This week I was reflecting on a comment made on one of my recent columns. The comment was encouraging thinking about 'ideas outside the conventional frames', such as the series of strategic thinking columns I have been writing.

I do not want to sound in any way like I am attacking the comment. It was encouraging us to continue to explore these strategic ideas, and take what we can (ie plunder the Egyptians!).

But the tenor of the comment reflects a culture where we do not currently embrace thinking strategically about growth.

I certainly thank the commenter for his encouragement, but nonetheless remain slightly disturbed that strategic thinking is considered outside of the ‘conventional frame’ for church leaders.

Nearly two years ago, Mark Driscoll warned us in Sydney to reflect on why we feel the need to fly in people (read - like him) from the other side of the world to help us think about growth.

More recently, I've heard an outsider ask why we don't listen more to some of our own people, who themselves go around the world to help others think about growth.

Further, I have friends from South Africa who come to Sydney just to see what they can learn from us. And yet, here, there can be such resistance to such thinking.

I am not for a moment suggesting we should compromise the priority of teaching the Bible, nor prayer, nor godliness .. just that we be more willing to critically engage in thinking that will help further the kingdom of God.

Why is there such a reluctance? When was the last time you or your ministers went to a conference or discussed a book that would help them do so?

Bishop Al Stewart has articulated the importance of strategic thinking as part of his ongoing blog series at the Geneva Push: Ten Barriers to Growth

He argues that a lack of a clear vision and unwillingness to work strategically on developing capacity will lead to a fatal decline in the human and financial resources available for ministry.

Bishop Stewart rightly says:

Chasing people one to one, leading church, preaching, frontline evangelism, leading a bible study, ringing people who weren't at church - these are the bread and butter of ministry work.

But if that is all you ever do, if ministry means you doing the jobs yourself, then your church will never have the capacity to grow… "You have to work 'ON' the business, not just 'IN' the business”

My own ministry planning over many years has been sparked and facilitated by commonly available books which are all about working ‘on’ the business: strategy, management and developing capacity.

Yes, these books are often from the US.

Yes, sometimes people focus only on pragmatic growth formulae at the expense of teaching the Bible.

Yes, there is the danger of taking it all too far.

But is it really true that the solution is to exclude thinking about strategy and growth from conventional frames?