move on, the Lord has prepared more of the same in the next congregation!

But major personality conflicts, congregational dissatisfaction, or tension with a board may mean something more. If I need to take a vote of confidence to know where I stand with the people, chances are it's time to start packing. Taking a vote will likely only divide the people further. I'm already in trouble!

Ministerial exhaustion. Every ministry position includes stress. But there are times when we are called to deal with unusually tough situations that tax all our spiritual and emotional strength.

A close friend of mine went through such a situation. An adulterous relationship in his church involved a senior board member and a woman from a prominent family. The pastor dealt with them prayerfully and wisely. Innocent parties were protected, hurt spouses were counseled, and the offending parties confronted. But the process of discipline, counseling, and rehabilitation took a year. When it was over, though my friend had performed admirably and had retained the people's confidence, he was emotionally and spiritually drained. There was nothing left to give on Sunday mornings. He needed a fresh start.

Others have felt the same at the end of a building program. The months of worrying and wrangling with contractors, blueprints, and committees have taken a heavy toll. The pastor quietly vows to work smarter next time. He knows he should stay for at least another year and help the congregation cope with its new mortgage. But he is out of gas.

Some young preachers tell their people everything they know in 18 months. Though they study and search for sermon material, because of their inexperience, they come up with little. To carry on indefinitely can hardly be God's will when additional training or perhaps an assistant pastorate is indicated.

Financial pressures. If you are struggling to keep bread on the table, God may reward faithfulness by raising a new opportunity that will provide for the family. It's time we got off the guilt trip that a move to another church where we will be better cared for is all wrong. We are not in this work for the money. But God does know our needs and takes note of our faithfulness.

Family circumstance. Our ministry location affects not only ourselves but also our families. The decision to leave a community is a big factor in both the education and social development of our children. Any father, ordained or not, who does not consider the implications of a move for his family is neither loving nor true to the Scripture.

Some of my friends suggest that if it's God's will for you to move, he will take care of your family no matter when or where you go. That is true—if the move is his intention. What some forget, though, is that the social, spiritual, and educational needs of a pastor's family can be an indicator of God's will! God can speak through the needs of a wife or a child as well as through times alone in the prayer closet.

Larger opportunity. First, let me state that the concept of promotion or career advancement is a secular notion and is foreign to the New Testament concept of ministry. There is no spiritual totem pole to climb. God is looking for faithfulness where we are. More than one pastor, however, thinks that if a larger church beckons, it must be a signal that he is God's man of faith and power for the hour. It's not always so.

However, as our ministries mature, God does place us in positions of greater responsibility. As our ability develops to handle larger churches, administer more complexity, and speak to more diverse congregations, God does open up new areas of service. And that frequently means calling in the moving van.

No place of ministry should be belittled. No location is insignificant or deserving of less than our best. But as our ministry gifts mature, we can become frustrated if there is not a sufficient outlet to release them.

Hearing God's Voice

After weighing all the factors, there is still one intangible element. It is the most important. We can list all the pros and cons on a sheet of paper (as I have done occasionally), but if we want to function in the pattern of New Testament ministry, we still have to hear God's voice.

It's difficult to explain that subjective conviction. Yet as surely as God's Spirit directed Paul away from Asia and Bithynia but on to Macedonia, so God guides his people today.

I learned this after finishing my theological training. Faced with the choice of beginning pastoral work or furthering my education, I sought counsel from friends and competent leaders. The advice split right down the middle.

After much prayer, I knew what I should do. There was no bright light flashing. A bird did not come and whisper a divine message in my ear. But there was a burning conviction that I should go back to the university. And there was peace in my spirit.

My mother taught me another good lesson in decision making. Once I had two options to consider. Both were challenging situations and presented exciting possibilities. For some time I couldn't make up my mind. My head said one thing, my heart said another. In talking with my parents, my mother commented, "I don't know what you will do, Cal, but I know you will do the right thing."

At first I brushed it off as the confidence any mother would have in her son. But that wasn't what she meant. She went on to explain, "If your motives are right, and you are prayerful in making the decision, God will not let you make a mistake."

That doesn't mean all will turn out glowingly. There may be hard times ahead in the church to which we are sure God sent us. Our ministry may even be rejected there after a while. But we will not be outside the larger channel of God's purpose for our shaping and growth.

Ultimately this is a step of faith. The world calls it biting the bullet. For most of us, it is a difficult time. There is no joy in it, but it is part of God's calling.

At some time prior to entering public ministry, most of us had a confrontation with God. We dealt with self and pride. If we were serious about our faith, we made Jesus our Lord and entered a servant-Master relationship. From that point on, it doesn't matter where we're located geographically. What others think is not important. Personal comfort is secondary. Prestige and large crowds are not determining factors. Loyalty and obedience are. Doing God's will is all that matters.

"The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice" (John 10:3-4).

After a difficult month of wrestling through this decision-making process, the choice was clear. We were on our way to British Columbia!

**The full version of this chapter first appeared in When It's Time to Move, copyright 1985 Christianity Today International. Full access to this book is available through CTLibrary.com

10 Tips for Last-minute Tax Filers

Here are the Internal Revenue Service's top 10 tips that will help your tax filing process “run smoother than ever this year.”

1. Start gathering your records. Round up any documents or forms you'll need when filing your taxes: receipts, canceled checks and other documents that support an item of income or a deduction you're taking on your return.

2. Be on the lookout. Gather any W-2s and 1099s that were mailed to you by your employer. You'll need these to file your tax return.

3. Try e-file. When you file electronically, the software will handle the math calculations for you. If you use direct deposit, you will get your refund in about half the time it takes when you file a paper return. E-file is now the way the majority of returns are filed. Last year, 2 out of 3 taxpayers used e-file.

4. Check out Free File. If your income is $57,000 or less you may be eligible for free tax preparation software and free electronic filing. The IRS partners with 20 tax software companies to create this free service. Free File is for the cost conscious taxpayer who wants reliable question-and-answer software to help them prepare a return. Visit IRS.gov to learn more.

5. Consider other filing options. There are many different options for filing your tax return. You can prepare it yourself or go to a tax preparer. You may be eligible for free face-to-face help at an IRS office or volunteer site. Give yourself time to weigh all the different options and find the one that best suits your needs.

6. Consider Direct Deposit. If you elect to have your refund directly deposited into your bank account, you'll receive it faster than waiting for a paper check.

7. Visit IRS.gov again and again. The official IRS Web site is a great place to find everything you'll need to file your tax return: forms, tips, answers to frequently asked questions and updates on tax law changes.

8. Remember this number: 17. Check out Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax on IRS.gov. It's a comprehensive collection of information for taxpayers highlighting everything you'll need to know when filing your return.

9. Review! Review! Review! Don't rush. We all make mistakes when we rush. Mistakes will slow down the processing of your return. Be sure to double-check all the Social Security Numbers and math calculations on your return as these are the most common errors made by taxpayers.

10. Don't panic! If you run into a problem, check out the IRS website (IRS.gov) or call the IRS customer service number at 800-829-1040.

To stay current on tax deadlines that affect your church, sign up for Richard Hammar's Essential Reminders, a weekly newsletter delivered to your online inbox!