SWOT Analysis

Recall that a SWOT Analysis includes four areas:

• Strengths – Uncover characteristics of a ministry or project that produce advantages.
• Weaknesses – Discover characteristics that place the ministry at a disadvantage.
• Opportunities – Determine elements that could be exploited to your advantage.
• Threats – Understand what elements in the environment could cause trouble for your ministry.

Identifying the top 3 growth engines for any church is all about uncovering its unique advantages and then developing a strategic plan to capitalize on those natural strengths. Conversely, it’s about minimizing disadvantages and taking proactive steps to address concerns that might cause trouble for your church.

So how do you leverage a church’s growth engines for maximum effect?

• First, you identify the top 3 growth engines for the church.
• Second, you build out a strategy to fuel those areas.
• Third, you define lead measures that mark strategic success.
  
  

Identifying the top 3 can happen in several ways:

• Focus Groups – The wisdom of the group often produces important takeaways.
• Observations – Record observational data, stories and anecdotes.
• Internal/External Feedback – Listen to what others say about the church. Answer the question: What are we known for both internally in the church and externally in the community?
• Internal Situation Analysis – An internal situation analysis is comprised of numerical data measuring various church health indicators over a defined period. The numbers show where growth is occurring and where needs are being met.
• Vision – Identify the who, what, when and where of the church’s vision.
  
  

• Location – God planted your church in a community that needs to hear the gospel.
• Culture – He calls you to be salt and light among the people with whom you share cultural affinity and identity.
• Resources – He has equipped your church with the structural, organizational and relational resources to reach people.
• Mission – God has given your church a mission to go, baptize, teach and disciple your community.

Building a strategy for your top 3 growth engines is the nuts-and-bolts application of creativity, inspiration and knowledge. It’s tied to an executing skillset informed by all the ways the church is uniquely gifted and positioned to reach its community.

Ask these questions as you build your strategy:

• How can we leverage our advantages and strengths to reach our community?
• What do the growth engines tell us about who we are? How do we make the most out of these observations?
• How does who we are line up with our community context? How can we emphasize those points of resonance?
• What has worked in the past? What’s changed in the last 5 years? What should we stop, start and continue in the days ahead?