Author: Faith Church

These are student session outlines from Strategic Planning Conference hosted by Faith Church in Lafayette, Indiana. 

The sessions include:

Pastoral Leadership 

Pastor Steve Viars begins the preconference by outlining the critical role the senior pastor has in shepherding the strategic planning process. 

Setting the Stage & Building the Team
Joe Blake outlines how you begin the strategic planning process and some of the key things that a plan will and won’t do for your ministry. 

Gathering Planning Data
Arvid Olson explains why a ministry needs to not only understand their ministry but also the pressing needs of the community around them. Armed with that basic understanding, the team begins to more effectively gather data.

Developing Vision & Consensus
In this session Arvid Olson unpacks what a visionary church looks like and why vision is important to the long-term effectiveness of a truly unified ministry.

Overcoming Obstacles
Just as Nehemiah faced challenges rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, churches will face unique obstacles. In this session, Arvid Olson explains the benefit of obstacles and how it helps a ministry to prepare to weather any storm.

Goal Setting
By gaining an understanding of why goals matter, Joe Blake demonstrates why having a clearly stated mission, vision and goals will help your ministry to effectively achieve their goals.

Completing and Communicating the Final Product
A completed plan is not just a pretty document. Your strategic plan should help keep your ministry focused, unified and on track for years. Arvid Olson shows how to put your plan to work in encouraging your flock and growing your church membership.

Keep it Going Through Long-Range Leadership
Steve Viars closes the preconference with a call for accountability and encouraging words on how to weather the change a strategic plan can bring to a ministry.

The notebook also includes a Strategic Planning Data CD.

Preconference Instructors

Steve Viars is the Senior Pastor of Faith Church (Lafayette, IN);  ACBC Fellow and board member; Biblical Counseling Coalition board member; Vision Of Hope board member; instructor and counselor at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries; married with three children; B.S., Bible, Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, PA); M.Div., Grace Theological Seminary; D.Min., Biblical Counseling, Westminster Theological Seminary.

He is the author of Putting Your Past in Its Place; Loving Your Community; Overcoming Bitterness; Do You Believe What God Says about You? as well as several other works.

Joe Blake serves as Chairman of Deacons at Faith Church. He has served in leadership positions for every strategic plan that Faith has produced. Joe founded IronMen, a property development and management company. 

Arvid Olson has served as Faith Ministries development director for over 15 years. He has an extensive background in production and presentation logistics, marketing, brand management, public relations and fund development. He serves on the Chamber Council of Greater Lafayette Commerce.