recruited and developed a small team of disciples, power-
fully taught and performed miracles, and ultimately chose
death on a cross and resurrection from the grave to redeem
all of mankind.
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be
established” Proverbs 16:3.
Planning starts with vision. A Christian school must under-
stand their purpose. Why does the school exist? What is
unique about the education they offer their families? How
is the model graduate characterized? Clearly articulating
answers to these questions is the first step in recognizing the
core values the school aspires to be recognized by and the
life they intend to impact. This step, in particular, is what
separates secular strategic planning with that of a Christian
school. The vision and purpose of
the school should be born out of
God’s plan, not our own. With a clear,
God-breathed vision articulated, the
Christian school needs to understand
how they are perceived in their
community, especially compared
to other educational options that exist. Market research
with demographic studies, SWOT (strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, threats) analyses, and benchmarking can all
be helpful tools as a team prepares to develop their strategic
path and priorities.
the urgent will always make planning this session difficult,
the leadership team must make this session a priority.
“Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance
wage war” Proverbs 20:18.
At the outset of the workshop, the team must understand
the difference between tactical and strategic issues. The
target of the workshop should be to deal with larger scope,
longer term improvement priorities that build capability
for the Christian school. Planting a feeder preschool in a
neighboring community, developing a formal spiritual
transformation program for students, or instituting a donor
development program would each qualify as strategic
priorities. They are significant efforts requiring a cross-
functional team over several months or years to complete.
Successfully implementing these
efforts would result in additional
capability and greater sustainability.
However, left unchecked, the well-
intended participants in this process
will unintentionally redirect the focus
of the workshop to the advancement
of personal agendas. Their discussions will often migrate to
a desired change in the car line route, a favorite candidate
for the open basketball coaching position, or a preferred
sequence of books to be used in the high school literature
track. While these decisions may be part of a detailed action
plan flowing out of a strategic priority, they are tactical
discussions that are not relevant to the top-level strategic
workshop. Utilizing an experienced facilitator for these
workshops will ensure the team remains focused on the key
priorities as they navigate the multitude of personalities and
passions inherent in any team.
Making strategic decisions is to consciously decide
not only what areas to prioritize but also which areas will
NOT be prioritized. Every organization must execute their
strategies with limited resources. Christian schools are no
exception. Strategic priorities must be time-phased and
synchronized with the resources available to accomplish
these priorities. As capabilities are added, processes are
implemented, and resources become available, the next
prioritized breakthrough area can be tackled.
The key failure to most strategic planning initiatives has
been lack of execution. The strategic planning process must
trigger deployment. Without action, a plan is useless. The
“Without action,
a plan is useless.”
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers
they succeed” Proverbs 15:22.
Strategic planning is not as much about the resulting plan
as it is about the process used to arrive upon that plan. The
learning associated with understanding the school’s current
position and where they are headed helps the team buy into
the plan and develop ownership. Engaging key stakehold-
ers of the leadership team is critical to success. The Chief
School Officer (CSO), the school board, key administration
personnel and, in the case of a church-operated Christian
school, the lead pastor are absolutely necessary in the plan-
ning process. Influential teachers or committed donors
may also be participants to consider in the development
of the school’s strategic plan. The most effective method to
connect these various leaders into the process and leverage
their inputs is conducting a collaborative strategic planning
workshop. While scheduling challenges and the tyranny of
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