When I started in ministry two decades ago, everyone I knew was making five-year plans. While thoughtful planning is wise and biblical, I’ve changed how I plan.
Instead of planning for specific buildings, campuses, staff roles, and outreach, I plan to be prepared for opportunities that I can’t name today. Here at Life.Church, we're focusing on creating margin and planning to respond quickly to ideas that we don’t yet have.
Speed, agility, flexibility, and financial margin are far better for us than a detailed road map. We save money, reserve energy, look for opportunities, and innovate through technology to set ourselves up for whatever God asks us to do.
When people ask me what we’ll be doing in five years, I laugh. I have no idea. But I’m certain it will be more fun and more impactful than anything I could plan today.
What we've learned:
We are in the ready position. This doesn't mean we're neglecting current responsibilities, nor does it mean we're not currently active in ministry. But, instead of asking God to bless our carefully crafted future plans, we’re trying to be prepared to move when He guides us in unforeseen directions.
