Planning your Strategy

How long does the master planning process take?

The master planning process can take as little as a few days or as long as a year or more depending on the approach that a church takes. If the process is not given an adequate amount of time, the master plan can be too general or too dependent on the architect or consultant’s vision rather than the church’s vision. If the process is stretched out over a long period of time, it can become a very disconnected process that can become very frustrating and tiring and end with a very esoteric plan.

So, what is an adequate amount of time? What steps are necessary to develop a comprehensive master plan? The process should progress at a fast enough pace that the participants remain engaged and “up to speed” on all that is going on. It does not need to be so accelerated that decisions are being made for the church rather than with the church. A professional should never come in thinking they already know more about how you should carry out your vision than you do. The professional should be a strategic outsider that comes along side the church and helps them to develop a plan that is an accurate reflection of who they are and what God has called them to do.

There are too many organizations, especially denominational, that have the attitude that they know more than you and they can make better decisions than you. They simply want to gather enough information from you that they can develop a plan for you and tell you what you need to do. Because of their superior knowledge and intellect, they simply need a few days to glean the information that they need from you and then they can come back to you with their plan for your future. A church should never hand over the responsibility for working through their God-given vision to someone else. They should seek help from someone who can lead them through the process but they should never delegate the responsibility.

The process should also not be turned into a series of monthly meetings that go on for an indefinite amount of time. The more time that goes on between meetings the more time has to be spent getting everybody back on the same page. And the greater the distance from the first meeting to the last, the less coordinated the overall plan. The plan can become very segmented and compartmentalized and lack the clear and compelling vision that motivates and inspires the leadership and the body.

So, how long should it take? The process should be measured in weeks rather than days or months. Ideally, once the first meeting is kicked off, the team meets at least every two weeks until the process is completed. Typically, it should be a six to eight week process, unless issues are uncovered that require additional attention. The process should simultaneously deal with vision clarification, resource allocation and feasibility, and site and facility planning. They all go hand in hand. A plan that does not include vision, needs and resources is an incomplete and inadequate plan. The church has no assurance that their master plan will bring about the fulfillment of their vision without this comprehensive approach.

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