Creating a Mission Action Plan

1. Creating a Mission Action Plan Within a typical Mission Community

2. How our society has changed 1A consumer culture • we expect a level of choice • we want things that suit us • we get our identity from these choices But we’ve got… a one-size-fits-all church

3. How our society has changed 2A mobile culture • ‘local’ has become much bigger • we choose who we relate to • we live by ‘network’ as well as neighbourhood But we’ve got… the local church

4. How our society has changed 3A ‘tolerant’ culture • a culture of separate groups • each has its own ‘truth’ • harmony means not questioning the truths of others But we’ve got… the ‘true’ church

5. The importance of conscious planning • In stable social situations, you need persistence • The virtue of faithfulness • In changed social situations, you need astuteness • The wisdom of Solomon: ‘wisely virtuous’ • Persistence in changed situations is misplaced energy • Like the band playing on the Titanic…

6. Planning Church for the 21st Century • Church for a consumer, mobile, ‘tolerant’ culture needs: • A variety of styles of spirituality • Membership by ‘network’ as well as locality • Different ‘ways in’ to exploring God’s truth

7. What will a Mission Action Plan do? A MAP makes sure the life and work of your church is: • Purposeful • Doing what you are convinced is needed • Developing • Always improving how you do these things • Focussed • Not distracted by less important things

8. A Mission Action Plan… • Is built on vision • A sense of what God wants to do • Specific to this place and this time • Is practical • What you are going to do • And who will do it…

9. Four Stages • Share together what is on your hearts to do for God and His Kingdom • At this time and in this place • Ask the leaders to work with you to shape this into an overall vision • Keeping the variety of viewpoints expressed • Task the leaders with turning the vision into plans for each congregation • Appropriate to the gifts and opportunities of each • Play your part in working out the plan within your congregation • In genuine cooperation with other congregations

10. 1. Share together • what is on your hearts • in small groups • Your story • How God led you into the church • The church’s story • Recent things God has done in your church • Your dreams • The church you would love to belong to • The key issues • If the church is to move forward

11. 2. Shaping a Vision • The work of a smaller group • Including the key leaders • Sifting the wider work • Using some discernment • Pulling it together • But keeping the breadth

12. 3. Develop the Plans Three aspects to a Plan • Looking out • What each congregation wants to contribute to the mission of God today • Looking in • The common life of the people who will enact this contribution • Looking up • The prayer and worship that will inspire and direct each congregation

13. 4. Play your part • Understand the bigger picture • The mission of God in our modern varied society • Be committed to the mission of your congregation • Your faithfulness is important • Work in a spirit of cooperation • This is not a competition!

14. The pitfall of perfection… • None of us can come up with the ‘perfect plan’ • Some plan is better than no plan • There is a ‘good enough’ plan