Most churches struggle with not enough:

  • Not enough time
  • Not enough staff
  • Not enough volunteers
  • Not enough budget
  • Not enough margin

However, most of us have everything we need to create a plan that will help our churches grow in those areas. In most cases, there just hasn't been time to work on it because we're too busy working in it. There is power in hitting pause in our church in order to create a strategic operating plan to guide the future.

Church StratOp TM guides you as you create that plan.

 

church stratop

What is Church StratOp TM?

Church StratOp TM uses the Paterson Process to help church leaders determine:

  • Where their church is now
  • Where they want to get to
  • A detailed plan for how to get there

Strat = Strategic = The art of planning for tomorrow, today.

Ops = Operations = The discipline of taking care of today, today.

StratOpIt's a proven process I will facilitate with your team to clarify your mission, vision, values and core strategies as part of creating a Strategic Operating Plan. You will have specific action initiatives coming out of the process and we'll work together going forward to ensure you accomplish those initiatives.

Nick Blevins Certified StratOp FacilitatorI would be honored to help your church walk through this process and gain greater clarity as you seek to carry out your mission. To talk more, click the button below to contact me.

 

About Me

Nick BlevinsI serve on the staff leadership team at Community Christian Church (CCC) in Nottingham, MD. I am privileged to have been part of CCC since we launched the church over a decade ago. Since that time, CCC has helped start over 10 new churches locally and around the world.

Prior to working in full-time vocational ministry, I worked for Northrop Grumman, a large defense contractor. Before that, I worked as a Project Manager at a small web development company that created web-based event management software long before web-based products were popular. I enjoyed working in a small company and a large corporation, but nothing compares to how much I love serving the local church.

I'm passionate about helping churches be as effective as possible. I learned about the Church StratOp TM process and became a certified facilitator as a way to help churches create a strategic plan and follow through on it. The process is powerful, and I'd love to talk to you about how it can help your church.

“Anyone who would truly like to get a better and more clear picture of where they are as a ministry, I would highly recommend this process. We had Nick come out to our church and do a StratOp, and not only was it fun but it uncovered a ton of potential, it was encouraging, it challenged us, and it also showed us a ton that we were already doing right.” – Todd McKeever – First Church – Des Moines, IA

 

Church StratOp FAQ TM

The following will hopefully answer most of the questions you might have, but the best thing to do is to reach out and we can have a conversation about what Church StratOp TM is and whether or not it can help your church.

How does it work?

The first 3 steps of Church StratOp TM are covered in a 2-day on-site visit. From there your team begins preparations for implementing the plan and a 1-day follow-up visit occurs 6-8 weeks later to kickoff the implementation. Finally, monthly coaching calls take place to help walk you through implementation and tackle any challenges that come up along the way.

Why is this important?

The Church StratOp TM process has been used by thousands of churches guided by certified facilitators to help them gain clarity and increase effectiveness. As church leaders we want to steward the ministry God has us in as best as we can. Here are some of the many benefits of going through this process:

  • Your team gains perspective on how your church got to where it is today.
  • Regardless of tenure, all team members begin to feel like they're on the same playing field.
  • Evaluation of your present reality helps clarify opportunities to maximize or improve.
  • Vision, mission and values are clarified.
  • Greater focus is achieved in regard to who your church hopes to serve.
  • Core strategies are developed.
  • Action plans are created with shared ownership to set your team up for success.
  • Everyone on the team is more bought in as a result of owning this process together.

Is this consulting?

I do consult with churches, but this is not consulting. I bring the process and your team brings the content (ideas, plans, strategies, etc.) I am a guide to walk your team through the process. In an ideal Church StratOp TM at least 95% of the input comes from your team with 5% or less coming from me. You know your church best!

Can we do it with one ministry and not the church overall?

You can, but I highly recommend doing it with your church overall before doing one with individual ministries or departments.

Do I know of any organizations who have done StratOp?

You probably know of multiple churches and even businesses (Business StratOp TM) who have done StratOp TM.

Willow Creek Community Church has done multiple StratOps, both for the church overall and for each department in the church.

Mark Beeson, Pastor of Granger Community Church, wrote about going through StratOp on his blog.

Otterbox used the StratOp process to grow from $10 million to over $1 billion in revenue.

What is the cost?

While there is a standard rate for a Church StratOp TM, the exact cost is determined after we land on some specific plans for your church. I can ensure you that you will pay far less than you would through other sources.