New Churches Podcast | Season 1 | Episode 737

Creating Faith Goals for Your Church

Ed Stetzer & Ron Edmondson

Episode 737

How do you set goals for your church without slipping into pragmatism? Ed Stetzer talks with Ron Edmondson about “faith goals” and how to set them for your church.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • What a “faith goal” is
  • How to translate goals into action
  • Balancing internal and external goals
  • How to start the process of determining goals
  • Unique aspects of goal setting in a church plant

Helpful Resources:

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Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Does goal-setting presume on God? I do think goals are good. What’s it going to look like when what are we hoping to see happens? — Ed Stetzer

If you’re making a goal and there’s no stretching in it, that’s not going to be a faith goal. God is in charge of the increase, so it may not happen the way you intended. — Ron Edmondson

Do you have categories for different goals – internal staff goals and external partnership goals? How do you find a good balance? — Ed Stetzer

Everything you learn from the people who have multiple staff, be willing to translate the principle. You don’t translate practices; you translate principles. Start with the end in mind. What are you trying to achieve? Then work backward from that. — Ron Edmondson

If this is a faith goal, then where is God already working? We don’t want to go where God’s not at work. This is where it becomes a true faith initiative. — Ron Edmondson

People tend to overdo goal-setting when they’ve never done it before. They end up with, like, 15 goals. — Ed Stetzer

I use the last six weeks of the year to pray about and plan for the next year. Say, “If we’re going to take this church where it needs to go next year, what are the top two or three goals we need to have?” Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I always depend on that. — Ron Edmondson

Published on March 23, 2023

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About the Podcast

New Churches Podcast

The New Churches podcast offers practical answers to your real ministry questions. We aren’t going to provide lofty pie-in-the-sky theories. Instead, we are going to help you in your real ministry context, with your real thoughts, questions, and issues.

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Meet the Authors

Ed Stetzer

Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is a professor and dean at Wheaton College where he also serves as Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center.  He is the incoming Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and he has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. He serves at his local church, Mariners Church, as a Scholar in Residence and Teaching Pastor.

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Ron Edmondson

For over 20 years, as a consultant & coach, Ron has helped thousands of leaders and organizations. For over 35 years, he has served in senior ministry leadership roles. He served as CEO of the Leadership Network, planted two churches, and successfully revitalized three churches. He also has extensive experience in business, government and nonprofit work. Ron’s education includes a seminary master’s and a master’s in organizational leadership, and has completed the class work for a doctorate in educational leadership. He also once helped lead a mid-sized city, where he served as Vice Mayor and Finance Chair. Ron and Cheryl have two adult sons: Jeremy and his wife Mary, and Nate and his wife Courtney. They’re also blessed to have four granddaughters: Eleanor, Margaret, Esther and Anna.

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