Setting Goals for Growth

Sunday School: Terry Beasley
Monday, September 1, 2008

"Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal." Walt Disney

The beginning of September marks the start of a new Sunday School year. With the new year comes opportunity for change, revision, and improvement. But how do we know where change needs to occur? Once we identify needed areas of change, how do we design and implement plans to encourage such change? Then, after we've given our revisions time to fly (or flop), how do we know if the change has been successful?

Goal setting is common place in the educational and corporate world though less familiar in the church environment. An athlete on the soccer field wouldn't consider kicking the ball without knowing where the goal is on the field! The cross country runner would be foolish to start running without a good understanding of the course before him and the direction to which he races. As Paul expressed in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me..." Paul knew the goal that had been set before him and he was determined to persevere to reach that goal! As Sunday School teachers, we too should have predetermined goals before us. However, how do we set, plan for, and evaluate these goals?

First, to plan for where we are going, we must know where we are! Goal setting for the Sunday School ministry, department, or class must begin with an honest review of the numbers. Several specific questions should be asked and answered. What is our enrollment? What is our attendance? What is the percentage relationship between our enrollment and attendance? Are there enrollment/attendance trends that we can see? (For example, our attendance in the senior adult department is very strong but continually weakens through the young adult department.) How many prospects have we identified for our Sunday School program? How many contacts are made through the Sunday School each week? How many Sunday School leaders have been enlisted and trained?

Once, we review the data to see where we are, we can set goals for each area: enrollment, attendance, prospects, contacts, and leaders. The goals must be attainable and realistic. Mary Kay Ash once said that "A good goal is like a strenuous exercise - it makes you stretch." We must not expect to see drastic changes immediately. In fact, if we do, these changes may not last. A growth rate of 5% annually for a Sunday School class or ministry would be substantial! The more we can involve our Sunday School leadership in the goal setting process, the more ownership they will accept.

Goal setting itself will not guarantee improvement. The next essential step is the development of an action plan to achieve the stated goal. If your goal is to see your Sunday School program increase its enrollment by 5% over a period of one year, what are the things that will be done for the purpose of reaching this goal? Who will be responsible for each step within the action plan? What is the timeline for the completion of each step? Again, the development of an action plan must not be done by one or two leaders in the confines of a church office. For the goal to be attained, we must have ownership of the goal and the plan by the teachers, leaders, and members of the Sunday School classes and departments. It is work; work that must be shared.

Finally, after goals have been set, action plans have been developed and implemented, there will come a time for assessment. This involves measuring the results of your actions to see if you have reached your goals. Just as it does no good to set goals with no action plans, it also accomplishes little to implement action plans and then not evaluate the success of those plans. If we have followed through with our action plan, we have a better likelihood of meeting our goal. Measure your success. Make adjustments where necessary. Celebrate the victories!

If the Sunday School team of the Heart of Kansas Southern Baptist Association can assist you in reviewing your Sunday School data and guiding you in the goal setting process, please do not hesitate to contact Terry Beasley at Sharon Baptist Church in Wichita.

"The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leaders and followers... Leaders, followers and goals make up the three equally necessary supports for leadership." Gary Wills, American Author