ISS
Sunday, September 05, 2010
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02.16 PUTTING THE OFFENSE BACK IN YOUR LEADERSHIP 02.02 RELIGIOUS DETOX 01.05 WHAT'S YOUR STEWARDSHIP PLAN? 01.05 SEEKERS, SEARCHERS, & STRUGGLERS 10. 26 CIRCLING THE CHURCH WAGONS 10. 26 STRATEGY MATTERS |
Strategy Matters by Tim Avery
Growing up in Colorado, I have been a Denver Bronco fan for years. If you are old enough to remember Coach Lou Saban, running back Floyd Little, quarterback Steve Tensi and won/loss records like 1-13 and 2-12 [before the expanded season], you recall what a struggle the pre-Elway years were for this team. Having fired Mike Shanahan at the end of last season, the Broncos welcomed Josh McDaniels as their new head coach. With a new staff, new philosophy, new offensive/defensive schemes and sets, expectations were not high for the team this season.
On Sunday, October 11, the Broncos hosted the Patriots at Invesco Field, going into the game as underdogs. On their first offensive possession, the quarterback split out to the right, the running back took the snap and the world was suddenly introduced to the Broncos’ “Wild Horse” offense! Whether pass play or run, the team executed amazingly well all day against the Pats and wound up winning the game in overtime! New England’s defense looked off balance throughout the game, never really adjusting fully to a new and unexpected offensive strategy.
The next day, in the Monday Night Football game, the Miami Dolphins won an exciting game against the Jets. When the game was on the line, the Dolphins employed their version of the “Wildcat” offense, utilizing multiple quarterbacks and sets in the 4th quarter, to finally take the lead and win the game. Similarly, throughout the NFL that weekend, there were winning teams who utilized the Pro Set, I-Formation and variations of the above. The different strategies employed were designed to fit each team’s personnel and best serve their objective – winning the game!
The point to be made is this – strategy matters! That reality applies not only on the field of play, but in churches desiring to enrich the existing culture of stewardship as well.
In your heart of hearts, you may be able to identify seasons in your leadership when you elected to go for “quick and easy” as opposed to taking the time to develop an effective strategy. With ministry pressing in and time in short supply, there are times when it seems expedient to short-cut the process. Had the Broncos and Dolphins taken that road against the Pats and Jets, each game’s outcome would have been different.
Dwight Eisenhower once said it this way; “There are no great victories at bargain basement prices.” In God’s grand plan, He has created churches with a unique mission, history, culture and vision. That uniqueness should be understood, valued, and accounted for when it comes to planning any new stewardship initiative. Ministries that want to take great strides in stewardship amidst today’s challenging economy must embrace strategy as an integral key to the game.
The God of the universe, the Creator of all things, will provide the needed strategies that fit your church’s personnel and serve the objectives He has in mind. Like the Broncos and Dolphins, the leader’s responsibility is to game-plan; to prepare; to practice; and to execute when it’s time to hit the field.
The good news is this – you are not alone. God wants His purposes to be achieved and is committed to guiding through the process. After all, it’s about His glory, expanding His fame, building His Kingdom. In addition, your ISS coach will lead a process by which appropriate strategies are identified, discussed, and put in play in your church. Strategy matters and when employed effectively, your church’s culture of stewardship will grow; it’s footprint for ministry will be expanded; and you will experience some unexpected “wins” along the way!
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02.16 PUTTING THE OFFENSE BACK IN YOUR LEADERSHIP 02.16 RELIGIOUS DETOX 01.05 WHAT'S YOUR STEWARDSHIP PLAN? 01.05 SEEKERS, SEARCHERS, & STRUGGLERS 10. 26 CIRCLING THE CHURCH WAGONS 10. 26 STRATEGY MATTERS 09. 21 KEYS TO THE GAME 09. 23 THE DREAM TEST 09. 23 WHEN THE ECONOMY STINKS
02.26 ChurchPlanters.com Conference was fantastic. Dean Herman, pastor of 5 Point Church shares about our breakout session on Generosity. http://tinyurl.com/y8u5pcs
01.06 2010 STEWARDSHIP CHALLENGE CONFERENCES. ISS announces Stewardship Challenge Conference Dates with John C. Maxwell
01.02 THRIVE CONFERENCE. ISS will be at THE THRIVE Conference, Sacramento, CA, Apr 28-30 as a featured speaker and exhibitor... drop by and say "Hi!"
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