How can we check whether a plan aligns with God’s values?
[00:20] It's Not Just About the Goal
When church leaders ask whether something is a "God plan," they're often focused on the outcome.
Will it make disciples?
Will it help people grow?
Will it advance the mission?
But Melinda suggests a different question:
What if the issue isn't the goal, but the way we're pursuing it?
Many church leaders are aiming at good outcomes. The challenge is ensuring that the methods we use reflect God's character and values.
[01:40] The "How" Matters to God
Proverbs 16:9 says:
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."
While leaders often seek God for vision, they may spend less time asking Him about the process.
The conversation explores how the way we lead, plan, and implement strategy often reveals the condition of our hearts.
A plan may look successful externally while still operating in a way that doesn't reflect God's heart.
[02:50] Do Our Plans Prioritise People?
One of the key tests of a ministry plan is whether it values people over activity.
Good teaching matters.
Programs matter.
Vision matters.
But Christianity has never been primarily about information transfer.
The goal is transformation.
That means leaders should ask:
Does this plan honour people?
Does it treat them with dignity?
Does it make room for individual differences?
Does it help people flourish?
People are not simply resources to accomplish a vision.
They are image bearers of God.
[04:15] Beware the Cookie-Cutter Approach
Church leaders can sometimes become so passionate about a vision that they unintentionally push people into roles or expectations that don't fit how God has made them.
The conversation challenges the assumption that everyone should engage in ministry the same way.
Healthy leadership recognises that:
people are different
gifts are different
callings are different
A strategy that ignores those differences may achieve outcomes, but it may not reflect Kingdom values.
[05:20] Start With Values, Not Vision
Mel highlights an important distinction:
Sometimes churches begin with what they want to build and then work backwards.
Instead, leaders should start by asking:
What values are we trying to cultivate?
When values lead strategy, ministry becomes focused on forming people rather than simply producing outcomes.
The discussion suggests that churches often have the right vision but approach it from the wrong direction.
[06:00] How Well Do You Know Your People?
Leadership isn't simply about receiving a vision from God.
It's also about understanding the people God has entrusted to your care.
The conversation explores questions such as:
Who has God given us?
What are their strengths?
What are their passions?
How might that shape our ministry direction?
Rather than imposing a generic strategy, leaders should consider how God's calling intersects with the people already present in the church community.
[07:10] Every Church Has a Unique Calling
One of the dangers of church leadership is copying another church's strategy without understanding why it works in that context.
Mel shares the example of a church whose entire ministry was built around reaching and discipling young people.
Their approach worked because it aligned with their specific calling.
The lesson is simple:
Every church has a unique mission, context, and community.
Faithfulness isn't duplication.
It's discerning what God is calling your church to become.
[09:15] Growth Isn't About Keeping Everyone
The conversation also challenges the assumption that church success means holding onto every person who walks through the door.
Healthy growth includes sending.
Just as children grow up and establish their own families, disciples often move, serve elsewhere, or step into new callings.
The goal isn't ownership.
The goal is maturity.
[11:00] Are We Creating Plans for Ourselves?
As the episode concludes, Mel and Melinda reflect on how easily leaders can create plans that suit their own preferences rather than the people they lead.
Whether it's assumptions about gender, personality, interests, or gifting, churches often default to predefined categories.
The challenge is to build ministry around how God has actually wired people rather than forcing people into a predetermined model.
A Kingdom-shaped plan doesn't simply achieve outcomes.
It reflects God's values every step of the way.