I do agree that the journey is sometimes more important than the destination, but God does want us to have destinations. He wants us to be with Him for eternity. That's a destination. He has a purpose and plan for our lives. That's a destination. He wants us plugged into a local church, serving in ministry. That's a destination.
As an athlete, I used to write my goals in places where I would frequently see them: notebooks, shoes, and pieces of paper taped to the bathroom mirror or refrigerator. By writing them, I can remind myself of them throughout the year.
Below are some goals I've set for myself, my family and my church for this upcoming year. I hope reading these will encourage and motivate you to set some goals as well.
1) Spend more time with my family. I won't die wishing I had spent more time at work or at the church. I would like to have one date with my wife at least every other week. I would also like to take each of my children on a separate date at least monthly.
2) Pray more. In my quiet time with God, I spend the majority of my time reading and studying. I need to continue to develop my intimacy with God on my knees.
3) Lead City on a Hill Church in growth in three major ways: increase in quantity of people who are committed to our church; increase in physical territory we occupy for God's Kingdom; and increase in quality of horizontal and vertical relationships. I believe a church should always be striving to grow. A growing church is a church who is reaching more people and increasing God's Kingdom. I hope to plant a new church this year (or be well along in that process) in a foreign land. God is taking me to Guatemala and Zambia this year. Opportunities exist in both places. I also hope to lead COAHC into solving both short-term and long-term issues with regard to facilities/property. My goal is to lead us into a seven-year plan (or shorter) that gives us permanent property to build upon as well as a "bridge-property" to get us from where we are now to where we need to be. More importantly than numbers or property are the relationships our people have with God and with one another. I hope to lead our people into a relationship with God that enables God's shaping power in our lives as well as authentic relationships with one another that go beyond the surface level.
4) Be more deliberate about the little things. I feel as though I've been running through this last year, focusing on the big picture. While that's important, I've recognized that I've missed a lot of the details that need my attention. I want to spend more time initiating meaningful conversations with my kids about Christ. I want to spend time with more people from COAHC simply having fun - not "doing" ministry. I want to surprise my wife with some delightful plans for an evening. I want to spend time enjoying and exploring the community of Culpeper and the surround Piedmont area.
5) Develop deeper relationships with other Pastors in Culpeper. For the last three years, I've pursued "virtual" relationships with Pastors via blogs, conferences and social media. God is revealing to me that there are local Pastors who have something of value to offer me and I've got something that they need. I want to befriend, partner and pray with my local brothers and sisters and enjoy true relationships that stretch beyond the monthly Ministerial Association meetings.
6) Read more books. It seems I spend more time these days reading articles on the internet than I do actually reading books. The number of books I read in 2011 outside of the Bible isn't reflective of what I need to be feeding myself as a Pastor, leader and Christian. I need to get back to reading books that will engage me on levels and a duration that I don't experience from reading articles and blogs.
7) Read the Bible at least once cover to cover. This is an annual goal of mine that I seem to accomplish without any difficulty. I believe every Christian should have this goal every year.
8) Develop a more deliberate discipleship ministry at City on a Hill Church. Evidence has demonstrated that Life Groups are not as effective as everyone once thought in their discipleship. There's no substitute for one-on-one discipleship. Busy people have to make time in their schedules though. It's about maintaining the right priorities and keeping the main thing the main thing. We can't forsake the Great Commission for our personal agendas, work schedules and/or weekly programs.
9) Be a better leader. God has shown me that I haven't personally invested enough time into the ministry leaders at City on a Hill Church. I want to establish methods of imparting into them on a regular basis and raise up more effective leaders within our church.
10) Spend more time with my family. No, I'm not experiencing memory loss. I just can't state the importance of this enough. I want to take little trips and excursions with my family so we can really stay connected. As "PK's" my daughters are at high risk of being forgotten and forsaken for the ministry. In turn, their own relationship with God will suffer. As a Pastor's wife, Carrie can easily feel replaced by others. I can't overstate the value in ensuring that I live out my first callings as a husband and father before my calling as a Pastor.
