strategic vision primer.10-9-15

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR OUTREACH

Outreach activity should be purposeful and effective. It should be built on a foundational mission, and it
should drive toward desired impact. The strategic planning process focuses our resources and guides our
decision-making. It helps us design ministry structures and programs that serve the core purposes of
outreach, and to recognize when we get off track.
Alignment means that we have a clear vision of what we are aiming for and a strategy for getting there,
supported by organization and leadership that are focused on carrying out the strategy. If outreach is
aligned, then ministry programs, partnerships, resources, staff and volunteers are all moving in the direction
of our shared vision.
The strategic planning alignment grid is a map of what we want to do and how we will do it. The alignment
grid unites the various levels of ministry, from the church as a whole to specific outreach programs. This
alignment grid can be especially useful when forming teams, setting goals, and developing plans. The
alignment grid also enables us to evaluate outreach based on the factors that are most important to us.

OUTREACH ALIGNMENT - OVERVIEW

Church-wide Concord Mission: Help one another trade a checklist faith for real life with Jesus.
Concord Vision: Jesus movements in 7 spheres of cultural influence.
Core Values: Passionate influence, biblical truth, missional living, authentic relationships, thriving families.

Outreach Outreach Mission: The core purpose that drives outreach.
Overall Desired Impact: The results of outreach mission that we passionately want to see.
Strategy: How we imitate what Jesus did to achieve the desired impact.
Organizational Structure: How we are organized to carry out the strategy.
Leadership Operations: The core tasks that staff and teams must do to lead the strategy.
Ministry Focus Areas: The specific ministry arenas in which we pursue our strategy.

Outreach Mission, Impact, Strategy, Organizational Structure, Leadership Operations and Focus Areas
Teams for each outreach leadership team.

Outreach Mission, Impact, Strategy, Organizational Structure, Leadership Operations and Focus Areas
Programs for each specific outreach ministry.

Jesus *For a more detailed explanation of the outreach vision and strategy, see the section on
Movements* “Jesus movements in seven spheres of cultural influence” (p.6).

[draft 10/9/15]

OUTREACH ALIGNMENT

Church-wide Concord Mission: Help one another trade a checklist faith for real life with Jesus.
Concord Vision: Jesus movements in 7 spheres of cultural influence.
Core Values: Passionate influence, biblical truth, missional living, authentic relationships, thriving families.

Outreach What core purpose drives outreach?
Mission Lead Concord to engage and grow Jesus movements in the 7 spheres of influence wherever He sends us.
Desired What results of outreach mission do we passionately want to see?
Impact Love: Members build authentic relationships with non-Christians and pray persistently for them.
Engagement: A growing percentage of members participate capably and joyfully in best-fit ministry.
Redemption: Growing numbers choose real life with Jesus and join Concord or a disciple-making church.
Transformation: Lives and communities increasingly reflect the goodness of God’s plan.
Multiplication: New missional churches and missionally effective leaders take root around the globe.
Praise: Sharing stories about Outreach fuels Jesus movements and brings glory to Christ.

Strategy How do we imitate what Jesus did to achieve the desired impact?
Rally: Prepare members for a life of being sent to reach, restore and reproduce followers of Jesus.
Reach: Invite people far from God to embrace real life with Jesus.
Restore: Help rebuild broken lives and communities in Jesus’ name.
Reproduce: Multiply churches and missional leaders equipped to reach, restore and reproduce.

Organizational How are we organized to carry out our strategy?
Structure Staff
Outreach Leadership Team
Outreach Advocacy and Support Teams
Ministry Program Teams and Program Leaders

Leadership What functions are essential for staff and teams to lead the strategy?
Operations Develop vision and planning: Guide infrastructure, policies and priorities; plan and implement goals.
Empower leaders in teams: Cultivate a healthy, effective team; support and equip ministry leaders.
Engage and equip volunteers: Help connect, train and support volunteers; raise motivation for mission.
Strengthen collaborations: Build healthy, strategic partnerships; coordinate with other areas in the church.
Build faithfulness and excellence: Help the ministry to stay rooted in Jesus and to continually improve.

Ministry In what specific ministry arenas do we pursue our strategy?
Focus Areas Outreach in specific places - Global, Church Plant / Multisite, Community
Outreach through specific platforms - Sports, Service, Vocation
Support for outreach - Volunteer Involvement; Prayer; Communications; Training & Leadership
Development; Assessment; Event Planning

Outreach
Teams

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OUTREACH TEAM EXAMPLE: SPORTS OUTREACH ALIGNMENT

Outreach
Overall

Sports What core purpose drives Sports Outreach?
Outreach Lead Concord to engage and grow Jesus movements through sports and fitness activities that promote
Mission wellness and mentor youth.
Desired What results do we passionately want to see through Sports Outreach?
Impact Love: Members build authentic relationships with non-Christian participants and pray persistently for them.
Engagement: A growing percentage of members participate capably and joyfully in sports ministry.
Redemption: Participants choose real life with Jesus and join Concord or another disciple-making church.
Transformation: Participants enjoy better health and wellness; youth gain skills and build character.
Multiplication: Missional leaders are multiplied through sports outreach.
Praise: Sharing stories about sports outreach fuels Jesus movements and brings glory to Christ.

Strategy How do we imitate what Jesus did to achieve the desired impact?
Rally: Engage church volunteers to be part of a Jesus movement in the sphere of sports.
Reach: Invite participants in sports and wellness programs to embrace real life with Jesus through devotions,
friendships, and connections with other church activities.
Restore: Develop physical well-being; teach and model skills and character; strengthen family relationships.
Reproduce: Equip coaches, trainers and other leaders to be disciple-makers and mentors.

Organizational How are we organized to carry out our strategy?
Structure Staff – Vonnie Tharp, Manager of Sports & Recreation
Sports Outreach Advocacy Team – Adult Sports Advocate; Children's Sports Advocate; Exercise/Wellness
Advocate; Prayer/Care Champion; Strategy Specialist; Team Manager; Administrative Support
[Ministry Program Teams and Program Leaders]

Leadership What tasks are essential for the staff and advocacy team to lead the strategy?
Operations Develop vision and planning: Guide infrastructure, policies and priorities for sports outreach, in alignment

with the mission and strategy; plan and implement goals.
Empower leaders in teams: Cultivate a healthy, effective Sports Outreach Advocacy Team; support and

equip coaches and other ministry leaders; identify and build up emerging leaders.
Engage and equip volunteers: Work with Volunteer Involvement to connect, train and support

volunteers; raise motivation for sports ministry.
Strengthen collaborations: Connect with the community through sports; ensure participants reflect

Christ-like character in the community; coordinate with other ministry areas within Concord.
Build faithfulness and excellence: Keep the ministry rooted in passion for Jesus; incorporate the “Guiding

Framework for Outreach”; continually improve the ministry through assessment, feedback and research.

Ministry In what specific ministry arenas do we pursue our strategy?
Focus Areas Elementary youth sports – basketball, soccer, and flag football
Older student sports – middle school / high school basketball, soccer, and flag football
Sports camps – fall camps and mini-camps or soccer and basketball
Adult sports – leagues for basketball, racquetball, and softball
Exercise and wellness – fitness classes and equipment at the Family Life Center
The Café at Concord – a gathering place for refreshments and for building relationships

Sports
Outreach
Programs

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GUIDING FRAMEWORK FOR OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT

The Guiding Framework complements the strategic planning alignment grid. The alignment grid captures
what we aim to do. The Guiding Framework describes why we engage in outreach, who we are in our
relationship with Christ and one another, and how we design outreach programs.
We are driven by a sense of biblical calling that places our church’s outreach in the context of the larger story
of what Jesus is doing in the world. We foster an outreach culture among staff and volunteers that puts
Jesus first and supports one another in fulfilling our calling. We incorporate qualities of character in how we
engage the world beyond the church in our ministries.
Aligning our outreach with this framework promotes the quality of what we do in the name of Christ.

CALLING (Why): What is our biblical motivation to engage in Outreach?
[BIBLICAL FRAME OVERVIEW HERE]
CULTURE (Who): What kind of people do we want to become as we engage in Outreach?
Christ-clinging: All we do reflects passionate love for Jesus, desire to be more like Him, and dependence on prayer.
Servant-hearted: We focus on relationships, not just tasks; on what is best for others, not for us.
Equipping: We provide ongoing training, support and grace to help one another thrive in ministry and all of life.
Joyful: We foster enthusiasm for the privilege of co-laboring with Christ and we celebrate His amazing goodness.
CHARACTER (How): What qualities guide our practices as we engage in Outreach?
Holistic: We reflect Christ’s concern for every arena of life: spiritual, physical, emotional, financial, and social.
Relational: We do ministry with people, not to them—we respect, cherish, listen, and build trust.
Asset-based: We look for strengths as well as needs in individuals and communities, and empower potential.
Collaborative: We develop partnerships, avoid duplication, and work alongside the broader body of Christ.
Credible: We expect integrity, stewardship and ongoing improvement at every level of ministry.

See a more detailed description of this “Guiding Framework” on p. 9.

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OUTREACH EVALUATION

The strategic planning alignment grid and guiding framework help to direct the evaluation of outreach.
Outreach evaluation asks three basic questions: Are we doing the right things (significance); are we getting the
right results (effectiveness); and are we doing things the right way (quality)? To assess whether ministry is
significant, consider how it aligns with the core mission and strategy. To assess whether ministry is effective,
determine whether it is yielding results that align with the desired impact. To assess the quality of ministry, see
whether our actions and character are consistent with the guiding framework.

Outreach Desired Guiding
Mission & Impact Framework
Strategy

Significance Effectiveness Quality

Are we doing the right things? Are we getting the right results? Are we doing things the right way?
Are goals aligned with the mission Are we achieving the goals we set? Is ministry work consistent with our
strategy (rally, reach, restore, Is ministry activity leading to the guiding framework? Do our motives,
reproduce)? Is ministry focused on desired impact? relationships and practices reflect
doing what is most important, our desired calling, culture and
according to its specific mission? character?

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JESUS MOVEMENTS IN SEVEN SPHERES OF CULTURAL INFLUENCE

Concord’s vision:

Jesus movements in 7 spheres of cultural influence

Concord’s outreach mission:

Lead Concord to engage and grow Jesus movements in 7 spheres of cultural influence, wherever He
sends us.

Why start with vision and mission?

As followers of Jesus, our vision tells us where we believe Jesus is leading us. Our vision describes the
hoped-for future that we will trade our lives to help become reality.
To call ourselves a Christian means that we no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and
was raised again (2 Cor. 5:15). We exist for a purpose. Our mission describes what we live in Christ to do.
All of Concord’s outreach is driven by our desire to engage and grow Jesus movements in the seven
spheres of cultural influence. Our ministry activities are motivated and guided by knowing where we
want to go together. Without a clear vision and mission, ministries become unfocused and ineffective.
Holding on to the bigger picture sustains our energy and focus, and keeps us pointed in the same
direction Jesus is going.

Unpacking Concord’s outreach mission

Engage and grow Jesus movements:
A Jesus movement is an ongoing activity of God that draws people to choose real life with Jesus Christ,
to mature in their faith, and to become disciple makers with a passion for rebuilding broken lives and
communities in Jesus’ name.
Our understanding of a Jesus movement comes from looking at the life of Christ to see what He did.
Matthew 9:35-38 describes a typical day in the life of Jesus.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good
news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then
he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus’ life can be summed up with 4 simple words: rally, reach, restore, and reproduce.
He RALLIED followers to come with him as he went out to minister. He REACHED people with the good
news of His kingdom. With compassion He RESTORED their broken lives and communities. And he
REPRODUCED disciples who carried on his life work.

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Today we strive to do just what Jesus did—to rally, reach, restore, and reproduce followers of Christ.

• RALLY: Call and prepare members for a life of being sent into the world by Jesus.
• REACH: Invite people far from God to embrace real life with Jesus.
• RESTORE: Help rebuild broken lives and communities in Jesus’ name.
• REPRODUCE: Multiply churches and leaders equipped to reach, restore and reproduce.

We can’t create a Jesus movement—only God can do that. But by His grace, we can engage movements
of God and help them to grow. We start by recognizing that Jesus is already alive and active in every
corner of the world. He hasn’t been sitting around for 2,000 years waiting for Concord to come along
and make things happen! Our job is to discover where Jesus is moving, and then follow our King
wherever He leads us.

Seven spheres of cultural influence:

Jesus intends His followers to have powerful influence. He compares His disciples to life-preserving salt,
a lamp that illuminates a whole house, soil that produces a prolific crop, a tiny seed that grows into a
sheltering tree (Matt. 5:13-16; 13:23; 13:31-32). He promised to give us His Spirit and announced:
“Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these,
because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

Can a single person or a church “change the world”? Rarely—but we can have significant impact in a
particular area of society. A culture is made up of overlapping spheres that influence what people
believe and how they live. At Concord we have selected seven critical spheres where we particularly
seek to have an impact. These spheres include:

1. Family & Neighborhood
2. Business, Science & Technology
3. Education
4. Communications & Media
5. Government
6. Arts & Entertainment
7. Lonely & Disadvantaged

Jesus said that even the gates of hell cannot stand against the church that is built on Him (Matt. 16:18).
As we stand on the solid rock of Christ, we seek more and more of His will to be done in each sphere as
it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).

Wherever He sends us:

Each follower of Jesus is sent to engage and grow Jesus movements throughout our daily lives. Each of
us can identify one or more of the seven spheres where God has strategically placed us with opportunity
for influence—whether through our vocation, hobbies, life history or significant relationships. As
individuals and as a church, we are also called to stretch beyond our normal routines to enter spheres
where Jesus wants to use us to have an impact.

Outreach teams support Jesus movements in specific places (Community, Multi-Site/Church Planting,
Global), and through specific platforms (Sports, Service, Vocation)that create opportunities to rally,
reach, restore, and reproduce disciples.

Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Jesus sends us into our own
community and around the world to engage and grow Jesus movements in every sphere of influence.

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What Jesus movements look like: Our desired impact

What do Jesus movements in spheres of influence look like? How do we know if our vision is being
fulfilled?

General signs that Concord is becoming a Jesus movement include seeing the following with greater
regularity and intensity:

1. Love: Members are building caring relationships with non-Christians and praying persistently for them.
2. Engagement: Members are participating capably and joyfully in best-fit ministry.
3. Redemption: People are choosing real life with Jesus and joining Concord or another disciple-making

church.
4. Transformation: Broken lives and communities are experiencing restoration.
5. Multiplication: New disciple-making churches and missional leaders are taking root around the globe.
6. Praise: Sharing stories about Jesus movements energizes outreach and brings glory to Christ.

In addition, within specific spheres, we will see more and more of these values being displayed:

1. Passionate influence: Christians are occupying positions of influence, urgently seeking God’s
intervention in prayer, modeling Christ-like character, and serving as catalysts of change.

2. Biblical truth: The sphere increasingly reflects biblical standards of righteousness, justice and
compassion; Christians seek to apply God’s word to their involvement in this sphere.

3. Missional living: Christians see themselves as sent by Christ as His ambassadors in this sphere, and
4. Authentic relationships: Deep friendships are breaking down barriers of culture and class; Christians

are serving and praying together in unity; people are equally valued and treated with dignity.
5. Thriving families: Marriages and families are strengthened; generational patterns of brokenness are

healed; threats to families are transformed; parents equip children for Godly influence in this sphere.

How we go after Jesus movements: Our ministry strategy

How do we pursue Jesus movements? What does our mission lead us to do?

Concord’s outreach ministries put in action the strategy to rally, reach, restore, and reproduce followers
of Christ in spheres of cultural influence. Ways this strategy is carried out in each sphere include:

Rally: • Inspire Concord members to the vision and connect them to best-fit ministries.
• Prepare members through skill training and spiritual readiness for impactful ministry.

Reach: • Engage Christians to share Christ and make disciples in their everyday lives.
• Develop ministry programs and partnerships for evangelism and discipleship.

Restore • Engage Christians to act with compassion and justice in their everyday lives.
• Develop ministry programs and partnerships to rebuild lives and communities.

Reproduce • Support churches and ministries with a mission to reach, restore and reproduce.
• Identify, equip and disciple new leaders to engage and grow Jesus movements.

The four main elements of the strategy overlap and reinforce one another. While some programs will
emphasize one area of this strategy over others, every ministry integrates a blend of strategic actions.

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GUIDING FRAMEWORK FOR OUTREACH ENGAGEMENT
Our CALLING: What is our biblical motivation to engage in outreach?

[TO FILL IN]

Our CULTURE: What kind of people are we becoming as we engage in outreach?
Christ-clinging: All we do reflects our passionate love for Jesus and desire to be more like Him. We
persist in prayer, Bible study and Christian community, because we desperately need to remain rooted
in Jesus to bear fruit (John 15:5). We will nurture our own spiritual growth as we minister to others.
Servant-hearted: Jesus showed us the depth of his love by becoming a servant (John 13:1-17). If we love
as Christ did, we will serve humbly and sacrificially for His sake. We focus on relationships, not just
tasks; on what is best for others, not for us (Rom. 12:3-5, Phi. 2:1-8). We are drawn to those who are
poor, brokenhearted and bound by darkness, so that they might display God’s glory (Isa. 61:1-3).
Equipping: We help members discover their God-given design for service (Eph. 2:10, 1 Pet. 4:10). We
provide ongoing training and support to help people thrive in ministry and all of life (Eph. 4:16). This
includes setting high standards while giving one another grace to take risks and learn from experience.
Joyful: We are enthusiastic about the privilege of co-laboring with Christ (Rom. 12:11-12, Phil. 1:4-5).
While acknowledging that outreach is often difficult, our hope and joy are focused in Christ (Heb.
12:2). We take time to celebrate and communicate all that God is doing (3 John 1:3-4).

Our CHARACTER: What qualities guide our ministry practices as we engage in outreach?
Holistic: We imitate Jesus’ concern for wholeness in every arena of life: spiritual, physical, emotional,
financial, and social. Ministries address people’s foundational need for a reconciled and growing
relationship with Christ, while also acting with compassion and justice in a sphere or community.
Relational: We do ministry with people, not to them—we build outreach on a foundation of mutual
respect, patient listening and earned trust. We nurture authentic relationships on the long road of
helping people live to their potential. We cherish friendships as gifts, never as means to an end.
Asset-based: We build on the unique capacities of each individual, sphere and community. We ask,
“What are the strengths, goals and dreams?” not just, “What are the needs and problems?” Ministries
engage the energy, ideas and abilities of all those involved, empowering those with gifts of leadership.
Collaborative: We have an attitude of cooperation rather than competition. We develop partnerships,
avoid duplication of effort, and share in prayer and service with the broader body of Christ. Ministries
come alongside “persons of peace,” followers of Jesus already engaged in a sphere or community.
Credible: We expect integrity at every level of ministry, with stewardship of resources to achieve
demonstrated results. Ministries pursue ongoing improvement through training, research, stakeholder
feedback, and assessment. Mistakes are inevitable, but we commit to learn from them with grace.

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