The 20 year plan

So Kelli and I were sitting around on Sunday night relaxing. She was on Facebook and I was either reading or watching TV (you know, married life stuff). Kelli turned to me from the computer and informed me that one of her friends who goes to a Non-Denominational church, posted on their Facebook that their church just released a 20 year plan. That’s right, a 20 year plan! Not a 1 year plan or a 5 year plan or even a 10 year plan, but a 20 year plan. This naturally led to some conversation and thoughts on ministry.

One of my next responses was to say half jokingly “I bet his degree is in business”. I was actually a little surprised myself that I was right. After a little research I found that he has his BA in Management and Organizational Development and had 14 years of experience in the business world before becoming the pastor.

I believe that there is a place for some strategic planning in ministry, but we have to remember that the church is not a business. We have to leave room for the Holy Spirit to move. In ministry it is essential to not allow our plans to interfere with God’s plan. Here are a few verses that shed some light on our plan verses God’s plan.

Isaiah 30:1

¹ “Woe to the obstinate children,”
declares the LORD,
“to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin;

James 4:13-14

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Proverbs 19:21

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

My intention isn’t to pick on this church. I just think we need to be careful in how we plan in our ministries and how far we plan. To be honest I don’t know exactly what their 20 year plan is. It is possible that it could be “to follow God with all our hearts”, but I doubt it is that general. This whole thing just has made me think a lot about the ministry God has me in and the direction he is leading. My challenge to myself is to be in tune with the Lord’s spirit and to cast a vision only when I am certain it is God’s will.