Perspective by @bryanMMathers is licensed under CC-BY-ND
Over the last few months, we have heard more than one church say something like, "we can't do much of anything right now. We're just trying to do basic ministry and keep the bills paid." These churches want to improve their ministries, and they know that sometimes an outside consultant is the best way to do that. But, they feel like they are trapped because of COVID, space limitations, and financial constraints.
One of the benefits of utilizing an outside consultant is the fresh perspective they bring to your church. In a previous blog, "Do you need to update (or create) a Strategic Plan?" (https://www.visionbridgellc.com/post/do-you-need-to-update-or-create-a-strategic-plan), we discussed 5 questions to ask yourself to determine if you need to work on your strategic plan. Several of those questions hint at the fact that all churches get "stuck," all churches need to continually update their Strategic Vision, and all churches eventually encounter a lack of internal creativity.
One of my favorite scenes from the 2011 FilmDistrict / TriStar Pictures movie, "Soul Surfer," has Carrie Underwood's character, a church youth director named Sarah Hill, giving a lesson to her youth about the need to occasionally change one's perspective in order to see the full reality of a situation. Sometimes we are just too close to a situation to see a situation in its entirety. This theme plays throughout the movie with the main character, AnnaSophia Robb's Bethany Hamilton, trying to step back from a traumatic situation and gain some perspective.
There is no doubt that COVID has been traumatic for many churches. But, another reality is that many church leaders are too close to the situation to see beyond the immediate financial implications. They are suffering from a lack of internal creativity. They need to step back, gain a new perspective, and see the fullness of the reality of their circumstances.
Unless you completed your Strategic Plan yesterday, things have changed in your church since you last visited your Vision and Mission. COVID has brought new realities into "doing" and "being" the church. It is time for churches to gain some new perspective. Hiring an outside consultant to help you gain that perspective may be the best way for your church to emerge from COVID and charge into the future.
Think of the famous quote from Roman playwright, Plautus: "you must spend money to make money." We realize that COVID has brought some difficult financial circumstances to some churches. But, hiring an outside consultant to help with your Strategic Visioning may be the most beneficial way to ensure that your church doesn't face 2022 with the same trepidation it is facing 2021.
Our goal is always to be in ministry WITH churches. Let us help you. Let us help you gain some perspective on the past, present, and future realities of your church and help you charge forward with a new passion and a new purpose.