heading everyone in the same direction

My notes from the Planting Seeds conference with Craig Bollinger.

Heading everyone in the same directions requires:
- Unity - alignment
- Focus - branding

What does your church mean to the community?
Mission needs to be clear and posted otherwise you will perish.
Vision is an image in the mind that helps you think about what you want to become.

Alignment:
- purpose of your church – why we exist
- mission – how to carry out the purpose
- values – what is unique to us in carrying out the mission
- focus – where do we channel resources and energy for the greatest impact of our mission
- vision – what is God’s preferred future for your church

Challenges to alignment:
- agree to move forward – allows people to get on or off the bus
- channel financial resources appropriately
- don’t remain a Christian boarding house
- ensure purpose is how you are living life out every day

Process:
Determining purpose – gather people to think about
- why we exist?
- is there something we are doing that we shouldn’t be?
- what 3 ministries do we do the best?
- what 3 ministries do we do the worst?
- what do you believe the community is saying about our church?
- if we were focused on one thing over the next 5 years and be the best, what would it be?
- why do people come to this church?
- are we reaching churched people or unbelievers?
- if we’re not reaching unbelievers, why?
- if there were no obstacles, what would God want our church to be like?

Learn about the community through demographic studies and polls.

Go back to congregation with results – not refined.

What trends do you see?

Get a team commissioned by church to continue process.

Determining values:
- what do you notice first when you come into this place?
- what 3 things make you unique?
- are these unique aspects positive or negative to reaching new people?
- what do you enjoy the most about this church?
- if everything changed, what is the one thing that should not?

Resource:
Good to Great by Jim Collins