One of the challenges facing those who lead God’s people is that of getting guidance from God for ministry.
Some advocate a strategic planning approach and build their case on the biblical teaching about wisdom. Others argue that God is the great “orchestrator” of his mission and that most breakthroughs in the advance of God’s mission happen in ways quite unrelated to our planning and strategy.
Who is correct? Well, there is no “simple” answer. There is a place and a time for both approach – it is not right to cast these two approaches into an “either-or” choice. I was challenged to think again about these questions as I listened to a recent conference talk by Tim Chester (here’s the link). He advocates at “plan the next step” approach. I think what he says is basically correct, but again, it even in his formulation, it’s not “either-or” but “both-and.”
I remember years ago being challenged to think about these issues by the life and ministry of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. Early on in their ministry, in response to what they believed was God’s leading, they resigned from their denominational mission society, started a new “organization” (L’Abri) with no promised financial backing, and moved to a tiny village in the Swiss Alps.
He and his wife refused to map out the future of organization they had just started using “strategic planning.” Instead, they based L’Abri on four principles:
- We will pray that God would send people of his choice and keep others away
- We will pray that God would send enough money to pay the bills
- We will pray that God would lead step by step and unfold his plan for the work
- We pray that God would send helpers of his choice as the work grows
Many of their friends warned them they were throwing away their lives and future – that the influence they had begun to exert in their denomination was over. Yet from that obscure location, in a totally unplanned and unexpected way, Francis Schaeffer ended up having more influence on the emerging evangelical leaders of his day than anyone else in his generation.
Were they right in their approach? What about “strategic planning”? Isn’t it “good stewardship” to plan ahead and set “faith targets” in ministry? Or should we depend on “impressions” and a sense of God’s leading in ministry? Or something else? These are important, challenging, and difficult questions for Christian leaders.
