How far in advance of the new calendar year's Sermon Calendar do you start the planning process? When we're "firing on all cylinders," we begin the planning process the first week in October. The process begins with preparation for "data day," which is a meeting or two during which we look at the current year's measures and other inputs in preparation for a discussion about the coming year. This includes the … [Read more...]
The Evangelistic Calendar
One Of The Most Important Annual Planning Activities Of The Year
Yes, the Evangelistic Calendar creation is one of the most important activities we engage in all year. What is an Evangelistic Calendar? Everything we do is planned out carefully, weekend by weekend, to help us accomplish the mission. We do our best to plan "stuff" at times of the year that help us to create momentum, taking advantage of and recognizing the reality that the year has a "natural flow." We do … [Read more...]
Setting Priorities In The Church
Three Buckets ... A Good Model To Use When Making Resource Allocation Priority Decisions
Determining and setting priorities is perhaps one of the most important roles of the leader in today’s church. What should demand the attention of the staff and volunteers, and what should go on the “back burner?” That is the question. With limited staff and even more limited financial resources, church leaders must be clear on priority setting. What is "top priority," and what can (and should) wait? At Christ’s … [Read more...]
Fall Refresher
Ten Key Planning And Preparation Areas Requiring Some Focus At This Time Of The Year
As a church leader, you know there's a "routine" to ministry related to the calendar. Our days are filled with various activities and different priorities depending, among other things, on the time of year. It's the fall season, and we are all focused on executing plans for the fall put in writing many months ago. Of course, we're also focused on planning for the coming calendar year. Church staffs are having … [Read more...]