Being proactive, we would hope that you and your leadership team are open and seeking another strategic focus well before crossing the finish line with one at hand. Because the process of selecting and choosing a strategic missions focus can take quite a bit of time and energy, you should consider starting that process at least one year prior to the time you would want to make the new focus public.

Go back and follow some of the recommendations we’ve made about the process: survey your present missionaries, read the trends of events, opportunities, and concerns in strategic places around the world, start the process of praying through possibilities. We think it is wise to have some idea about the nature of your new focus to announce soon after the prior one is complete. What event or celebration would be the venue to unveil a new focus? What information or communication pieces are needed to launch it? How does the new focus correlate to other things or other priorities your church is presently doing?