Goals and Resolutions

As the new year rolls around many of us make New Years resolutions.  We also find out that by February we've failed to keep our resolutions.  There are two main reasons for our failures; (1) we have not given ourselves an attainable goal with benchmarks, and (2) we have not allowed someone else to hold us accountable to achieve our goals.

With that in mind, let me tell you what we're doing here with our staff.  In the past years staff have been given an annual increase in salary based upon the church's ability to pay.  Increases have been across the board; everyone gets the same raise.  That's one way of doing things.  This year we're working on an alternative that we'll experiment with this year and tweak along the way.  Marsha and I have spent the last week working with each staff member to set goals for their work for 2009.  Achievement (or exceeding) these goals will determine the amount of pay they merit for 2010.  

The goals are set in 6 different areas: 

1)  Nurturing Leadership

• What areas of ministry will you reinforce with new leaders?
• How will you train these new leaders?
•  Who will you mentor in a ministry that you will hand off?

2)  Evolving Ministries

• What new ministry will you undertake in 2009?
  
• Who will you involve in leadership?
  
•  What ministry, new in the last 2 years, will you seek to invest time and energy into?
  

3)  Fiscal Stewardship

• In what ways will your ministry add to the bottom line/ increase attendance/ decrease expense/ discover new income streams.
  

4)  Professional Growth

• What educational event will you attend in 2009 that will increase your effectiveness in your ministry?
  

5)  Personal Devotion

• How will you increase your devotion to God in 2009?  Worship attendance/ Bible Study/ Prayer/ Small group participation/ Serving the needy?
  
• How will your ministry encourage a deeper devotion for those whose ministry you supervise?
  

6)  Personal Health

• What personal health practice would you like to be held accountable for in 2009?  Exercise, eating, language, free time practices, reading.

Over the next several days I'll share with you my goals.  Last night I sat down with the Pastor/Parish Relations Team.  (They are the team at the church that directly supervises my ministry.)  They approved a set of goals I've set for myself.  I want to share these with you so you can hold me accountable to them.  I also know that I can't accomplish these without your help.  I'm inviting you to consider these goals as your own.  I look forward to your prayers and your personal assitance to achieve goals that are God sized and, I think, God provided.