In my very unscientific study I would estimate that 91.4% of all church plans and vision efforts last between 2 to 5 months and then are relegated to a three ring binder on the shelf of one of the pastors. Everyone is well meaning. Everyone worked hard on the plan. Everyone intended to actually work the plan. Everyone agreed to the plan. Everyone felt that the plan was an honest “rubber meets the road” attempt to fulfill the Great Commission.
Unfortunately, one of two things often happens. The first possible happening is that the inertia of the plan is simply too great to overcome. It is similar to loading a brand new truck so heavy with good stuff that the truck cannot be set in motion. If it could initially be set in motion then it could probably keep in motion. However, bodies at rest tend to stay at rest and organizations at rest also tend to stay at rest. What often happens with plans, strategies, and visions is that the initial inertia is simply too great to overcome. Even if many people lean into the load they are never able to get it rolling.
The second possible happening is also devastating to the application of the plan. Real life attacks with a flood of urgent things. The plan is set aside “for a few days” in order to fight the flood. Then, the sandbagging against the rising waters of the urgent takes longer than anyone expected and the entire team, leaders and others, get tired. Then the tired people just keep fighting the leaking levy of sand bags. The plan is forgotten. The plan, with the past 9 plans, is neatly lined up on a bookshelf and begins gathering dust with the other 9 plans.
Making the plan, difficult as it can be, is clearly easier than working the plan. Working the plan for the long-haul is where the tenacity and skill and perseverance and dogged determination and commitment are required.
In the next 14 months we are going to find out if we can 1) Overcome the “initial inertia” on our main areas of focus and 2) Stay focused on the main areas of focus in the onslaught of the flood of urgent things. (This flood is upon us—it has not so much started as never stopped.)
As a leadership team we are committed to working the plan and we believe that exciting spiritual things will happen if we pursue this plan.
Clearly the Holy Spirit must work and clearly we must lean on God and clearly we must pray. But just as clearly we must take initiative and work. (Phil 2:12, 13) We cannot do it without God and He will not do it without us.
Below is a list of our first initiatives in the “Reaching” portion of our plan. If we live into these initiatives faithfully we will see the fruit of those efforts in the form of more relationships with unbelievers, better relationships with unbelievers, more opportunities to share the Gospel, more people coming to faith in Christ, and more people getting baptized as an initial step of pursuing God and His Kingdom. That has to be good!
Our initial “Reaching” initiatives and opportunities:
MAY 4TH Lunch Meeting at 12:30 p.m. … to share about our Reaching organizational and participation opportunities. Lunch provided. Limited child-care provided. RSVP for lunch and child-care by noon Wednesday, April 30, to or 281-469-6063, or visit the Reaching Table in the Common this Sunday.
Lamkin Elementary Ministry—to meet people, be with them and give tangible help:
- Chaperoning at the 5th Grade Party. May 28th. 5 to 7:30 PM. 15 people.
- Reading to first graders very Friday at 3 PM. Approximately 10 people.
- Mentoring students once a week or once every other week for about ½ hour. Men and women are needed but especially men. This is not tutoring. It is being a friend to a struggling child—talking, listening, eating lunch, modeling mature behavior, and encouraging—giving positive influence and attention. On campus at lunch or recess.
- Guiding parents and students at “Meet the Teacher Day.” August 21st. 5 people.
- Guiding parents and students to classrooms the first two days of school. August 25 and 26. 8:30 AM to 9:15 AM. Approximately 5 people.
- Riding the school bus with 5 year olds the first week of school. August 25-29. About 3:30 to 4:30 PM. Leave from Lamkin and return to Lamkin. 15 to 30 people.
- Helpers at Family Fun Night in October.
- Helpers at Lamkin Field Day in October or April.
- Helpers to assist the Parent Teacher Organization with various events.
- Volunteers to maintain flower beds and keep them watered.
- MENTOR TRAINING MEETINGS will be offered each month—May thru August. You must attend one 2-hour meeting to be a mentor at Lamkin, or any Cy-Fair school. One of the training sessions will be at CBC.
Support Groups to give tangible help to struggling people
- Grief Share—loss recovery group.
- Over-comers—addiction support group.
- Widows Support Group.
- Infertility Support Group.
- Mental Illness Support Group.
- Marriage Mentoring Program.
- Grief Share Education Seminars: (4 X a year) 6/3 on suicide at the YMCA
BBQ Weekends—to be in connection and improve relationships with others:
- Option #1: May 16-18.
- Option #2: May 23-26. Memorial Day Weekend.
- Option #3: Any day you and your friends chose!
