TN61 Mapping out a meeting

First published on this website in June 2011 and last updated in May 2023

Synopsis

Success in church, or any other, business meetings depends on good teamwork, skilful chairing and appropriate preparation. All three depend on an effective agenda.

These notes provide nine pieces of advice for preparing good agendas for church business meetings.

1. Think MAP not LIST
2. Follow the rules
3. Make it feel good
4. Group and order items to help the meeting flow
5. Clarify each action required
6. Provide sufficient background information
7. Beware timed agendas
8. Let the agenda speak of Jesus Christ
9. Decide who prepares the agenda

These notes will be of value to those who chair meetings, those who set agendas and all who meet for business.

I've had quite a few comments on these notes since they were published.  Here is one: "I think we all need the occasional reminder that the more you plan and prepare the more likely the outcome, but it's never a replacement for starting from the position of stopping and seeking God as to what he wants to do with your meeting. It's sad though that I reckon everyone throws out an agenda a couple of days before or not at all and reaps the consequences..."

And another: "I like the idea of an agenda as a map - or rather as a route through a landscape which has in it other places (good and bad) where you are not going. Although I agree that timed items on an agenda are probably not a good thing, I do think an agenda is also a timetable of a sort - there are some things which must be achieved by a certain time. Pressure is much decreased if we are not always discussing something urgent or making decisions in a hurry at the last minute."

These notes were updated in May 2023 with minor amendments to the formatting.