The Benefits of Comprehensive Ministry Planning and Its Correlation to Congregational Health

Abstract

A plethora of literature on the market seeks to instruct leaders on how to take their congregation through a ministry planning process. While these resources are conveniently at our finger tips, the research of this thesis reveals many WELS congregations are not putting together long term ministry plans. The purpose of this thesis is to encourage these congregations to reevaluate their ministry planning approach and use the method of comprehensive ministry planning. Three distinct sources of information provide the encouragement. First, while God commands us not to worry about what tomorrow will bring, Scripture shows God has called us to place a considerable amount of effort into planning our future work in Christ’s Church. Second, the experience of WELS pastors who implement comprehensive ministry planning in their congregations proves there are definite benefits of this practice. And third, a survey of WELS congregations uncovers a correlation between comprehensive ministry planning and congregational health.