INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC PLANNING *Notes taken from Advanced Strategic Planning by Aubrey Malphurs

Change North America & The Rest of the world is changing. (business, government, school, church). Its not a passing fad. Every few hundred years throughout western history a sharp transformation has occurred. World view, basic values, social, political structures, arts, key institutions. Now within 50 years a whole new world exists. Modern to postmodern.

Change Cont. Google Change. From time of Christ to Leonardo Da Vinci knowledge doubled (1500 years). At turn of our century knowledge was doubling every 4 years. IBM looking at advancement of computers said knowledge will be doubling every 11 hours in near future. The church does not understand megachange. We want to keep on doing what we are doing.

Examples of change Juanitta Packer - Hitch the horses wagons, go to church was all day affair, now 10 minutes People in our church saw the car introduced, radio, man on the moon, silent pictures - motions with sound - color - 3D vision. News from print - radio – television - internet - your phone. Facebook, Twitter, pictures. Society is changing not a fad. Where is the church in all this? How is it doing?

State of The North American Church Answer is not well % of churches since 1988 are plateaued or dying. Unchurched is 70-80% Who is to blame? The church for its lack of evangelism Seminaries and colleges that train pastors Lack of strategic thinking

Where are we at? Where are we at here in First Baptist? What causes a church to decline? It stops changing to reach the culture. Organizations must rebirth themselves or die. (ie. Churches in Europe, empty cathedrals, Muslims) What must be done to change this pattern? We start a new lifecycle. We begin a Second Curve.

Where is First Baptist in its Lifecycle? Lets Examine 2 graphs together Our Church’s Average Sunday Morning Attendance over 10 years Our Church’s Average Budget over 10 years

What does this mean? Within 17 years the church will be ½ its size 85 in attendance. Within 34 years the church will cease to exist. Within 4 years the budget has shrank by $46,636. An average of $11,659 per year. This year that trend is already at $9,000 loss. Within 21 years there will be no budget Within 5 years we won’t be able to financially support two full time staff members Within 10 years we won’t be able to support a part time secretary, custodian. Within 15 years the only staff member, lead pastor, will be bi- vocational.

There is hope! Is it possible to stop the plateau or decline? Yes! The reality does not look good but that is why we are here. I believe we can climb out of this with God’s help. God wants us to use this knowledge as an opportunity to thrust us farther into his ministry. 5 minute break - When you come back, Answering, “Why you are here?”