Seasons, Series, Sprints, Campaigns – and why this matters
Dividing our time well to make greater impact
This is the second part of a four-part series on how our understanding of TIME impacts our planning.
719 words = less than 3 minutes to read!
See part 1 here. We covered seasons in that article.
Why this is important: Preachers think in series, but leadership needs to think in sprints. Campaigns are synced with the two but should be all-hands focused.
Series
Many lead pastors think in terms of preaching/teaching series. [These matter more to preachers than congregants by the way]
Using the 4 to 12 messages on a focused Bible section or topical theme IS a way to systematically teach scripture and reinforce the learnings through other means. These series get aided by graphics, set design, physical mementos, and other theming. They can also use small group-focused application curricula. Series are more important to the weekend-focused, public presentation team.
But often more connectional ministry happens, and with a greater number of volunteers and staff, in the areas NOT focused on “series.” Series are important and valuable and should be incorporated by the seasons, but more work happens focused on seasons than series.
Application:
How will our series plan intersect our Seasons Plan? Do they sync?
Will one of our series be its own season without changing our Christmas or January other emphases? Or will it fit in well with our other seasonal thinking?
Sprints
Sprints are organizational initiatives where the team gives an intense focus for up to 6 to 8 weeks in a specific area that will give a great return on the energy invested. These could be:
An outreach sprint focused on 6 weeks prior to Easter.
Followed by a 6-week sprint on getting new people to new groups.
A 6-week summer youth-focused outreach with events, activities every week.
4-6 weeks where we train everyone on team-wide software. (Necessary but painful.)
An honor season focused on Senior Pastor hand-off or retirement if your church is working on that season.
In these we need a large part of the staff team focused on that specific change for that short sprint. Think four to six weeks with a large part of the team focused.
This would be outside the normal season activity but programmed to deliver outreach, connection, or administrative result.
In my experience, a church can do no more than 3-4 meaningful sprints a year on a congregational-wide basis and be effective.
The contrast: When each department or program or ministry wants to run its own major sprint involving promotion, volunteer engagement, and events regardless of how it matches with the church’s season thinking.
This is why it is important to make sure the Core Directions of the church are articulated well and how each ministry fits into the aligned objectives it has set for its future.
Application:
What will be our sprints in the coming 2 years that we already know now?
Where do we need to focus our sprints to give them greater impact?
Campaigns after the ad…
Should I stay or should I go?
Many founding pastors are facing this question. About 65% of my clients who have served a church for a long season are staying, but moving to new roles.
Should I stay and serve in a new role or even in the community? Or should I go - step totally away from the church and maybe even the community?
How do you decide?
On March 23rd, Dave Travis will share his indicators to answer these questions after working with 150 larger churches in the area of pastoral succession.
This 25 minute, power-packed, boardroom briefing is designed to be viewed anonymously so that no one knows who is taking part.
It is reserved for Senior Pastors, Executive Pastors, and board members of larger churches.
It is NOT RECORDED. If you cannot attend, have one of your team listen in.
Story Continues…..
Campaigns
Campaigns are subsets of Sprints. Think SERIES + SPRINT. Examples:
40 Day Campaign - such as the Classic 40 days of purpose.
A generosity initiative or capital campaign.
A 21 day or 28-day prayer campaign where everything is focused on a vision, renewal purpose. (see prior article)
Some churches build in Three (3) campaigns a year that combine all of the above elements. Those are rare. One campaign a year is plenty.
We cover more of this in the Storycrafting for Churches process. If you ever want a full briefing on that process, just reach out to me at Dave.Travis@generis.com
I will say that some jokingly accuse me of thinking in ways that are too structured. “At our church, we sort of fall into something similar, but we are never that intentional.”
To which my answer is: Intentionality wins.
The clearer and more structured we are in our planning, the better results we will see across the whole of our board, staff, and congregation when it comes to impact.
Some leaders do plan well enough to structure windows for vacations, breaks, and sabbaticals where staff are encouraged to use those windows for time off, but ask for all hands-on deck during certain sprints and campaigns. But that takes special foresight, communication, and planning.
Here is a crude drawing to help you conceptualize:
But I could be wrong! Feel free to challenge my thinking. Send a reply to Dave.Travis@generis.com
Is it time to discuss your succession plan?
Reach out this week if it is. Dave.Travis@generis.com