One of my favorite sayings is, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.” I was at Willow Creek Church, sitting in their board room, with a team of Kids Ministry people from around the world. One of the staff from the Willow Creek Association was leading our session on Strategic Planning. I was thrilled to get an inside look at the process that Willow uses for Strategic Planning. I was reminded how important it is to take time to do Strategic Planning.
Each year, it’s a good idea to sit down & work through a process of strategic planning.
Strategic Planning Steps:
1. Take time to pray and ask God to show you what He has in His plans for Kids Ministry this year.
2. Set aside time in your schedule (like a whole day, or a few half days) where you can focus on strategic planning with no interruptions.
3. Write down what the Goals are for your Kids Ministry. Then pull out your ministry calendar & make a list of all the programs & events that you did in the past year. Evaluate. Did these programs & events help you accomplish your goal?
4. Write down your new or reoccurring goals for the upcoming year. What steps do you need to take to accomplish those goals? Write down those steps.
5. Sit down with your Sr. Pastor & share your plan with him. Make sure your plans line up with the mission & goals of the church.
6. Then sit down with your leadership team or key volunteers and walk through the plan with them. Get their input & feedback.
7. Communicate your plan to the people who need to know. Share relevant information with volunteers & parents and most importantly, let them know that you have a direction & a plan for that year & you want them to be a part of it.
8. Strategic planning doesn’t end there. Schedule dates in your calendar to evaluate your plan along the way. Several times a year do a double-check to see if you are on track and accomplishing your goals.
9. One more thing. Don’t forget to celebrate & thank God for what He has done. As you look back on the year, be reminded of what God has accomplished & celebrate it. Share stories. Write a report for your Sr. Pastor. Email stories to your volunteer team to remind them that their hard work is making a difference. Say thanks to God for all that He has done.
