Godly Dreams: Planning for Growth

Intro: Today, I want to challenge you with a mindset shift. Most of us intuitively realize the necessity of planning in our secular endeavors. If you want to build a house, that requires planning. You don’t sit down and think about whether or not you should plan it, you intuitively realize that such an undertaking requires careful planning. If you’re a school teacher, you have to plan out your lessons and curriculum. If you’re a business man or woman, you have to strategize and plan for your business.

But, when it comes to ministry and spiritual matters, I think that the vast majority of church folks, teachers included, and even many pastors, approach ministry with a mindset that humility and being open to God’s will and the movement of the Holy Spirit requires that we not make plans. We’ve learned the lesson of James 4:13-15 a little too well

James 4:13–15 ESV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Many people will disguise this lack of planning with spiritual sounding lingo, saying that they’re open to the leading of the Spirit, or that they just want to see where the spirit leads. And so, they make no plans, they don’t have any strategy for growing themselves, their families, their ministry, or their church. They just sit around doing the same things week in and week out waiting for God to bring revival, which, sadly, never seems to come.

It reminds me of a story I read about a man named Walter...

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will Chapter 7: Tools of the Trade

MAN, 91, DIES WAITING FOR WILL OF GOD

Tupelo, Miss.—Walter Houston, described by family members as a devoted Christian, died Monday after waiting seventy years for God to give him clear direction about what to do with his life.

“He hung around the house and prayed a lot, but just never got that confirmation,” his wife Ruby says. “Sometimes he thought he heard God’s voice, but then he wouldn’t be sure, and he’d start the process all over again.”

Houston, she says, never really figured out what his life was about, but felt content to pray continuously about what he might do for the Lord. Whenever he was about to take action, he would pull back, “because he didn’t want to disappoint God or go against him in any way,” Ruby says. “He was very sensitive to always remaining in God’s will. That was primary to him.”

Friends say they liked Walter, though he seemed not to capitalize on his talents.

“Walter had a number of skills he never got around to using,” says longtime friend Timothy Burns. “He worked very well with wood and had a storyteller side to him too. I always told him, ‘Take a risk. Try something new if you’re not happy,’ but he was too afraid of letting the Lord down.”

To his credit, they say, Houston, who worked mostly as a handyman, was able to pay off the mortgage on the couple’s modest home.

Obviously, this story is fictional, but it’s almost real enough that we could imagine ourselves or someone we knew in this story.

So, what is the alternative? How do we avoid falling into either the extreme of apathy on the one hand or rigidity on the other? How can we make sure that our plans align with God’s and plan in a way that honors him and recognizes our limitations?

So, what I want to do today is to challenge us with a biblical model for vision casting and planning, in hopes that we can all begin to think beyond ourselves and beyond today

A Biblical Theology of Planning.

God is a God who plans.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Isaiah 46:9–10 ESV

9 ...for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

God has definite plans for his people

Ephesians 1:7–11 ESV

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will...

There’s a lot we could talk about here, but at its most basic truth, this passage tells us that before the foundation of the world, God had plans and has been working “according to the purpose of his will.” He has a “plan for the fullness of time.”

And this truth is so obvious and prevalent in the Bible that it really doesn’t need much more elaboration. God’s plans are so exhaustive that not even a sparrow’s death in the woods is outside of his plan.

Matthew 10:29–30 ESV

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

God expects us to plan.

Proverbs clearly teaches that wise planning leads to success, while failure to think ahead results in ruin.

To not plan is to treat the will of God casually, as if it is not important.

The alternative to planning is flying by the seat of your pants and having no plans, just doing whatever strikes you in the moment. Proverbs does not have a high opinion of this approach:

Proverbs 21:5 ESV

5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.

The example of the early church is one of intentionality and planning.

When the early church had conflict over caring for widows, they made a plan to solve the problem. Their good planning resulted in continued growth for the church.

Acts 6:1–7 ESV

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” … 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Paul made lots of plans. There were times the Lord shut a door he planned to go through,

Romans 15:22–25 ESV

22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints.

And, there were other times the Lord unexpectedly opened a door that Paul hadn’t planned to go through. We must always submit our plans to the Lord and hold them loosely, but we must absolutely plan, nonetheless.

In our planning, we reflect the image of God.

God has created man and woman in his image with a divine mandate to exercise authority and dominion over his creation:

Genesis 1:27–28 ESV

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And God tasked his image bearers with caring for his creation

Genesis 2:15 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

This was a long-term task and it required long-term thinking. As humans do this, as we plan and create and exercise dominion over creation, we reflect the image of the Great Planner, Creator, and King of the universe. So, doing these things—planning, creating, exercising authority—is good and fulfills the command God has given us.

Examples of things Scripture tells us to plan for:

1. God expects us to plan ahead for our physical needs (Pro. 6:6-11; I Tim. 5:8)

Proverbs uses the example of the ant to demonstrate the importance of planning, and in the NT Paul says that one who does not provide for his family has forsaken the faith.

Relying upon God’s provision for our daily bread doesn’t mean we sit around and wait for manna from heaven. God has ordained that our normal daily bread come from our daily work.

2. Worship services are supposed to be planned and orderly:. (I Cor. 14:26-33; 40)

Paul gives instructions for how worship services are to be conducted and concludes by saying:

1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV

40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

because the alternative is disorder and chaos:

3. Giving should be planned. (I Cor. 16:1-4)

Paul instructed the Church at Corinth to plan ahead for their giving so they didn’t have to take up a collection when he arrived.

4. Our spiritual lives should be intentional and disciplined. (I Cor. 9:24-27)

Paul stressed the importance of discipline in the Christian life by comparing it to an Olympic runner:

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 ESV

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

We do not naturally gravitate to doing things that are difficult and uncomfortable. So, if we do not plan ahead, we will simply not do those things.

Godly planning is not about trying to control the future, it’s about being intentional in our obedience.

So, we’re supposed to plan ahead, but how do we do that in a way that honors God?

Godly Dreams and Goals are:

If you are familiar with SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely), this method of goal setting will be very familiar. But, this method differs in its orientation to and dependence upon God.

Derived

This is the most important aspect of godly goals. Godly dreams and goals are derived from and contribute to God’s grand plan for his Kingdom.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We know that we are created for his glory, not for our own, so all of our plans and intentions and efforts must be directed towards that end—glorifying God, not ourselves.

Isaiah 43:7 ESV

7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Colossians 3:17 ESV

17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

If God is the Great Architect of the Universe, then all our plans must be derived from his. The last thing you want is a bunch of subcontractors going rogue with their own plans and ignoring the architect’s blueprints!

Godly human plans are derivative, not original. We don’t come up with our own vision for how the universe will unfold—that plan is already written in stone. We make plans that are derived from what God has revealed to us in his Word.

If our plans are derived from God’s plan, seek the glory of the Father and the Son, and submitted to his will, they will succeed.

John 14:13–14 ESV

13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

This verse doesn’t mean that we can just magically sanctify our fleshly desires by sprinkling a little “in-the-name-of-Jesus” dust on our plans. It means that God honors our plans IF they come from a heart that is aligned with the will of God and his Kingdom.

That’s why every prayer ought to begin with or at least be spoken in the spirit of Matthew 6:10...

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

This is what the Proverb means:

Proverbs 16:2–3 ESV

2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. 3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Similarly, Proverbs 3:5-6 does not say that we should not make plans or paths, but that we should “acknowledge [God]” as we do so. Our plans ought to be derived from the will of God, not just come from our own minds and desires.

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

And, because our plans are derived from God’s plans, then any plans we make are ALWAYS dependent upon God’s will. Our plans are secondary, God’s plan is primary. We always recognize that if our plans conflict with God’s plan, God wins. Period. No questions. So, we make plans humbly, recognizing that God might have other plans, and if he reveals that to us, fine and good, we must submit to that and defer to his plans.

Even if we are deriving our plans from God and his revealed will, there is always a possibility that we have misunderstood God’s word, misapplied it, or simply that God is going to do something unexpected

So, we don’t arrogantly make plans without acknowledging God’s sovereignty. That’s what James 4:13-15 is about:

James 4:13–15 ESV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”

Note that James does not say, “Instead, you ought not make any plans.” Rather, he says that our plans ought to be fully submitted to the will of God. The godly approach is not to say, “Well, God has made a plan so I don’t need to make any plans.” No, part of God’s plan is you making plans and carrying them out as his divine image bearer. So, the godly approach is to say, “Lord, these are my plans and my intentions, but I humbly submit to your will and plan. So, if you close a door, then I will respect that and adjust my plans accordingly.”

So, this is the most important aspect of godly goals—they’re derived from the revealed will of God in his Word and, therefore, dependent upon God’s plan.

Realistic

We also need to acknowledge that our abilities are limited. Without God’s approval and his enabling power, we cannot do anything on our own. And, God has commanded us to recognize our human limitations and factor in rest.

Psalm 127:1–2 ESV

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

We have to be realistic with our plans and not drive ourselves so hard that we are not able to rest. If we do, this passage implies that God will not bless our plans and our efforts.

Jesus worked extremely hard. We see him getting up early, and often going to bed late. But, he also still made time to rest and refresh himself.

Mark 6:30–32 ESV

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.

On the other hand, we ought to work hard and not be lazy and fail to plan for the future.

Proverbs 6:6–11 ESV

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

We have to balance these two truths. Failure to plan ahead and work hard is not “waiting on the Spirit,” it’s spiritual laziness. Yet, working without rest is not diligence, it’s practical atheism.

Work and plan like an ant, not a sluggard or an atheist.

Edified

Proverbs 15:22 ESV

22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

Proverbs 20:18 ESV

18 Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.

We ought not assume that we are the only one through whom the Holy Spirit speaks. God has uniquely gifted each of us and our perspectives are important—but so are the perspectives of those around us.

We ought to seek counsel from our spouse, if they’re a strong believer, and from other mature believers in our church.

This is especially true of those in leadership positions within the church.

We also know that God has sovereignly ordained that his church be orderly and unified, and he has placed elders and overseers in each church to give leadership and oversight to the church. My job is to provide counsel, oversight, and guidance to the church to help each of you grow in your walk with Christ.

Ephesians 4:11–14 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

And, I’m going to have to give an account for how I do

Hebrews 13:17 ESV

17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

So, as far as it relates to goal-setting, as you’re setting goals for your ministry, I just want to be kept in the loop. I’m not the only person you should talk to about your goals—talk to each other and anyone that you respect as a mature believer. But, I definitely want to give input and help guide you as you’re making plans and setting goals.

Ambitious

Our goals need to be realistic in their expectation of our abilities and efforts, like we noted before. But, we also need to realize that it does not depend all upon us.

So, our planning and goal-setting should not be limited to what we think we can accomplish in our own power—because that is basically nothing.

John 15:4–5 ESV

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Part of our goal-setting and planning has to be a recognition that we serve a God who is not limited by our abilities, efforts, or imaginations.

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

His resources and his reach are not limited:

Psalm 50:10–12 ESV

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.

We need the faith to dream big dreams:

Matthew 17:20 ESV

20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

William Carey, the first Baptist foreign missionary, famously said:

Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God.

William Carey (Baptist Missionary)

Paul was ambitious and had lofty goals for his ministry:

Romans 15:20–21 ESV

20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Let’s not settle for the status quo or being average. Let us strive for excellence and strive to make a difference for the kingdom of God.

A good question to ask yourself as you’re setting a goal is simply, “Is this something I think I can do in my own power?” If so, it’s not ambitious.

Another question we ought to ask is, “Will this goal stretch me out of my comfort zone?” If so, you’re on the right track.

Measured

Any time we set goals we need some way to measure progress toward that goal. But, this is where we have to be careful, because we don’t measure spiritual success the way that the world measures success.

1 Corinthians 3:6–8 ESV

6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

We’re rewarded not based upon the results—which is how the world evaluates success—but upon our efforts, our labor, our faithfulness with what we have been given.

In the parable of the talents, each of the faithful laborers were rewarded, not according to the exact amount they profited, but according to their faithfulness with what they had been entrusted.

Matthew 25:14–30 ESV

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability...21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’..

So, in the cases of both Paul/Apollos and the parable of the talents, it was primarily their faithfulness that was rewarded, not the particular amount of return on their investments. Yet, at the same time, there was measurable progress made in both cases.

Sometimes progress can be assessed with numbers—attendance numbers, baptism numbers, giving totals, number of volunteers, etc.

Acts 2:41 ESV

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 4:4 ESV

4 But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

But, we have to be careful not to reduce “success” to a mere numbers game. Many churches are packed every Sunday that are not successful in God’s eyes because they have not been faithful. And, many churches that are being faithful have empty pews. Numbers aren’t everything. But they aren’t nothing, either, because every number represents a person.

Every “number” of baptisms and salvations and new church membership is a person whose life is changed by the gospel. One step closer to fulfilling the commission that God has given us. So, if we increase our church membership by 20 people this year, that doesn’t in and of itself tell us that we’re doing a good job. But, if that increase accompanies biblical preaching, teaching, discipleship, and evangelism dedicated to the glory of God, then it absolutely should be celebrated.

If numerical success accompanies biblical faithfulness, then it is a sign of God’s blessing and should be a cause of praise to God. But, if numerical success accompanies faithlessness or departure from biblical teaching, it is a sign of God’s judgment and should be a warning.

If faithfulness does not result in numerical success, it should cause us to pray and seek God, but should not be a source of discouragement. Isaiah was commissioned as a tool of God’s judgment upon the people of Israel, so he didn’t experience a lot of numerical success:

Isaiah 6:9–11 ESV

9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “ ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” 11 Then I said, “How long, O Lord?” And he said: “Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste,

We could think of many other examples of faithful servants of God—even Jesus himself!—who did not experience much measurable numerical success in their time, and yet remained faithful in their service and calling. We can think of churches that stand for the gospel and suffer loss of many people.

So, why even bother with counting numbers? If faithfulness is the ultimate standard, why not just merely focus on that?

Well, sometimes that is what you need to focus on. But, the general principle in Scripture is that God blesses those who are faithful. And the general principal as we talked about a few weeks ago in Acts 2 is that churches who are faithful in proclaiming the gospel and attempting to fulfill the Great Commission generally experience numerical growth.

And, given that our hearts are always trying to revert to complacency and comfort, and given our inclinations to sin—if we are not experiencing numerical progress in our goals, it is worth asking if we are truly being faithful. It’s easy to use “faithfulness” as a cop-out, but how many of us are truly faithful all the time? None of us are. We always have room for improvement. So, when I don’t see numerical progress, I don’t just dismiss that and say, “Well, I’m being faithful, I must just be an Isaiah commissioned to harden rebellious people.” Maybe you are. But, it’s probably more likely that there is some area of ministry where we could make some improvements. I’ve seen many churches that consoled themselves with “God doesn’t call us to be successful, just to be faithful” when it was very clear from any unbiased observer that there were clear areas of faithlessness that needed to be addressed.

So, it’s not that numerical progress is meaningless, it’s that they don’t tell the whole picture. We always have to evaluate our numerical progress against our faithfulness.

Another thing we have to keep in mind is that progress toward some goals cannot be measured numerically/quantitatively, and have to be measured qualitatively instead. It’s difficult to put a number on growing deeper in your faith, but clearly that’s one of the goals that we as believers need to have.

So whatever your goal is, think about how you would measure progress that goal. Don’t exclude numbers, but that shouldn’t be the only way that you assess your progress. It’s also essential to factor in our level of effort and obedience toward our goal as we’re measuring progress.

Specific

The ant knows that it has a specific amount of time to prepare a specific amount of food for a specific upcoming hardship.

Proverbs 6:6–8 ESV

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.

When you’re building a building project or contemplating war, you have to estimate the amount of funds or soldiers needed.

Luke 14:28–32 ESV

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

As Paul said repeatedly in his instructions to the church at Corinth,

1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV

40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

1 Corinthians 16:1–4 ESV

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me.

So, if we have a goal in mind, we need to think through specifically what it will take to accomplish that goal. What kind of timeline will be required? What resources will be needed? What are the obstacles in the way of completing the goal?

We start with our goal and work backwards to figure out what we need to do to make it come about. As you’re doing this, you need to revisit and think about whether your goal is still both realistic and ambitious. You may need to make some alterations to your goal in the step.

Pastor Jason’s DREAMS for Formosa:

To increase engagement in the mission of the church by those on the fringes.

To grow the church through conversions and baptisms.

To develop and train ministry leaders and teachers in the church.

To teach and preach the whole counsel of God.

Homework:

Reflect on the Pastor’s DREAMS above and develop 2 DREAMS of your own for this year in each of your areas of leadership/ministry that contribute towards at least one of Pastor Jason’s DREAMS. (If you are an assistant teacher, work with your lead teacher to develop your DREAMS together.) Write out each step on the DREAMS template and develop a timeline and plan (Specific) for how you will implement your DREAMS over the course of the next year. Make sure to get advice (Edification) from other mature believers, then meet with Pastor Jason to discuss your DREAMS.

Some example DREAMS for ministry leaders/teachers:

To increase fellowship in my Sunday School class.

To bring in new families/individuals in my class/ministry.

To recruit, disciple, and train new teachers/musicians/volunteers in my class/ministry.

To elevate the quality of teaching in my class/ministry.

To lead children/students/adults to the Lord in my class/ministry.

To develop a culture of outreach in my class/ministry.