By John Cole

The first step is to compile an agreed list of up to 17 different activities which make up the task of the local church. Those who attempted the exercise, Mapping the Church’s Task, probably have a ready-made list; but it would be worth checking whether people want to add anything.

Groups starting from scratch can either spend time formulating their own headings or click here for a possible checklist. Groups will then need to discuss how they might adapt or shorten it!.

Either way, the result is a working list of activities covering the whole range of what people think the local church should be about. When the list is agreed, each person should copy it into the spaces down the left hand side of their copy of the grid. This now forms the work sheet for the rest of the session.

STEP TWO

People are invited to study the list of activities on the worksheet and tick the FIVE activities which they believe are the MOST IMPORTANT (using Column 1) and the FIVE they feel are LEAST IMPORTANT (using Column 2).

The total votes people have cast for each item can then be collected by a show of hands and the totals recorded in the equivalent columns on the grid displayed on the overhead projector.

The DIFFERENCE (plus or minus) between the results on each line in columns 1 and 2 is then recorded in Column 3. Highlight the three highest PLUS votes and the three highest MINUS votes.

The result will be a spot check on people’s initial feelings about what ought to be their church’s priorities. They may decide later that these are not its actual priorities; and indeed their feelings about the relative importance of the different tasks may change during the course of the session.

People are asked, using columns 4 and 5, to tick the FIVE activities they feel their church does BEST (Col. 4) and the FIVE where it could do BETTER (Col. 5).

As before, the total votes for each item are recorded on the overhead projector and the difference (plus or minus) on each line is noted in Column 6. The three highest plus and minus votes are again highlighted.

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At this point it is worth taking a look at the results so far in the light of earlier discussions in this book about the three circles of relationship:

a) Where would the three things you say your church does best appear within the three circles - if at all?

b) Where would you locate the three things you say your church could do better?

Draw any appropriate conclusions. Consider why there are some areas where your church could do better (taking care to avoid witch-hunts or pillorying individuals!).

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On the face of it the three highest minuses in Column 6 could be your church’s priorities - but:

a) Never forget that these are only the subjective impressions of a fairly unrepresentative group of church members.

b) They are only likely to be true priorities if they tend to improve the overall balance of your church’s activities across the three circles of relationship.

c) Things may look very different again after you have completed Step Four.

A similar process is repeated across columns 7-9. People are asked to choose out of the list the FIVE MOST URGENT things for your church to tackle (Column 7) and the FIVE LEAST URGENT (Column 8). Total the results as before and enter the differences (plus and minus) in Column 9. Highlight the three highest (plus and minus).

DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

The results can then be compared across all nine columns. e.g. how closely do people’s assessments under ‘could do better’ coincide with their feelings about what is most urgent’? Again check the picture for ‘balance’.

Similarly how do the results compare between ‘most important’ and ‘most urgent’; also ‘least important’ and ‘least urgent’? Has there been any shift of feeling?

Where do the things ‘done best’ fit in on the tables of ‘importance’ and ‘urgency’? It might be that too much energy is going into things with a relatively low ‘urgency’ rating.

If, on the other hand. you find you do least well the things you feel are least important, beware becoming complacent! Those ‘least important things done badly’ may be the very things which are preventing others from seeing the love of God at work in your church!

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