In 2016, you’ll be doing hundreds of things, maybe even thousands, that will pull at you over the next year. You have your major responsibilities, like preaching and leading your staff, but you’ll also often be called to do the unexpected and wrestle with demands from your family and home life.

Start planning NOW to make a big impact in 2016!

But we can’t do hundreds of things well, can we? Even Jesus and his disciples had key areas that they focused on each year of their ministries. Before you get pulled too far into the wrong priorities, take the time to outline and highlight no more than FOUR specific areas that will get your primary focus this year.

Let’s start with a definition of a strategic focus area: An area of focus that you will raise above all others due to its strategic impact on the coming year.

In other words, these are areas that you are going to give extra attention to this year AND see a big return on – or even a ripple effect from – everything else you are going to do.

In establishing your four Strategic Focus Areas, with guidance from the Holy Spirit, you should divide them up into categories. Have two to three items focused on your church and overall ministry. Make sure at least one is a personal focus area, related to family, health or a personal goal that you are going to pursue.

Here are some ideas for your ministry focus areas to get you started:

• A specific church system, like Assimilation or Evangelism. You’ll always hear me say that if there is one system that brings about the quickest results, it’s Assimilation.
• Becoming an expert in a certain area of ministry
• Staffing expansion or staffing management

When it comes to your personal focus area, for many of us it’s health-related. It could be one aspect of your health and wellness, like diet or exercise. Or it could be related to your emotional or spiritual health.

Stay tuned next week when I reveal my own Big Four Strategic Focus Areas!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.