When A Plan Comes Together

There's an old quote from one of my favorite TV shows growing up - bonus points if you can name the show - that goes like this, "I love it when a plan comes together!" You might remember hearing it from the leader of a ragtag group of vigilantes who would come to the rescue of people in need Robin Hood style.

The quote came to mind recently when a pastor we worked with sent me a text message. And just to be clear, no, the church had not turned into a ragtag group of vigilantes pretending to be Robin Hood. They did, however, see God move in a way they had only just begun to dream about.

Earlier in the spring we worked with a small church in western Massachusetts through a process to help them clarify where God was leading their church. They had welcomed a new pastor just about a year prior whose heart for the community was evident. Over the course of a Friday night and Saturday morning we led their team through questions, discussions, and even some frustrations in order to discern God's vision for the church and community. What came about was a simple yet profound statement. "Every child will have the resources to thrive in life." The team felt that in order for a child to thrive they would have to be healthy spiritually, physically, relationally, financially and vocationally. If you're thinking that is a huge idea for one church to take on, well, it is. But it is also the kind of place God calls his people - the kind of place where children thrive.

In order for this to happen the team identified the ministry areas which the church would need to develop including: Christian Counseling Services, Focused Disciple Making Groups, Environments for People to Connect in Relationships, and Involvement in the Local Schools. With their initial steps outlined and a plan to share it with the church the team also planned a more public announcement in which they would invite community leaders to share in their plan. What they didn't know is that this vision God had for their church was just the beginning of something that was already in the works.

A few months after working with the church I received that text message from the pastor with a picture of a document from the local school system. At the top the local school system shared their revamped mission statement for their entire system. It read, "[Our schools], in partnership with students, parents, and the community, empowers all students to thrive and build a more equitable and just world."

Unbeknownst to each other, the church and the local school system (which the pastor's wife is a teacher) had arrived at very similar conclusions on the future of the children in their community. God's up to something in western Massachusetts.

I just love it when a plan comes together.