When Pastor Ben (not his real name) began to think about aligning his congregation toward a unified approach to ministry, he knew it had to be built on a solid confession of faith and a clear understanding of the Gospel. Thankfully, that had been the center of his work at St. Luke since his first day, that was three years ago. The members there had been very supportive of his ministry. They love him and his family. Everyone is in a good place. But he has a sense that there might be more that God wants to do in him and in his church.

Pastor Ben and St. Luke have agreed to enter into a Strategic Mission Planning process. The Texas District Congregation Support Specialist led Pastor Ben and the church leaders in a series of gatherings to formulate this mission plan. Pastor Ben has reached out to a group of 12 people from the congregation. These are men and women of different ages. Some are official leaders in the church. Some are new members. Some are long-time members. All love the church and want to see the church do well. They want to be more intentional in their ministry approach.

At the first meeting, they began to examine the church’s unique identity, mission opportunities, and resources for God’s mission. They considered how they needed to carry out his mission there. They also identified the reasons they do what they do and their values. They ended the day having crafted a mission statement, identified their strategies, and identified their values.

Their next meeting will be a couple of weeks later. We’ll look at that meeting next time.

By Rev. David Bahn, D. Min

Congregation Support Specialist, Area D