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The Planning Hat

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If you’re like me, part of your week involves some sort of planning.  And, for me, in particular, this is a busy season in terms of planning.  Just this week, I have 2 meetings to work with a ministry on planning their 2017 church budget, a meeting with all the Elders and Deacons of Crestview to finalize a 2017 Budget recommendation, planning for Youth Leadership Reno County (which starts in a week), and planning for Leadership Reno County.  And, you have stuff to plan, too.  It might not be in formal meetings like me, but you have personal budgets, activities in your home (including menu), and potentially other things you want to do that require a plan.  So, I wanted to throw out a couple of things that help me manage the planning responsibilities I have.

  1. Pray.  Now, I know I could do way better in this area, but it helps me to begin here.  Martin Luther famously said something like, “I have so much to do today that I’m going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done.”  And, your planning will be helped as you breathe and remember that apart from Jesus, you can do nothing (John 15:5).
  2. Carry A Small Notebook for Ideas.  I use Field Notes (non-digital) and Evernote (digital) for such purposes.  I carry these everywhere.  If it think of something to do, I capture this, then schedule it or have it for use later.  I have brainstorm files in Evernote that I return to consistently and update with plans for the coming year.   The same holds true for Field Notes.  I jot down ideas and then I have them captured to move to the next step when it’s appropriate.
  3. Plan out of relationships.  In some cases, I do have rely on others for bigger ideas, but often, I’m looked to for a larger idea.  So, being able to plan and consider with others is helpful.  Ask people what ideas they have.  Engage their voices.  When a program is wrapping up, jot some notes or record the gist of some conversations that could make it better next time.  Meet with people and talk about their plans, hopes, and dreams.  This will enhance the experience for everyone.

Having said this, on the spiritual front, I was really helped by this word from pastor H.B. Charles, Jr. on What Is Your Vision For The Church?  It might help you, especially if you find your leadership extends into church circles, to clarify your priorities.  Hope this helps further the planning conversation.

Retreat to Plan

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Last week, I was freed up from my responsibilities at home (thanks, Meg 🙂 to get away and consider life, ministry, and long-term direction.  I know it comes as a surprise to some of you, but making plans for an organization like a local church doesn’t come by simple planning or simply getting strategic goals lined up with direction.  For me, I need lots of time unhurried to pray, think, reflect, and seek God.  While I’m perfectly happy to chart a course for a local church, this overestimates my ability to my (and the church’s) peril.

Jesus, in John 15, said that He’s the vine, we are the branches.  If we abide in Him and He abides in us, we will bear much fruit, for apart from Him, WE CAN DO NOTHING.  Get that?  It’s not about me, the Elders, or even what our local body believes we can do.  Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing.  And, His plans for the church comes as we abide in Him.  His plans for the church emerge as we consistently abide in Him.

So, I’ve been blessed with this time to plan.  What emerged out this?  Well, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I need to preaching on and what book I need to spend time preaching.  I considered where we are as a church and how that lines up with the Master’s plan for His church.  I’m stirred to action to see what needs to happen before the end of the year or even in the coming year.  And, in light of all this, I realized that apart from Him I can do nothing.

I say all this to encourage you.  Are you abiding in Jesus?  This is where fruitfulness begins.  Whether you’re a pastor or someone charting a course for this next season of your life and work, begin with abiding in Jesus.  Fruitfulness and enablement will happen through this season — at least that’s what Jesus says.

Design Your Day: Be Present

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I don’t know how you go about planning your day or what you’ll accomplish.  I think about this type of thing a lot because I’m one of those people who plan and stuff.  I was helped by this acronym in Claire Diaz-Ortiz’ helpful (and short!) book Design Your Day.  She calls it being present…

Pray (for guidance/direction)
Read (usually something spiritual or devotional)
Express (put some thoughts down on paper)
Schedule (sketch out an overview of the day)
Exercise (you’ll feel better moving daily)
Nourish (do something for yourself)
Track (at end of the day, trace progress in how much you accomplished in your routine)

May you could try these elements to help you day be better designed.  Listen to Claire…be present.

Thinking About Next Year

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There are some amazing tools I use to think through goals and priorities for the coming year.  Each December I try to think about what different priorities need to characterize my life and ministry.  Some tools I use are:

Don Whitney’s Questions to Ask At the Start of A New Year
Justin Buzzard’s Monthly Day Away to Think and Pray
Mark Driscoll’s Biblical Man Worksheet
Isaac Watts’ Questions for a Pastor (Parts 1 and 2)

Use these tools to see your heart and make adjustments accordingly.

Pray for Us…

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Would you please take a moment and pray for me and the elders (of Crestview) and our wives?  We are heading to Kansas City Thursday afternoon through Saturday to spend time in prayer and seeking the Lord about direction for the coming year.  Ask God to give us wisdom, discernment and His mind about what practical pursuits need to occupy us in the coming year.

Planning in the New Year

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Each year, I try to find a big hairy audacious goal for the large roles I play in life (Husband/Father, Pastor, Christian, Human). My husband/father goals usually relate to serving my wife and children better (obviously). My role as a pastor might include a goal to be more humble or to lead with a different emphasis. My role as a Christian includes specific aims I hope to achieve spiritually. And the human involves physical things like diet and exercise.

Some tools I’ve found helpful over the year(s) are:

Don Whitney’s Questions To Ask At The Start of A Year

A worksheet for Mark Driscoll’s sermon The Biblical Man

Plodding through a Word.doc of brainstorms from the previous year

What emerges after spending time in these things includes clarification as to what are the big areas needing attention which I plan to attack in the coming year. So…there you go. Take it for what it’s worth. But plan so that the Gospel is more deeply rooted in all that you are in the coming year.

Planning…

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Jeremy Carr has an excellent post over at the Resurgence entitled Make Plans, Not Resolutions. He highlights three types of people: the Non-Planner, the Solo Planner and the Proverbs 16:1 Planner. The Proverbs 16 Planner is:

The Proverbs 16 planner understands that God-centered and God-motivated plans honor the Lord, bless the planner, and benefit others.

This short post would be a helpful read for you. We all can plan better. Some of us need to lighten up and center on God. Others need to plan because their lives are jumbled messes. Either way, we can plan effectively because God is a planning God, trusting Him to direct us.