1. The chapter discusses the importance of strategic planning for churches and defines it as an envisioning process led by a point leader and strategic leadership team to design a ministry model that accomplishes the Great Commission in their unique context. 2. It addresses that strategic planning involves thinking theologically about the church's purpose and mission, produces a unique ministry model, and must consider the church's context. 3. The chapter also outlines the many purposes of strategic planning for a church, including understanding strengths and weaknesses, developing a mission and vision, evaluating ministries, and positioning the church in the community.

1. Malphurs Chapter 1
Preparing the Navigator:
A Pre-Launch Checklist

2.  Understanding the Importance of Strategic Planning
1. Strategic planning makes a difference
2. Strategic planning address three organizational
questions: Who are we? Where are we going? How
will we get there?
3. Strategic planning affects the long-term life of the
church
4. Strategic planning addresses alignment issues
 Defining Strategic Planning- The envisioning process
that a point leader uses with a team of leaders on a
regular basis to think and act so as to design and
redesign a specific ministry model that
accomplishes the Great Commission in their unique
ministry context. Strategic planning is:
1. A process
2. An envisioning process
3. Requires a strategic point leader

3.  Defining Strategic Planning con’t
4. The leadership team( strategic leadership team-
SLT) is vital to the process.
5. Strategic planning involves thinking- it compels
them to think theologically about what they are
doing and to ask important, fundamental
questions , such as, What does the Bible say
about why we are here? Who are we? What
drives us? What are we supposed to be doing?
What does it look like? How will we accomplish
what we are supposed to be doing?.
6. The strategic planning process produces a
product- a unique ministry model.
7. Strategic planning must take into account the
church’s unique ministry context

4.  Defining Strategic Planning con’t
8. Strategic planning is about obeying Christ’s commands
for the church. The major , overarching command is the
Great Commission found in several passages, including
Matthew 28:19-20, where in some last words, Christ said,
“Make disciples.” the purpose of the church is to glorify
Christ ( 1Cor. 10:31), and it accomplishes this through
the Great Commission. Thus a serious issue in planning
must be, How is the church accomplishing Christ’s
commission?
 Two Additional Aspects of Strategic Planning
1. Though not exactly a part of the definition, strategic
thinking and acting can be found in the Bible.
2. Strategic planning is not operational planning-Strategic
planning addresses what a church is supposed to be
doing(its mission and vision). Operational planning
addresses how the church will accomplish its mission
and vision.

5.  Understanding the Need for Strategic Planning
1. Too few church leaders understand strategic
planning
2. Some church leaders do not value strategic
planning
 Addressing the Purpose of Strategic Planning
1. To discover the church’s strengths, limitations,
and weaknesses
2. To build on its strengths and minimize
weaknesses
3. To facilitate congregational communication and
build the organization’s trust
4. To understand and implement spiritually
healthy, Christ-honored change
5. To get people-leadership team and
congregation- on the same page

6.  Understanding the Need for Strategic Planning con’t
6. To encourage and promote spiritual revival
7. To discover and articulate your ministry core values
8. To develop and communicate your God- given
mission
9. To develop and articulate an inspiring, compelling
vision
10. To understand and relate more effectively to the
community
11. To develop a disciple-making process for the
entire church
12. To assess, recruit, and develop a strong staff team
13. To mobilize the congregation tp serve and do the
work of the ministry

7.  Undeerstanding the Need for Strategic Planning
con’t
14. To make wise decisions about the facilities and
their location
15. To inventory and access current giving
16. To explore new streams of giving to increase
current income
17. To design a stewardship strategy to help people
be good stewards of their finances
18. To analyze and evaluate the church’s budget,
looking for ways to best handle congregational
finances
19. To raise additional funds and direct capital
funding projects

8.  Understanding the Need for Strategic Planning
20. To know how to implement the entire strategic
plan
21. To regularly evaluate and improve the church’s
ministries
22. To discover the ways God is blessing the
churches across America and abroad and to
understand why
23. To know and work with the latest technology
(internet, website and other)
24. To empower the governing board and pastor to
lead with excellence
25. To build a lay and staff leadership development
process
26. To develop a marketing strategy that will best
position the church in the community to glorify
God.

9.  Determining the Number of People Involved in
Strategic Planning
 Considering the Time for Strategic Planning
How long will it take? The author suggests the
church allow from nine months to a year to
work through the initial envisioning process.
 Weighing the Cost of Strategic Planning
This is a legitimate concern because several
commitments may be involved, however, they
are not exorbitant:
1. Cost of ministry personnel
2. Cost of travel, meals, and lodging (as
applicable, if a retreat(s) during the process)
3. Cost of a qualified consultant ( if used)
4. Cost of research (demographics and
psychographics)

10.  Deciding on the Location for Strategic Planning
1. The church facility
2. The team center
3. Other facilities
 Using Creative Tools for Strategic Planning
1. Functional tools
2. Process tools-brainstorming ,storyboarding,
scale as 1to10,consensus
 Using an Outside Consultant for Strategic
Planning
 The Commitment to Strategic Planning
1. The church must commit to the process
2. The pastor must commit to the process
 Preplanning Checklist (pp49-51 in text)