Playing the Odds and Taking Our Chances

For all my many flaws, I can honestly say I have never had a weakness for gambling—at least not the kind involving casinos, roulette wheels, and the hope that a $100 bill and a pair of cleverly thrown dice will somehow become a down payment on a Ferrari. Such gaming has always struck me as one of the least-sensible vices, a conclusion that long preceded any serious reflection on my part on the ethical pitfalls inherent in the pursuit. The first and only time I saw the Las Vegas strip—arguably the gambling capital of the U.S.—my first thoughts were not moral but practical. Incredible! I thought. I wonder what it costs to run all those neon signs?

Of course, there are those who find gambling not only attractive but addictive. Their habit at best leads to an irretrievable loss of money. At worst, it decimates their spirituality, family, and career. Small wonder, then, that most Christians, including Seventh-day Adventists, have eschewed gambling in all its forms.

Well, in almost all its forms. There remains a form of gambling that many Adventist churches have not only not shunned but even embraced; a type of gaming that involves not merely the young and the reckless, but the experienced and steady, as well; a brand of playing the odds and taking chances that would put Vegas to shame on their best of nights. This much-loved church vice is the gamble . . . of having no strategic ministry plan.

Hope Is Not a Strategy

If there is no broadly implemented strategic ministry plan in your church, you are essentially playing a game of chance with your church’s witness to the surrounding community. The gamble goes like this: “We want to see people come to Jesus through our church. But we have no churchwide plan for how to achieve this. So let’s be sure the doors are open on Sabbath morning and just hope that spiritual seekers will come in. Let’s return our tithes and offerings and hope that God will transmogrify them into baptisms. Let’s not make a plan, but just keep doing what we’re doing and hope that from our nothing we will get something”—which is the very essence of gambling, is it not?

The old expression is still true: Hope is not a strategy! Ellen White’s point that “many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians”[1] is not merely a personal spiritual reality but one with an equally poignant ecclesiastical truth. We cannot simply wish that people will find Jesus through our churches; we must instead choose to actively plan, and then work that plan in order to reach the harvest as God intends.

Why Don’t Churches Plan?

To be clear, many Adventist churches do have strategic plans for how they will share Jesus in the three angels’ messages within their sphere of influence. But in my experience many more do not, with the reasons for the lack being at least threefold.

First, many churches don’t have a strategic ministry plan because they don’t know how to create one. Even if members feel the need for one, they often assume that the pastor is trained to do such things, and will wait for them to lead the way. But in my experience strategic ministry planning is not a focus for many pastors. There are a variety of reasons for this, such as the type of personality often attracted to pastoral ministry (more caregiver than organizer/leader, for instance), lack of training, being overwhelmed by the day-to-day round of ministry, etc. Whatever the case, churches often lack the skills required to put together an effective and broadly adopted ministry plan.

Second, many churches don’t have a strategic ministry plan because they mistake organization for a strategy. In other words, if you ask them if they have a strategic ministry plan, they will respond in the affirmative because, well, they are organized, and to them that strongly implies that there’s a plan somewhere. But while good organization complements any good strategic plan, it is entirely possible to have the former without the latter. I’ve seen very well-organized churches that haven’t had a baptism from the community in decades. They have order, but no blueprint for actually achieving their God-given goals.

Third, many churches don’t have a strategic ministry plan because they believe it’s unspiritual. For instance, over the years, when I have asked church members what their strategic plan is for the ministry of their local church, they seem to feel such planning is an attempted substitute for the Holy Spirit. Their basic premise is as follows: God is all-powerful (which is true); we humans are frail (which is also true); the Spirit is the one who convicts the heart (true again!); and therefore, God will bring in people to the church when He wants them to come in, thank you very much, and He doesn’t need our fancy plans to help Him out. “God has called us to be faithful, not successful” is essentially what they seem to be saying.

This line of reasoning can sound compelling. And indeed, it is true that we must be faithful whether we are successful in ministry or not. But such jaundiced views of strategic ministry planning flatly ignore the breadth of what the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy say on the topic. For while “going, not knowing”[2] makes for genuinely inspiring reading, the majority of the time God asks His people to utilize wise plans, either of His devising, His people’s devising, or a combination of the two. Noah saved a remnant of humanity by carefully following God’s strategic plan for the ark (Gen. 6:14-22). Solomon honored God through the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, a feat achieved through combining God’s and Solomon’s strategic plans (see Ex. 25-30, noting especially 25:8 compared to 1 Kings 5; 6). Jesus sent out His disciples as witnesses for Him, charged with following incredibly detailed plans (see Matt. 10), etc.

In light of this evidence, could it be that one of the reasons the latter rain of the Holy Spirit has not yet been poured out en masse among the people of God is that we are still merely gambling with the Great Commission, hoping to get something for nothing, limping along in our churches with no broad plans for reaching others for Jesus?

Undoubtedly drawing on such history, Ellen White was emphatic that “God is a God of order. Everything connected with heaven is in perfect order; subjection and thorough discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. Success can only attend order and harmonious action. God requires order and system in His work now no less than in the days of Israel. All who are working for Him are to labor intelligently, not in a careless, haphazard manner. He would have His work done with faith and exactness, that He may place the seal of His approval upon it.”[3]

Two things to especially note from this quotation: First, we are to work “intelligently, not in a careless, haphazard manner”—clearly a call to some form of strategic planning. And second, we are to do this so that “He may place the seal of His approval upon it.” While the seal of God in an apocalyptic sense is a “settling into the truth”[4] in general and the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath in particular, the Sealer in both cases is the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 1:13, 14). In other words, far from being a substitute for receiving the Holy Spirit, strategic planning is in a real sense a precursor to receiving the Holy Spirit.

Let that sink in! The implications are as profound as they are surprising. In light of this evidence, could it be that one of the reasons the latter rain of the Holy Spirit has not yet been poured out en masse among the people of God is that we are still merely gambling with the Great Commission, hoping to get something for nothing, limping along in our churches with no broad plans for reaching others for Jesus? And while there is no substitute for heart preparation and personal character development in Christ, could it be that forming strategic ministry plans in local churches will be an integral part of ushering in the finishing of the work of spreading the gospel?

How to Make a Strategic Church Ministry Plan

Making a strategic plan for your local church is not as hard as it may sound. What follows is one approach, and there are likely several other methods that churches will also find effective. I recommend the following 10 steps:

First, pray: Seek the Lord in prayer, asking for Him to lead and guide the strategic planning process. Pray individually, pray corporately, pray with your team of elders, your board, etc. God must be the head of this process. (And a free tip: Make seeking the filling of the Holy Spirit, both personally and corporately, the first step of your strategic plan. Members who follow this regularly will be greatly blessed. Those who don’t will fail at implementing the plan. There is no substitute for the Spirit of the living God.)

Second, clarify the mission: Church leadership (elders, church board, pastors) must clarify, in print, for all to see, what the unique mission of the Adventist Church is. You cannot make a strategic plan unless you first understand the goal you’re seeking to achieve. It is my experience that relatively few people in Adventism can easily and simply articulate what precisely is the unique mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Yet this is crucial if we are to do what God has specifically asked us to do and not merely imitate our evangelical brothers and sisters with more generic spiritual aspirations. Here’s a hint as to how to do this: The mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is a combination of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 and the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12. If a church lives out only the first in ministry and not the second, they may be Christian, but they are not Adventist. If a church grasps only the second and not the first, then they may call themselves Adventists, but they are not Christian. Only if both of these pivotal texts are encapsulated clearly in a statement of mission for the church to see and accept can an appropriate strategic ministry plan be subsequently devised.

Third, visualize the journey: This can be done by answering the question: What steps would it take for someone in your community who is not ready for Jesus to come to someday become a spiritually mature Seventh-day Adventist missionary for Christ? It may be helpful to draw up a general profile of the average pre-Adventist person in your church’s sphere of influence, their level of income, education, their possible likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc.—anything that might influence how they could best be reached for Jesus.

Then prayerfully brainstorm how to potentially move them step by step toward Jesus. Perhaps the process would start via a social contact first, possibly at a neighborhood block party (which church members could sponsor), followed by a number of months of getting to know one another. This could be followed, when appropriate, by inviting the new friend to a cooking school or a grief recovery seminar at the church. This could be followed later by an invitation to attend a special series of sermons planned by the pastor specifically for guests. An invitation to a small group Bible study might be a good next step when appropriate, which could lead to baptismal studies.

After baptism, think about what steps would move the new member toward maturity in Christ. Good Sabbath Schools, healthy small groups, solid involvement in appropriate ministries, etc., could all be good steps in the right direction.

Whatever steps are chosen for the strategic ministry plan, consider giving them general headings first (e.g., “Mingle with members of our community”), followed by subpoints that illustrate possible specific ways for church members to take that step with their pre-Adventist friends and acquaintances (e.g., “Sponsor neighborhood block parties”; “Use social media to engage with potential new friends”; etc.).

Fourth, integrate Christ’s method into your strategy. This was already hinted at in the previous paragraph. But it is sufficiently important that it needs to be highlighted clearly. For those unfamiliar with it, here is what this famous quotation says: “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’ ”[5]

Ask yourself such questions as: In the early steps of our strategic ministry plan, how can we help our members mingle with those who are not yet ready for Jesus to come? How can we help our members mingle with others as Jesus would, not rushing those who are not yet spiritually ready for, say, church attendance or a Bible study? How can we make clear that we are to love others as Jesus loves them, whether they ever become Adventists or not? How can we teach our members how to help those who are ready to take their next steps toward Christ?

Fifth, plan for strong connections: Make sure your strategy includes specific paths for new members to develop real friendships with existing members. This is crucial! Some people leave the Adventist Church because of doctrinal differences. In my experience far more leave because they never get connected with real friends in their local church. Don’t let this happen to you! Develop your small group ministry. Hone your Sabbath Schools to become genuine spiritual homes for new members. Plan social events for your church at which new people can mix with existing members, building relationships in a low-key, relaxed environment. Consider implementing a spiritual guardian program in which new members are assigned an existing member who will invite them to their home on Sabbaths, help answer any questions the new member has, etc. Provide clear pathways for social connections to form, and you’ll keep the great majority of your new members.

Sixth, make sure your strategic plan is cyclic: This means making sure that new members are soon and intentionally engaged in helping others also make their decision for Christ via the plan. Your strategic plan should make it clear to new converts that discipling others is normal Seventh-day Adventist Christian behavior. Integrate them into the ministry plan, particularly the earlier steps, as soon as is appropriate.

Seventh, keep it simple. Keep the plan as uncomplicated as possible, with as few steps as possible, while making it as memorable as possible. In my experience anything beyond seven steps in a strategic ministry plan becomes more difficult for church members to remember. Short and simple tends to be the most effective. To make your strategy memorable, consider creating an acronym, or starting each step with the same letter of the alphabet.

Eighth, get wide input on the draft of your strategic plan. Once an initial draft is completed, hold a series of town hall-style meetings at which church members can give feedback on the proposed strategy. This will not only give them buy-in but also make the plan better.

Ninth, with church board approval, implement the plan. The board should approve the plan in concept rather than every little detail, as strategies nearly always must be adjusted when they meet reality. Then implement the plan—and right here is where the work really begins. How many mission statements and strategic plans are gathering dust on shelves in the church world today? Dreaming, as they say, is easy, but doing is hard! But it’s also where the most fulfillment is found and, in my experience, the most fun. It is a joy to see people begin to make decisions for Jesus! So do it! Implement it with all the enthusiasm you and God can muster!

Will there be setbacks? Yes, but prayerfully work your way through them. Will it take time for full implementation to take place? Yes. In my experience it takes one to three years before churches start to see ongoing fruit coming from their strategic planning labors. But once that momentum has been built, results begin to be multiplied, and churches and their witness to the community can be revolutionized. Pastors should preach about the strategy. Leaders should make heroes of those members who are implementing the strategy in their own lives. Baptisms should be verbally tied to God working through the strategy. Keep working for implementation, and in time the benefits will be seen.

Tenth and last, regularly evaluate how the strategy is working and alter it as needed. Devise simple ways to evaluate how things are going and make time at leadership meetings to analyze those results regularly. Where necessary, make changes to the strategy. Repeat this process till Jesus comes.

Let’s Break the Habit!

The Adventist Church’s mission is far too important for local congregations to approach their ministry like a gambler, seeking to earn something for nothing. Hope really isn’t a strategy, and our days of playing the odds and taking our chances really do need to end. Let’s instead invite the fullness of the Spirit’s blessing by strategically planning for God’s success and glory.

[1] Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1956), p. 48.

[2] See the experiences of Abraham (Gen. 12; Heb. 11:8) and Paul (Acts 20:22).

[3] Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn, 1890, 1908), p. 376.

[4] Ellen G. White, Last Day Events (Nampa, Idaho: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1992), p. 220.

[5] Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1905),p. 143.