Church planning 2021

 I doubt that anyone will be sad when 2020 is over. This has been a very challenging year for nearly everyone including churches. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that 2021 will be any better. Things change so rapidly that long-range planning is impossible. Rather than develop a five or even a ten-year plan as organizations used to do we need to think in terms of months and be willing to make adjustments as necessary. Still, planning is important, and I've always found the fall of the year to be a good time to begin planning for the next church year.

Sermon planning is especially important. While I have not planned out my sermons a year in advance, I do like to work two or three months out. This gives me time to gather resources that I will need for upcoming messages, and it allows me to watch for events that can serve as illustrations of the points I'll make in those messages. If you've planned the messages ahead of time it saves you from the frustration of trying to decide on Saturday night what your message will be the next morning. (I've been there, and it's not fun for the minister nor the congregation!) It gives you more time in actual sermon preparation which should make for better sermons.

The church's vision should be considered when doing ministry planning. Let's assume that vision involves reaching people with the Gospel. What steps will the church take to help make that happen? What activities will you schedule? What programs will you implement, and are there ineffective programs that need to be discontinued? Does special training need to occur? These, and many more, should be considered as you think about the upcoming year.

Training should be a component of your planning. What training needs to occur in your church? Who needs that training, and who can best offer it? What resources will you use to provide the training?

Many churches fail to include stewardship in their planning. Some churches are so afraid to talk about money they don't, and the result is that generations have grown up with no understanding of biblical stewardship. While anyone grows weary of those churches that have a 15-minute sermonette each week before the offering is received, every church needs to plan for some stewardship training or emphasis each year.

Planning for discipleship is another area often overlooked. How will your church do discipleship in 2021? Will you focus on SS classes, small groups or find another alternative? How will this be affected if Covid continues to keep some people from gathering together? These, and all the questions listed above, are difficult to answer, but they must be addressed.

Now is the time to begin thinking about 2021. It's time to be seeking God's leadership in each of these areas, identifying strategies appropriate to your church and setting your goals for the coming year. Make sure these all get written down. A vision or a goal that is not written down is merely a dream. In Habakkuk 2:2 we find God saying, "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." Write your plans down and prepare to run into 2021 to accomplish the vision God has given you for your church.