How far ahead should a church plan?

Bob Whitesel July 25, 2024

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Leaders often ask me, "How far ahead should our ministry plan?" The answer depends on the change cycle of your ministry.

Are you a slow cycle, standard cycle, or fast cycle ministry?

Some ministries are called "fast cycle ministries" and can innovate quickly. An example is often youth ministries.Youth are accustomed to having new ideas thrown at them through social media and peers. Youth leaders know this, and they readily change up the structure, content, and schedule of their youth programing. Most youth will adapt because they're accustomed to trying new things.

Another fast-cycle ministry can be a newly started church, also known as a church plant. Often beginning with a small cadre of inexperienced volunteers, the pastor is looked upon as the expert and primary guide. Sometimes pastors and volunteers have been dissatisfied with their former church and want a church that does things differently. As a result of both factors, a pastor leading a church plant has a wide degree of latitude with experimentation. A caveat is that pastors in fast-cycle ministries can eventually drive away volunteers, because the pastor has become accustomed to doing things in the church their own way.

The other end of the spectrum may be music ministries.Music is tied to a person's history and cultural comfort. People often like the music with which they've grown up.

I have always enjoyed rhythm and blues and find Black churches' Gospel Music (both traditional and newer forms) draws me into worship. There are others, such as my wife's family, who grew up in the Lutheran Church with its stately hymns that draw them close to God. Though over time many tend to moderate their cultural musical preferences, people still feel most comfortable with the music with which they have the longest relationship.

When a church leader in Pasadena, California, or Red Bank, New Jersey tries to replace a choir with a worship team, the choir usually protests strongly. For them, hymnody is tied to their truest form (John 4:24) of spiritual expression.

Christian education is often a standard cycle ministry. CE leaders usually change curriculum every few years while also mixing up their Vacation Bible School curriculum on a yearly basis. They know it takes time to train leaders in a new curriculum. And so, they don't embrace change too quickly.

A turnaround church however usually involves two cycles with two sets of goals. Often there are older, more traditional congregants with a long history in the church. For them, the existing liturgy and hymns have great spiritual depth and power. They feel close to God through traditional expressions. But also in the congregation, and in the neighborhood, there may be emerging ethnic and/or generational cultures. They may prefer worship that is more contemporary, more Pentecostal or expressed in a different language. And they may focus on outreach that goes beyond the walls of the church to make a difference in the neighborhood.

For a pastor leading a turnaround church this means pastoring two congregations concurrently! One sub-congregation may be traditional with slow cycle expectations. The other sub-congregation may want to see things done differently and more quickly, i.e. fast cycle expectations. The pastor leading a turnaround church must craft two sets of goals, each with different horizons. For the traditionalist subcongregation change must be introduced more slowly. And for the emerging attendees who are open to new innovations, a different set of goals with shorter horizons is expected.

Denominational leaders also understand the importance of having slow cycles in some departments and faster cycles in other ministries. One of my doctoral students observed, "I was just speaking to a new hire who came from church planting to serve at the conference, about how conference-level ministry just moves at a slower pace. Mainly because our audience is so broad and we're basically middle management between the local church and the denomination, we can't pivot with the nimbleness of a youth ministry or even a local church, and certainly not a church plant."

Suggestions for short-, medium- and long-term plans based on change cycles

Once you've decided how quickly your organization can innovate, you must make short, medium and long-term plans. But the actual number of months or years for each begins by determining if you a slow cycle, standard cycle or fast cycle ministry. Here are some general guidelines:

• Fast-cycle ministries will often set goals at six-month, 12-month, and 18-year horizons.
• Standard-cycle ministries will customarily create goals for one-year, two-year, and five-year horizons.
• Slow-cycle ministries may create goals longer than these, often at three, five, and 10-year horizons.

Therefore, before you start planning your future, evaluate your past and present. Then ask yourself, "How fast does our ministry change?" Understanding a ministry's change tempo determines its ministry horizons.

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Bob Whitesel (D.Min., Ph.D.) is a foresight coach, professor, and award-winning author of 14 books. For over 30 years, he has guided leaders and churches to pivot and engage what’s next. He holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and teaches on leadership foresight, church health, and organizational change. His website is www.ChurchForesight.com. Learn More »

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