The Planning Group

President Eisenhower is said to have commented: ‘Plans are nothing; planning is everything’. A committed, prayerful planning group with the unqualified backing of the church leadership is the key to a successful programme. The planning group should be large enough to manage the key tasks, small enough to gel together.

• Personal invitation is the most effective way to recruit members.
• Individual tasks are set out in Planning Group Roles
• Clergy should be on the planning group but not take on the role of chair unless it is unavoidable.
• If clergy are not on the planning group they must be seen to be completely supportive involved in planning the preaching.
• In large churches or churches with separate congregations the membership should include members from each congregation.
• A warden should, where possible, be a member of the group to affirm the commitment of the leadership of the church.
• Try to include at least one person outside of the leadership team.
• Someone must be responsible for and capable of managing the financial analysis and able to lead the budgeting process.This is usually the treasurer but not always.
• Use the personal reflection resources or perhaps the small group resources to help the group gel and pray together.
• Use the timetable agendas to structure the group's work which is focused on completion of the case statement.

Don't give up if you are struggling to get a group together. Even in poorer and frail congregations giving is good news for the poor. It is an affirming message to those who feel worthless in the world’s eyes because of their poverty but who can realise that not only are they special in God’s eyes; whatever they bring to him in worship is especially blessed and able to be a blessing to others.