Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

436 • P LANTING C HURCHES AMONG THE C ITY ’ S P OOR : V OLUME 1

No charters are open-ended.

• Due date for charter review • Review may determine if: ~ an additional length of time should be authorized to continue the effort ~ there is not sufficient fruit from the effort and the team should be disbanded ~ there may need to be wholesale changes in the vision, the team structure, or strategies The charter makes the team semi-autonomous. • Allows team to carry out its vision within the stated guidelines without micro-management • Creates intensive scrutiny of the team’s vision and methods

~ at the front end of charter development ~ at the back end during charter review • Less scrutiny in the middle during implementation

The charter is the culmination of the strategic planning process and equips the team to proceed with wisdom and authority.

Benefits of Using Wisdom in Ministry Tasks • Clear vision helps everyone clearly see if the team is doing well or not. • Clear direction minimizes confusion giving a sense of confidence and hope. • Everyone knows their assignment . • People can decide if they want to stay and help fulfill the vision or move on to something else. You do not want people on your team who are not supporting the vision. If they stay they will either become inactive or will cause problems. • Wasteful activities are minimized (stay focused on vision, not opportunities). • An environment is created where you can say “no” to opportunities that do not contribute to the vision. • Opportunities that contribute to the vision can be anticipated

and recognized quickly. Nehemiah was ready when the opportunity arose to explain his vision to the king.