Strategic Planning

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Strategic Planning Fully Underway

July 2, 2008 in Provision | No comments

A key initiative this year for the Provision Executive team is to lead each of our subsidiary ministries through the process of establishing a 3-year strategic plan.  If you know anything about the genesis and development of our ministries, you may already sense that our boldest actions were more often event-driven than strategically informed.  Through God’s providence (and organizational protection, I’m sure), we have usually moved in more or less the right direction at these intersections of opportunity.  What we’ve missed is the discipline and benefit of prayerfully mapping out an intended strategic course in advance. 

Last fall Tom McGlinchey (CFO) and I took training from The Center for Simplified Strategic Planning at Michigan State University based upon an effective but streamlined approach made popular by Robert W. Bradford and J. Peter Duncan in their book “Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast!”  Even though Tom and I have both completed MBAs with practical work in strategic planning, this system gave us hope that we might actually be able to guide four business units (3 subsidiaries and the parent) through the full planning process in one year and live to tell it.

While strategy snobs might pull out their copies of Michael Porter’s weighty works on business strategy and cast condescending looks in the direction of this relatively short book and simplified approach, Tom and I were actually drawn to its bright lines and tight schedule.  In the time it might take the purists to define terms and agree on a methodology, our teams will be well down the road to a completed strategy.  Clear assignments, accountability for “homework” and a doable but agressive schedule keeps this approach from languishing.

In seven days together, divided into three sessions, we will walk this road with about 25 different key leaders drawn from our various ministries in locations of their choosing.  The latest round, from which I just returned, was with Stadia: New Church Strategies as we convened for two full days in Cincinnati.  With all the groups so far, the flow of energy and ideas has been surprising.   But then again, I guess that makes sense when people are given the chance to take out a blank sheet of paper and write history in advance. 

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Wise Men From Afar

May 7, 2008 in Lunch Bunch | No comments

Today we concluded Session One of Church Development Fund’s Strategic Planning effort for 2008.  Because four of the eleven participants were from other parts of the country, I took the opportunity to round them up at lunch.  The only downside for them was that this Lunch Bunch outing was an “in-ing” since we were eating catered box lunches in the hotel lobby.  No restaurant review available or needed for the cold sandwich, chips and cookie combo that was provided.

Meet Chris Bury (L) and Tim Stephens (R).  Chris handles all things real estate-related for CDF, working out of the Colorado Springs office.  While he would prefer that I not share all the embarassing details, his first date with his wife came as the result of a bet.  Based on the outcome, I’d say they both won.  Even though he isn’t that old, he has packed in a lot of experiences, including working in the entertainment industry in talent management and production.  You may have heard of American Idol.  His agency managed Paula Abdul and worked on production of the first season.  He also worked with Jimmy Kimmel on several projects, including the “Man Show.”  Who knew?  Not me.

Everything about Tim Stephens’ pre-CDF life was about the church — growing up in church, serving churches, and meeting his wife while working as a neophyte youth minister in one.  The unexpected twist was that Amy was a high school freshman when he first met her.  Before you call the authorities, they didn’t date until several years later which simply means that Tim was willing to wait for a good thing.  Good thing!.  Tim’s past includes church planting, which continues to be a passion for him in his role as CDF’s Relationship Manager in the Southeast US, based in Atlanta.

While we’re on the theme of how guys met their spouses, Jeff Frankowski (R) told us he married a real drama queen (not his words, exactly).  But it is true that his Queen-to-be was in drama, as was he.  They met while appearing in the college production of “Grease” where they were cast as the on-stage couple of Sonny and Marty.  When the curtain went down of the final production, the curtain went up on their budding relationship.  Jeff is Regional Director of Construction Cost Managment for CDF living in Mesa, AZ where he a worship team & core team member of Spring of Life Christian Church.

Tom Warner (L) wasn’t sure he had anything to share, but boy was he wrong.  You think you know someone, and then he reveals that his major at Johnson Bible College was music – with his special focus on the organ.   When we asked him how that worked out for him, he was quick to acknowledge that the call for church organists has slumped somewhat over the last, say, three decades.  Good thing he has his day job as Relationship Manager for CDF throughout the Midwest, based in the Indianapolis office. 

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