You want people who can travel without GPS.
You need people who can answer questions that Google can’t answer (e.g., What do we do in this situation?). Remember, you can’t Google your strategy.
You need a team that figures out what to do. You don’t want one that slavishly listens to you and obeys.
You need a jazz musician who can improvise. Don’t settle for a classically trained one who only reads.
You need pushback (Overlords are only good at winning sprints anyway.).
Strategic thinking is greatly needed today. As I have talked with denominational leaders over the years, this is a characteristic that is often listed as one of the must-haves for their teams. Churches desire this in their pastors, but don’t know to ask for it or how to look for it. You are hard pressed to find a seminary that regularly talks about it or teaches it. Strategy books for missions are few in number–I can name about five of them, maybe ten if we include pastoral ministry. The men of Issachar had an understanding of the times and knew what Israel ought to do (1 Chr 12:32). Their value should become our value.
Yes, you most definitely want people who know God’s Word; but you also want those same people to know God’s world. You need strategic thinkers on your team. You need to be a strategic thinker.
What’s your strategy to make this happen?
It’s funny (not ha ha), but it seems most peoples strategy is to find someone who is doing it well already – and steal them out of where they are…. Offer them more/better/whatever – as they care for their own endeavor, not the one they are taking the leader from!
Strategy can be taught (discipled?). But also strategic thinking shows up in smaller actions as well as larger, so looking at someones life and work, even a fresh Seminarian, will often show potential. Maybe we should learn how to look better!
What are the best books to read on this subject?
See Terry and Payne, Developing a Strategy for Missions. For pastoral min. especially, Malpurs, Advanced Strategic Planning.
Thanks for the word, Drewe!
It’s listening to and encouraging those prophetic Christian voices around us. It sometimes makes us uncomfortable, because it is outside our comfort zone. Praising God has gifted my wife in this area! Romans 12:6