{"id":375,"date":"2008-03-07T01:01:59","date_gmt":"2008-03-07T01:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/03\/what-can-we-do-to-make-room-for-the-holy-spirit-in-strategic-planning-and-goal-setting-section-a.html"},"modified":"2008-03-07T01:01:59","modified_gmt":"2008-03-07T01:01:59","slug":"what-can-we-do-to-make-room-for-the-holy-spirit-in-strategic-planning-and-goal-setting-section-a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/03\/what-can-we-do-to-make-room-for-the-holy-spirit-in-strategic-planning-and-goal-setting-section-a.html","title":{"rendered":"What Can We Do to Make Room for the Holy Spirit in Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Section A"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 2 of series: Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit?
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nAs I explained yesterday, strategic planning can be perilous for Christians and Christian organizations. It can be a time to project our personal goals onto God. And once we have our goals, they can keep us from being open to God’s guidance in our lives. But I do believe that there is room for the Holy Spirit to work in strategic planning, especially if we do nine things. Today I’ll begin to spell these out.
\n1. Acknowledge the sovereignty of God.<\/strong>
\nGod is King of kings and Lord of lords. His will is always best. Thus the goal of strategic planning for Christians is to discern God’s will. If a planning process is going to be a context for the Spirit to work, then participants need to acknowledge the sovereignty of God, not just as a theological truism, but as the guiding principle for their work.
\nPractically speaking, when we enter into a planning process, either for our own lives or for a Christian ministry, we need to offer ourselves to God afresh. In particular, we need to lay our personal agendas before the Lord, submitting ourselves to him without reservation. I realize, of course, that this is virtually impossible, since we always hold back parts of ourselves from the Lord. But to the extent we are able, we must own that he is sovereign over our lives. This kind of admission should be made privately, but also by the planning group as a whole.
\n2. Listen for the “bass note” of biblical theology. <\/strong>
\nThe bass note in a musical ensemble, whether a classical symphony or a contemporary rock-and-roll number, provides the basis, the frame, the solidness in which the other notes resound. If the bass note is a C, for example, then the other notes will only sound right in relationship to this fundamental C.
\nSo it is with biblical theology and strategic planning. Most planning processes won’t include a great deal of explicit Bible study. But the “bass notes” of Scripture must echo throughout the process if it is to be guided by the Holy Spirit. For example, one of the deepest and loudest bass notes of the Bible is the mission of God to redeem his creation, including humanity. The strategic planning of a Christian organization, therefore, must have a missional ring to it.
\nTherefore, participants in a planning process must look at their work from a biblical perspective. They should let the Scripture fill their minds and hearts as they plan. In the end, they should be able to show how their goals are consistent with biblical values and priorities.
\n3. Respect the ways God has led in the past.<\/strong>
\nThe point of Christian planning is to discern God’s future and make appropriate steps to realize it. Planning, by definition, is a future-directed enterprise. But planning that makes room for the Spirit will take seriously what God has said and done in the past. By this I’m speaking of the biblical past, but also of more recent times as well.
\nFor example, when I became Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, it was not my role to discount everything God had done through our founding pastor, Ben Patterson, and his colleagues. Even though Ben might not have done everything perfectly (and which of us does?), I needed to respect ways that God had led him in the past. So, for example, I did not do what sometimes happens when a new pastor comes to town and jettison all worship traditions, replacing them with the hottest new thing. Rather, I worked within the traditions Ben had left for me. This wasn’t only to keep the people in the congregation from casting me off the nearest cliff. It was also a way for me to respect what God had done in Ben and other leaders in the past history of the church.
\nRespect for the past doesn’t mean being bound by it. I’ll have more to say about this in my next post in this series.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 2 of series: Planning and Goals: Is There Room for the Holy Spirit? Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series As I explained yesterday, strategic planning can be perilous for Christians and Christian organizations. It can be a time to project our personal goals onto God. And once we have our goals,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-planning-goals-the-spirit"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Can We Do to Make Room for the Holy Spirit in Strategic Planning and Goal Setting: Section A - Mark D. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}