The Congregational Consulting Group, organized in 2014 by former consultants of the Alban Institute, is a network of independent consultants. We publish PERSPECTIVES for Congregational Leaders—thoughts on topics of interest to leaders of congregations and other purpose-driven organizations. — Dan Hotchkiss, editor
An energy buzz often appears at the start of a new program year. Staff return from vacation feeling rested and renewed. Small groups re-form with fresh curriculum. Committees connect with dreams for a new season. If we aren’t intentional about how we align this energy, it won’t last. Buzz dissipates. Unaligned, we retreat eventually to the former status quo.
It is a truth all but universally acknowledged—especially in small congregations—that whoever does the work should call the shots. Musicians are responsible for music, educators manage children’s programs, activists organize for social change. In the chancel, everyone defers to the altar guild. The underlying principle is clear: “Those with know-how should decide-how!”
But sometimes we go even further and let people who know how also decide what the congregation should be trying to accomplish. I want to propose an improved rule: “Those with know-how should decide-how, but everyone should have a voice when we decide-what.”
Much of our decision making over the past two years has been reactive. Continually shifting COVID protocols, political polarization, and local and global turmoil leave us feeling fragmented. You may be wondering whether you have been strategic enough. Has your preoccupation with managing the chaos prevented you from pursuing mission, vision, and intentional innovation? Cultivating six habits can help you get strategically reoriented now.
“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.” This military paradox, memorably stated by President Dwight Eisenhower, is particularly salient for congregations in this moment. So much has changed, so much is changing. Planning can seem useless when we are so likely to be forced to lay our plans aside and improvise. Some say the world is changing so fast that “planning” is outmoded altogether.
I disagree.
Board leaders long for meaningful meetings. Instead, many participate in mind-numbing meetings that repetitively chase topics, with little forward momentum. Agendas are rigidly structured around the receipt of reports, with little work that actually impacts the future of the congregation. What would it take to foster more fruitful board conversations?
