Vision and Perspective

1. Participative Strategic Planning Vision and Perspective

2. “For ships without a clear destination, there exist no good winds.” (Dutch proverb)

3. In a faith community without planning, all human and financial resources, all programs and activities lose a large part of their constructive dimension. In a community of faith with planning, there is also the effective application of all of the community’s possibilities, which helps the community reach its objectives.

4. What is Strategic Planning? According to the dictionary, planning is “a process that brings to an organization a coordinated set of actions, in pursuit of determined objectives. Literally, the word “planning” or “to plan” means to make something flat. Something flat is “smooth, without lumps,” or also “clear, simple, easy.” Planning, at first, seeks the removal of obstacles, seeks to facilitate, simplify and clarify one’s path.

5. What is Strategic Planning? “Strategic planning” is, therefore, planning with a particular quality: “strategy.” The word “strategy” comes from military language. Applied to organizations, it acquires the following meaning: “The art of effectively applying available resources and exploring existing favorable conditions in order to reach determined objectives.”

6. Planning in the Church? At first, “strategic planning” seems interesting only for businesses and secular institutions. In the church, we are accustomed to non-measurable categories such as faith, love and hope. Truly these are fruits of divine action, from God’s Spirit, and not of our strategies and plans.

7. Planning in the Bible? We have various indications that planning is recognized in the Bible. Moses received the counsel of his father-in-law Jethro to better organize his attention to the people in Exodus 18. In Ecclesiastes 10:10, we hear the wise counsel: If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success. Jesus, speaking to his disciples in Luke 24, recommends counting the costs precisely of future efforts and their consequences: Who among you, if you were to build a tower, would not sit down first to calculate the expenses, to see if you have enough to finish? … And what king, when he undertakes a campaign against another, does not sit first to consider whether ten thousand men will be enough to confront the other, who comes against him with twenty thousand?

8. Paul lists among the strengths of the New-Testament the gift of “kybernesis,” orgininally “the art of piloting or directing a ship.” It is the gift of “administering” (1 Cor 12:28) or the gift of direction in the community. To sail a ship in New Testament times required much ability, knowledge, and planning capacity. Sailing had to be carefully planned. Knowledge of the sea was primordial, as was knowledge the coasts, astronomy, and strategic use of winds and maritime currents. All of this was undertaken to safely reach the port of destination. Therefore the boat became the ship of the Church (according to Matthew 8:23-27; 14:22-23). Sailing a ship called “the Church,” assuming the task of church leadership, is to assume responsibility for planning with criteria for the safe navigation of the God’s people as they walk their path.

9. Guide for congregational strategic planning: Definition of protagonists/actors in SP Definition of the congregation’s mission Analysis of the situation Identification of the main problem Formulation of the central objective Elaboration of an action map Implementation - Evaluation

10.  1) Definition of the protagonists/actors in SP: Who is going to plan? Who are the partners? Whom should we invite? What is the role of advisors and mediators? What is the period we want to plan?

11. 2) Definition of the faith community’s mission: Who are we? What is our identity? Why are we here? What is our job? What is our goal? What kind of church do we envision? Eventually this step can be substituted for the formulation of the ‘project.’

12. Internal context External Context Strengths Opportunities Difficulties (weaknesses) Threats  3) Análisis de situación

13. 4. Identification of the principal problem What is the problem with which the majority is related; the one that articulates the others? Understand the problem’s qualities. The main problem is not necessarily the worst problem or the most immediate. Eventually select the main cause of the main problem.

14. 5. Formulation of the central objective How do we propose to solve the main problem, eliminating its cause(s)? The central objective is the opposite of the main problem. Formulating the ‘project’

15. 6. Developing a plan of action Construct a path in order to arrive at the expected results. What do we need to do in order to reach our central objective? Eventually the central objective could be broken down into specific objectives. The action plan is the set of actions, each one with an indicator for the anticipated results, with their relative timeframes, actors or institutions responsible and the necessary resources to reach the expected results. Evaluate the viability of the action plan.

16. 7) Implementation and Evaluation Disseminating the strategic plan. Monitoring the execution of the activities, modifying them if necessary. Supporting those who are responsible for the actions in the strategic plan. Incorporation of new challenges according to practice – dynamic reality. Making a permanent agenda of meetings for management and evaluation. Requesting reports from those responsible: What was planned and what was realized? What was planned and not realized? What was not planned but realized nonetheless? At the end of the proposed period: general evaluation.