Strategic Behaviors

Those early Christians were given a vision…the good news of Jesus reaching the very ends of the earth (Acts 1:8)…and then they went to work. They didn’t have a lot of graphs, goals & objectives, data, org charts, etc. But they did create the most successful organization in history…the Christian Church. Using their experience (as described in the book of Acts) as a model, we adopt this simple strategic plan as our own:

·        Pray always.

We commit ourselves to the vision our Lord Jesus has given us through prayer…and to prayerfully following him…every step of the way…as we go. (Acts 1:14 )

·        Set people free.

Believing that everyone has something to offer and that the Spirit is at work among us, we commit ourselves to giving God’s people freedom to do what God calls them to do. (Acts 4:20-21)

·        Take action whenever possible.

Knowing that we have something the world needs TODAY, we commit to taking action prayerfully…and quickly…whenever possible. (Acts 5:20 )

·        Expect to be surprised.

Because Jesus is Lord – and we are not – we know that we cannot be sure of everything that lies ahead. We will move forward knowing that we will certainly be wrong at least some of the time and expecting God to put us on roads we can’t even imagine yet. (Acts 8:39-40)

·        Be confident.

The future is in God’s hands. And so are we. We will move forward through uncertainty, obstacles, disappointment, and error trusting that everything will one day be exactly as God has promised. (Acts 27:25)

Leadership Structure

In order to fulfill the vision God has planted in our hearts, we know that every one of us has been given something to offer. There are three important groups at work in this church: 1) pastor & staff, 2) the church council, and 3) the ministry leaders and congregational members. Each group has a critical function, remembering that our vision is a changed world (not a well-run church organization!). The roles of each group are based on the experiences of the early church in the book of Acts: Paul, for example, had a vision for taking the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15 ). He went to the council in Jerusalem (Acts 15) for affirmation and approval. And then he and his “staff” (Barnabas, Timothy, Mark, etc.) called and trained leaders (Phoebe, Aquilla, Priscilla, Jason, etc.) who were set free to do the work of ministry (Acts 20:7-38). These roles can be summed up in this way:  

1)      The pastor and staff prayerfully and humbly take the initiative in discerning God’s vision, formulating strategies, developing programs, creating budgets, commissioning ministers, leading the ministry, and managing the day to day administrative needs of the congregation.

2)      The church council prays and studies God’s Word, in a commitment to ongoing spiritual growth, in order to be able to help flesh out God’s vision and approve strategic plans, authorize policy, select pastoral leadership, serve as a resource in staff and ministry conflicts, and approve budgets.

3)      The ministry leaders and congregational members are set free to perform the hands on ministry of caring for people, teaching, leading worship, administering programs, inviting and welcoming new people, giving and sharing, and creating a community that changes people’s lives.