After a year of church business meetings at the conference, division and world church levels in 2010, Washington Conference leaders recently held a series of strategic planning sessions to prayerfully consider a new strategic vision.

“We met to pray and ask God’s direction,” says John Freedman, Washington Conference president. “We are called to specifically reach our world.”

As a result of these planning sessions, Washington Conference is adapting and extending the North American Division's strategic theme to "Reach North America." There are three components to "Reach Washington":  Reach Up (revival and reformation); Reach In (spiritual gifts, ministry and community); and Reach Out (evangelism and witness). 
 

With the vision in place, ministry department leaders met with Greg Schaller, pastor and strategic ministry coach, in mid-December 2010 to set three vision-connected goals for each department.
 

“In our economic culture, we need more collaboration and evaluation to ensure that we are making good use of our resources,” Freedman says. “We want to grow as professionals and learn how to do ministry better.”

Following department meetings, Washington Conference administration presented this vision for ministry to pastors in early January 2011. Reach Washington is designed to allow churches to find creative ways to apply the overall vision to their local congregations. Washington Conference Executive Committee confirmed the Reach Washington vision, mission and values statement on January 25.

"The number one rationale for a strategic plan [for a church organization] is to honor God and be faithful to His mission," says Freedman. "We want to help everybody discover how to share the gospel and to keep lifting up Christ."