Strategic Posture

One of the most common practices in the world of business and commerce is strategic planning, which is designed to direct an organization’s activity and energy towards accomplishing definable and identifiable goals. When standard strategic planning practices are adapted by the church, institutional far-sightedness can set in. Though the community might see a vision for the future, they may be blinded to the activity of the Holy Spirit which may be bursting out at the periphery or even in plain sight. Part of this stems from an inability to fully adapt strategic planning to the life of the church. In standard strategic planning, the stakeholders are often the investors, owners or employees of the organization. In the church, however, the stakeholders are not the congregation, nor the denominational body, nor the council and pastors. Rather, the stakeholders are those whom Christ calls the church to love and serve  – the neighbor, the poor and needy, hungry and sick, forlorn and suffering. Strategic Posturing is a strategic practice for the church that begins with the church’s clear discernment of the gifts that God has given them, an openness to ways in which the Holy Spirit is breaking out in the world (see Discernment Huddle and Theory U), and the ability to faithfully and trustingly pivot to where the Spirit is both calling and equipping us to participate in God’s mission. Instead of putting energies and focus into working toward a pre-defined future and missing the Spirit’s activity and invitation all along the way, we adapt a strategic posture or stance which allows us to pivot and move whenever the Spirit invites. 

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.           1 Cor. 2:10