Planning meaningful church events is often a daunting task, no matter the size of your church or the scope of the event. Limited budgets, a volunteer labor pool, ambiguous objectives, and unrealistic timeframes-all are challenges I try to avoid in my professional role as a meeting and event planner.

Yet these are often the circumstances faced when you are responsible to organize a church event. In light of these challenges, the key to achieving the success you want lies in proper and intentional advance planning.

1. Create Manageable Tasks. Many projects appear unnecessarily overwhelming when viewed from the 'big picture' perspective. Avoid the how-will-this-all-ever-get-done syndrome by breaking your event life cycle into smaller chunks of manageable tasks. Ask questions like, 'What's the next action I need to take?' and 'What else can I do while another task is in process?'
    
2. Recruit the Right Helpers. Gathering volunteers is tough, and yet the art of identifying the right person for the job can make all the difference. For each task, determine the combination of talent, spiritual gifting, and experience necessary. Are you looking beyond the typical group of tried-and-true ministry veterans? Perhaps a tailored invitation from you could introduce someone new into the planning process, someone whose passion and experience is perfect for the job at hand.
    
3. Don't Neglect First Impressions. Your event doesn't begin when the lights go down or the speaker steps up to the podium. Your event began long before that-when you launched the promotion, when a person checked the web site or called the church for more information, when the attendee drove onto the church property or stepped inside the facility. A warm, welcoming presence in all of these 'first impression' areas will determine whether your hard work results in a 'lasting impression.'
    
4. Embrace Change. The VBS program or Easter pageant or community outreach project of 10 years ago just won't cut it in today's culture. Tired ideas need to be retired and reengineered. Outdated expectations need to be updated with a fresh approach and new goals. Start with the core focus of your event and rethink the whole process through the lens of current changes in technology, demographics, communication, and expectations.
    
5. Expect the Unexpected. Be prepared--for anything. Early in your planning, seriously examine every phase for consequences of the unexpected. Some of these unanticipated challenges can be merely minor nuisances if you're prepared to respond quickly and with the right attitude. Other challenges (changes in personnel, injuries and medical issues, weather-implications, safety and security concerns) will require significant advance planning and a proactive response. The likelihood of something happening may seem relatively small, but when something does happen (and it will!), you'll be grateful for the advance preparation.
    
6. Do It Well. Whatever 'it' is, pursue it with excellence! Don't settle for 'good enough.' Regardless of the size or scope of your event, remember that the impact of your work will represent you and your church, and ultimately Christ.

Finally, keep in mind that the 'best laid plans' don't really matter if they're not permeated by prayer. Pray that God accepts your human efforts and multiplies their impact and reach. Pray that your efforts, deadlines, and objectives are subject to the direction of the Spirit. Pray that all aspects of your event ultimately point people back to the Author of all meaning and purpose.

D'Wayne Leatherland is president and owner of Leatherland Event Management Solutions. He is a certified meeting professional with more than 15 years of planning experience, including events at the local church and denominational level-with the battle scars to prove it.

Holiness Today, March/April 2009

Please note: This article was originally published in 2009. All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at that time but may have since changed.