How to Set Goals in a Ministry

Setting goals for your ministry helps pave the future for your programs and provides a source of motivation for those providing programs. Goal setting can help you concentrate the efforts and offers a ministry a long-term vision to guide how you budget your time and resources. When setting goals in a ministry, goals should be clearly defined, as well as show how you might measure their progress.

Create an outline of what you want to do with the ministry over the next three years and identify goals that you want to achieve.

Brainstorm specific categories in which you may want to set goals, such as career development for those involved in the ministry, a financial budget of how much you want your ministry to receive annually, whom you want to be involved in the ministry and how many people you want to be involved, and other categories that reflect what you want to do.

Break the goals down into smaller targets, such as the number of people whom you wish to serve. If your ministry serves 50 families, then you may want to expand, so you serve 100 families in the next year and 200 in the year after.

State each goal in a positive manner. For instance, if your goal for your ministry is financial, state, “We will make X number of dollars each month” rather than “We will make X number of dollars to pay off a debt.”

Determine how you will measure whether the goal will be achieved. If it cannot be quantified, then it may not be the best goal. For instance, stating the ministry will grow is too broad and cannot be quantified, while stating the ministry will grow by X percent is measurable.

Create a chart to outline a quarterly time frame, so each goal is precise and time specific. State when you want to achieve the stated goal. Create a list of things you need to do achieve these goals.

Review your goals to make sure that each is attainable and that you have an action plan on how to achieve it. Make sure that the goal is rewarding and relevant to your ministry.

Prioritize your goals to avoid becoming overwhelmed by having too many goals.

Write goals down in a visible area to remind those involved in the daily operations of the ministry of its focus and vision. Write the goals, so you say “I will” or “We will,” stating the goal, the time you want to accomplish the goal and what actions you will take to achieve it.