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Ministry F.A.Qs - Planning for Medical Ministries Ministry FAQs in Spanish Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about planning for medical ministries
How can I make sure my ministry ideas are valid?Good ministry decisions require information and intuition, like good medical decisions. To make sure your ministry is sustainable and your ideas for change or growth are feasible, you have to do some research and apply organizational wisdom and discernment. It helps to test your ideas on paper, and validate their underlying assumptions, before investing a lot of time and money on ministry experiments. What research is critical?If you’re considering the addition of a lab service, for example, it will be important to research how many new patients will be required to support the equipment, where they will come from, how long it will take to attract them, and how the cash will flow in the meantime. You’ll have to learn about the market for lab services, the staffing and training required, supply requirements, and how the equipment will be serviced over time. How is organizational wisdom different than common sense or professional judgment?Physicians and other professionals gain a great deal of professional ability, and most likely, a good bit of wisdom, along the path of their training and experience. But organizational or business wisdom isn’t necessarily a by-product of professional training and experience in medicine, or even of common sense. Organizational or business wisdom comes from years of experience, from trial and error, and from directed intuition. Ministry decisions require an understanding of the probability of outcomes in the midst of risks, but always require action with incomplete information. What difference do organizational decisions make to a good doctor?A physician’s effectiveness is directly related to the organization’s effectiveness in making wise decisions. Ministry risks are formidable, and failing to anticipate them can compromise any organization's ability to carry out its intentions. If you can’t meet obligations and support your staff, you won’t be able to remain in ministry. Every enterprise, whether it is a profession, ministry, or any other organization, must find ways to be self-sustaining if it is to have a future. What ministry decisions are foundational?We recommend that you articulate how the ministry will grow in the ways that are most meaningful to those you serve. It might be most important to know how the service will improve, how the quality of care will be enhanced, or how it will expand to meet the needs of a growing community. We also recommend that you come to grips with how your ministry will distinguish itself from other available resources in both the short term and the long term. How do we make those decisions?We recommend that you develop a Ministry Plan, by answering Eight Questions that are foundational to every organization. These questions require research, serious discussion and thought, and consensus of the leadership. Once the decisions are made, they should be articulated in a written document, and a Workplan should be developed to lay out the steps required to accomplish the goals. The workplan should also identify who is responsible for each action, reasonable deadlines for their accomplishment, the resources required, and should have space for noting progress as it happens. A Budget is another extremely valuable tool to go with the workplan. The Ministry Plan, Workplan and Budget then become key references to guide ongoing decisions. Once the plan is in place, how does it impact our day-to-day operations?A well-constructed plan can serve as a compass and map, helping you recognize changes you need to make in day-to-day operations to achieve your goals, helping you discern what opportunities to avoid because they don’t deserve your time and energy, and helping you sort out the kinds of relationships that will advance the ministry’s interests more effectively. You can also use the daily experiences as a test of the validity of your assumptions and initiatives. Is it making the ministry better or more efficient? Are patients being served more satisfactorily? If not, use your observations to refine the plan, to modify or increase the changes that need to take place. Celebrate the advances and learn from the tactics that don’t go as planned. How can we monitor our effectiveness?Three ways are essential. First, use the Budget as a guideline for monthly revenues and expenses. Develop financial statements that show your actual performance compared to the budgeted, or planned, performance. This can be an early warning system if operations are not sustainable. Second, refer to the Workplan every three months and track the progress made on each initiative. It can be a valuable tool for holding people accountable for their part in achieving the group’s goals, and for recognizing when plans require adjustments based on new information. Third, develop a monthly statistical report that monitors key operational information such as the number of patient visits by each practitioner and other vital signs that are crucial to effectiveness. How do we keep up with the constant changes in our environment?We recommend that every organization make a commitment to increasing both its curiosity about changes going on inside the organization and around it, and its systems elegance for meeting the challenges of those changes. These are the foundations of our strategic planning model, called the Stellar Performance Model. Specifically, we recommend that the leadership of every organization set aside a few days each year to devote to Planning Retreat. Use the time to assess the changes in the market and the demand for services, to brainstorm solutions to the most difficult problems, to evaluate what tactics have been effective and what modifications are required to the plan, and to think creatively about how to meet the challenges of the future of the organization. Use the process to develop a new strategic plan for the coming year, and articulate it as you did before. What are the consequences of not planning?There is an old adage that says, “Failure to plan is planning to fail.” While the adage may be harsh, it has an element of wisdom. Here are a few common symptoms we find in organizations that do not systemically engage in planning:
Doesn’t planning imply a lack of faith?On the contrary, NOT planning implies a lack of STEWARDSHIP and respect for God-given resources, which is an integral part of faith. Isn’t it reasonable to believe that God gives some of his people business acumen to extend his resources just as he gives others medical acumen and technology to relieve pain and suffering? Faith-based organizations do not have a license to waste resources, simply because they rely on God to provide. We all have a responsibility and opportunity to demonstrate God’s wisdom and discernment in the use of resources. Planning is not the opposite of God-given vision. It is its complement, just as discernment is the complement of passion. Ideas and inspiration are wonderful. They are exhilarating, especially when they are from God. But not every idea is ready to implement “right out of the box.” God-given ideas will stand up under scrutiny, but ideas implemented without sound discernment may actually detract observers and would-be beneficiaries from glorifying God. When God directed Noah to build an ark (a preposterous idea), he also gave him the plans. When Moses was overwhelmed with poor time management, God sent his father-in-law, Jethro, to advise him about how to delegate wisely. Solomon’s construction of the temple was both obedient and carefully planned. He also provided a fair wage and reasonable working conditions to all the craftsmen. God-directed planning should be a vital part of every faith-based organization. Structure an annual retreat to be a time of reflection, prayer, and listening to God through research information, the insights of the leadership’s collective experience, the dialogue that flows through trusted and loving co-workers, and the stirrings of the Holy Spirit. The planning retreat can be a high point of the year, when work and worship join together to advance God’s Kingdom. What are the eight questions at the heart of a good ministry plan?
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