A44 Making things happen

Project management for churches

First published on this website in October 2018 and last updated in August 2024

Synopsis

This is written for anyone who is asked to organise a church event, launch a programme or system, or run any other significant change in church life. It assumes no background knowledge of professional project management, and describes the stages to pass through clearly and simply if you want to ensure your ‘thing’ ‘happens’ successfully.

After an introductory section giving examples of such projects in church life and breaking them down into a small number of ‘elements’, the process suggested is:

• Lines – the guidelines you need to set first of all concerning purpose vision, shape, values and control. This is about asking the questions ‘Why?’ and ’Where to?’
• Lists – the need to define the elements, choose how each one is to be actioned, and then create long lists of tasks for each one with someone responsible for each task. This is asking the questions ‘What?’, ‘How?’ and ‘Who?’.
• Links – showing a timescale of how these tasks need to link up with each other by a timeline, flowchart, Gantt Chart and milestones. This is asking the question ‘When?’.
• Launch – getting it right on the day.
• Learn – the vital review process.

This article was updated in August 2024 with minor amendments to the text and layout.