Today the BCFS Leadership is meeting again to continue growth planning. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? We are planning how we will we grow. The truth is, BCFS is growing everyday. New opportunities, new collaborations, new resources and new vision are emerging almost weekly. It is an incredible thing to watch. What we are doing in our growth planning is an attempt to think about 18 months ahead of the growth to determine where we want to go and where we want to be in the next 12 to 18 months.
We are meeting today with our consultant, Karen Waddell. We will be looking at the needs and opportunities across the nation as well as the places where we have friends and collaborative relationships. We will chart out where other ministries are located and decide where the best use of our resources and expertise should be invested. Our goal is to take Buckner Children and Family Services nationwide to provide ministry to children and to provide a larger resource base for ministry across the globe. I am looking forward to the discussion.
The apostle Paul said “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” We understand that God makes things grow. Our part is to think through growth potential and then move into a stewardship role to strategically place our resources so that the Kingdom of God is advanced. If we are wise about our choices and recommendations, we will find enough resource to get our work done.
We will also give attention to how we will grow our staff, both in numbers and in development of talent and expertise. One thing is for sure, our leadership team will have to grow as well as we lead BCFS toward expansion. We will have to grow our leadership skills, our management capability, our cross-cultural competency, and our ability to develop emerging leaders. We do not lack opportunity or resource. Our challenge is to build capacity for the growth that can occur.
How about your ministry or organization? Are you organized for growth? Do you know what your barriers to growth are? What about the use of your resources. Do you have any duplication or do you operate a streamlined organization. If God were to bless your ministry with growth this year would you have the capacity to absorb or stay ahead of the growth curve? These are the questions I am asking of BCFS.
God makes things grow. All living organisms grow, atrophy, or die. Our challenge is to be sure we are not preventing growth by removing all obstacles and make a pathway for the natural growth potential of our ministry. I see 143 million orphans and children at risk in the world today and an enormous Christian resource base in North America. My dream is to put the two together for the least of these. Please pray for us as we tinker with growth potential and capacity today. Pray that we find our way to the center of God’s redemptive plans for the child who has no hope.
As employees we are excited about the growth that is going on with Buckner. I know it is all developing and everyday we find ourselves asking eachother...."Heard anything?" It's just wonderful what God is doing through willing servents.
Posted by: Michelle Heflin | June 06, 2007 at 06:35 PM
Michelle, check out the blog on Thursday and Friday of this week. You will "hear" more. Thanks for posting. Encourage others to read the blog and post. Thanks, Albert
Posted by: Albert Reyes | June 07, 2007 at 01:57 AM