Notes based on chapter 1 of Aubrey Malphurs' Advanced Strategic Planning - as used at LTCi, Siliguri

1. Section 13 - Analyzing the Ministry
5. Faith, the Essential Ingredient
6. Taking Inventory
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2. PART 1
PREPARE TO SAIL!
The preparation
for strategic
planning

3. Understanding how
you are doing and
preparing for what
you are about to go
through

4. Laying a
Spiritual
Foundation
Malphurs, ASP, Chapter 3

5. Malphurs suggests most
churches fail here as they are
not spiritually ready for the
SP process. To continue the
boat analogy of previous
chapters, the ship starts to
sink (rapidly).

6. The importance of
spiritual formation
The SLT has to call the church to
spiritual renewal and revival.
Spiritual formation is
foundational for strategic
envisioning,
Zech 4:6
Connect the whole process with
God and he will undergird all of
the process. The foundation for
a house is vital - and in SP the
foundation has to be spiritual.

7. Spiritual formation is essential
to the entire SP process.
Spiritual formation is about
sanctification - and this has to
be the aim of the whole church
- all other processes in the
church simply support this
action. All changes in church
life should be done in order to
support this (not to make
people mad!).

8. The definition of
spiritual formation
Spiritual formation is a process
through which the Holy Spirit
transforms us into Christ’s
likeness or image.
Key verse : Gal 4:19
My dear children, for whom I am
again in the pains of childbirth
until Christ is formed in you,

9. Christ is formed in you -
people should see Christ
revealed in your life - whatever
they saw in jesus then they
should see in your life:
Gal 5:22-23
This is because the HS indwelt
Jesus on earth, Matt 3:16, he
indwells you too 1 Cor 6:19
2 Cor 3:18

10. The work of the Holy Spirit
In 2 Cor 3:18 the work of
Christ being formed in you is
in the passive voice, that
means it is not done by you
but is the work of the HS in
you.
This is something that
happens to the whole church
as well as to each individual
believer - 2 Cor 1:1 is written
in that way. It is progressive
sanctification of your soul and
of the church’s soul.

11. The process of
spiritual formation
1. Acknowledged personal
sinfulness
Ps 51:5, Rom 7:14, 1 Jn 1:8, 10
We continue to sin even though we
are saved - we have been saved from
the penalty of sin but not yet the
power. Unspiritual in Rom 7:14 is
translated fleshly, under the control
of the flesh. It is a key issue to see
your own sin and acknowledge it -
Matt 7:3-5

12. 2. Confess your sins
Psalm 51, 1 Jn 1:9
Look hard into the mirror and you
will find some sin - if it is confessed
there is forgiveness- the example of
David who having committed
adultery with Bathsheba tried to hide
it only for God to expose it through
the prophet Nathan. See also 2 Sam
11-12.
Psalm 51 shows a real example of
David dealing with sin in his life -
and allowing it to be confessed to
God.

13. 3. Forgive others
Matt 18:21-22, Eph 4:31-32, Col 3:13-14
We all get sinned against - and all
have to deal with the hurt and pain
from those incidents. The real
question is what you have done with
that pain - have you forgiven the other
person, have you chosen to resolve the
issue?
Most Christians do not do this and
become angry or bitter. Using the
example of Eph 4 we can implement
forgiveness and see a change
(immediate or gradual in our lives).

14. 4. Pray for the church - intense
prayer!
Matt 7:7-12, James 5:16
God has invited you - Matt 7:7
The theology of prayer is not
hard - you will get an answer -
yes, no, wait.
James uses Elijah to illustrate
the power of our prayers -
5:16-18
The choice is between trying to
deal with matters in our
strength and ability - or
praying!

15. “Show me a church
where the people in
general and leaders in
particular pray regularly
and positively for the
church, and I will show
you a church that is
being blessed of God.
Regular prayer speaks
for itself.”

16. 5. Be positive - put off the negative
1 Cor 10:10, Eph 4:1-3, 29, Phil 2:14
Listen to a church and you can know
how it is doing spiritually - how
much is positive and how much
complaining or grumbling? Often the
more -ve you hear the less well a
church is doing.
Negativity is not meant to be part of
a believers life - such things do not
build up yourself or others.
Malphurs suggests -ve people tend
to be angry (with issues in their lives
which have never been dealt with)

17. Test for negativity in your life
- get a friend to answer these
questions:
1. Are you an optimist or pessimist?
2. Do some things at church (like
changing things) upset you?
3. When you are upset, do you
complain?
4. Do you express your complaints to
others?
Answer yes to 2, 3, 4 and you are
probably a -ve person.

18. 6. Pursue reconciliation
Matt 5:23-24, 18:15-19
This activity is not found in most
churches. Some are afraid to do it,
others do not think it is biblical.
Note that reconciliation takes
precedence over worship!
And Jesus commands those who
have been offended to pursue
reconciliation!
Excuses: “What if the don’t listen; if
they get angry or make a scene?”
Choose - do you stop for fear of man,
or do what God commands?

19. 7. Agree to church discipline
Matt 18:15-20, 1 Cor 5:1-13
Churches the practice discipline are
very rare - probably due to the idea
of being a family, and families put up
with problems and don’t want more.
This is not what the Bible teaches -
see above.
Remember that the aim is always
restoration - but discipline does have
to be done.

20. 8. Obey the leadership
1 Thess 5:12-13, Heb 13:17
Modern society likes to
question authority and does not
readily accept it being imposed
- in church people think it is ok
to readily question leaders
authority.
Malphurs suggests trust is the
issue - people do not follow
those they do not trust. Leaders
have often done things that
make people question them -
moral failures, greed etc.

21. Heb 13:17 is a key verse - If you don’t accept
their leadership you should leave and find a
place where you can accept the leaders authority
and trust them. By not obeying you leave
yourself open to God’s discipline - Heb 12:1-13, 1
John 5:16-17, 1 Cor 5:9-13

22. 9. Listen to others
James 1:19-21
Listening to others = better
understanding of others = less
misunderstandings.
Slow to listen = quick to speak =
quick to become angry.
Good listening is a key in
communication. Not listening says -
you are not impt. enough for me, I
don’t care what you have to say, I
have made up my mind.
Listening = respect in many peoples
minds - then they will trust you

23. 10. Speak the truth - Eph 4:15
Truth here is sound teaching along
with no deceit - straight forwardly
telling the truth.
Note we do not hit people over the
head with truth - speak “in love”
Do you love the people you speak
to? Are your motives pure and
good towards them?
Gossip = not speaking the truth in
love - it is speaking something we
do not know to be true, negatively,
about someone or a situation.

24. Wise leaders address this
sin and the people who
take part in it - in SP
people who feel they
might lose power will
often gossip.
Would you be prepared to
address gossip in a
person? If you would,
how could you do it in a
loving way?

25. 11. Pursue holiness - Rom 6:1-15, 12:1-2
Based on Rom 6:
A. Understand you are no longer a
slave to sin - you don’t have to obey
sin’s call to you (though you might still
do that!)
B. v11 embrace this truth in faith -
C. In the light of what Christ has
accomplished: choose either to allow
sin to master you or not to master you
(v12, 13).
People must be expected to be growing
in holiness - it is not an option - see
Rom 6:19, 22.

26. 12. Be a servant - Matt 20:20-28,
Phil 2:3-11
Leaders are servants -
Malphurs suggest at least 4
characteristics of them:
Lead with humility not out of
ego
Serve - give yourself, don’t take
for yourself
Focus on others - servant
leadership is all about other
people.

27. Love for your people is crucial
for servant leaders - love
motivates you to serve them, Jn
13:1-17. We serve others
humbly only to the degree that
we love them - if you do not
love them the dirt will remain
on their feet.
Maybe you need to have a real
foot washing ceremony to show
the SLT’s love for the people?

28. 13. Remember whose church it is -
the church belongs to Christ, Matt
16:18
Give the church back to Christ - it is
not yours or anyone else's. Therefore
it is His prerogative to do with it as
he wishes, even change it through SP!
Do any of the SLT (or others) have an
ungodly “ownership” of the church?
Put Christ back on the throne of his
church. Malphurs even suggests a
ceremony doing this - and preaching
a sermon series from Ps 47, 93, 96-99,
the enthronement psalms.

29. The implementation of
spiritual formation
Here there is a chain of events from
pastor to church community;
The Pastor
Has to be the starting point for sp.
Formation and renewal within the
church. Pastors might struggle and can
be downcast by a lack of growth, yet
the people look (usually) to them for
leadership. Make sure they properly
work through the 13 steps - and are
refreshed and revitalised by the HSp.

30. The strategic leadership team
Spiritual vitality is catching - if the point leader is
revitalised the SLT will catch it from him and start
to passionately pursue Christ.
Malphurs sets aside at least one meeting to talk the
SLT through this - if they are not experiencing this
then the church will not catch it.

31. The congregation
Spiritual vitality is infectious. The
congregation will catch it from the
pastor and SLT. Acts 2:42 suggests
four functions of church and these
when exercised corporately will set
people on fire for God.
Hearing and seeing the truth of
spiritual formation is vital in the life
of a church - Malphurs suggests
these truths should be preached at
least once a year. Call your people to
repentance and a strong relationship
with their Saviour.

32. The community
There should be a knock on effect into the community of
non-believers - they are often watching and judging our
walk with the Lord and His power in our lives.
Matt 5:14
The church is a lighthouse and will penetrate into the
community with the light of Christ.

33. Questions
Do you believe spiritual formation is
as important as Malphurs suggests?
How will your answer affect your
approach to SP?
How would you define spiritual
formation?
How mature is your church? - give it
an overall score between 1 (very low)
and 10 (excellent).
How is your own spiritual formation
- did you read and apply the 13 steps
- are there any you think should be
added?