Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D. (TCP Leadership Series) [Paperback]

Bud Wrenn (Author), Rick Warren (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2008

Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D gives the reader insight into planning effectively for his/her church. Many leaders want to be innovative and make changes in the church but are unsure how. This book shows that organizational planning should be a systematic process with distinct phases and organizational members should be involved in the process. Anecdotal illustrations are provided.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bud Wrenn is the founding director of the Innovative Church Community, a leadership development organizations for church leaders in and around North Carolina. He is also the lead pastor at the Integrity Community Church in Burlington, North Carolina.

Bud Wrenn is the founding director of the Innovative Church Community, a leadership development organization for church leaders in and around North Carolina. He is also the lead pastor at the Integrity Community Church in Burlington, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chalice Press (December 16, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0827216505
• ISBN-13: 978-0827216501
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #898,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally the right terms, January 28, 2009

By 

Thomas F. Bartlett (NOrth Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D. (TCP Leadership Series) (Paperback)

Ok look, someone has finally put the planning on the table and defined the meaning of the words. Now at least we can all talk about the same thing and know what we're talking about. I hear people throw around vision, mission, strategy and such but within minutes I can clearly see we're not discussing the same thing. Thanks Bud Wrenn for clearing this up! And thanks for a process that I can understand and use right away.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real World Planning for Church Leaders, January 27, 2009

By 

Robert Felts - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D. (TCP Leadership Series) (Paperback)

As a pastor who has studied both business and church planning for over 30 years I was very interested in Bud Wrenn's approach to planning. While fully acknowledging his corporate background, Wrenn's approach is much less corporate sounding than many guides such as Bobb Biehl's "Master-planning." Wrenn also offers far more practical guidelines than Aubrey Malphurs' "Advanced Strategic Planning."

While I may not agree with his definitions of vision, mission, and purpose, he gives churches some clear language to make communication of these concepts understandable. I once was a member of a long range planning committee that spent one year arguing over the definitions of the terms "goal" and "objective." I realize how important it is to have shared language and definitions. Wrenn's honest assessment that being a good pastor is a different skill from being a visionary leader may make some pastors uncomfortable, but it may also set them free.

His breakdown of each dimension of planning, (visionary, missional, strategic, and tactical) is clear enough for even non planning leaders to grasp. Chapter 7 on "Where does everyone fit" is worth the price of the book. Churches often allow anyone who is willing and loves the church to be involved in visionary and missional planning because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Wrenn points out trying to have tactical doers attempt visionary planning will frustrate everyone involved. He gives practical advice on how to get the right people in the right spot so everyone is using his or her gifts and personality.

Having worked with Bud Wrenn in the Innovative Church Community for eight years I have seen him apply this model with numerous churches, both large and small. I know it works. I believe his model is especially effective in flexible and innovative churches and organizations. Large bureaucratic organizations may be uncomfortable with Wrenn's streamlined approach because it may lead to too much change. For the rest of us, however, it is exactly what we are looking for.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Real-World Planning, January 8, 2009

By 

Stephen Davis (Sanford, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Innovative Planning: Your Church in 4-D. (TCP Leadership Series) (Paperback)

As the pastor of a new church, one of my biggest concerns is "How can we create an organizational culture that constantly pushes us to be all we can be for God?" Bud Wrenn's book is an attempt to help churches answer that challenge.
Before I get too far, I probably should include a disclaimer. Bud Wrenn is a good friend of mine. That's one reason I put off reading and reviewing my advanced copy. I mean, what if it stinks?
Well, I shouldn't have worried. The book is fantastic. And any lingering concerns were eliminated in chapter 3: "Visional Planning." I'm a visionary leader. This chapter is the best treatment of visionary leadership and planning I have ever read. And the four-step approach to planning (Visional, Missional, Strategic and Tactical) is both an excellent approach and a great way to understand where different people can best fit into the planning process.
Bud's years of experience, both in the corporate world and church environments provides a wealth of illustrations and a workable strategy for leading a church to capture and fulfill its God-given vision. And while many non-fiction books have enough good ideas for about eighty pages (then pad and repeat information to make it long enough to merit a cover instead of a staple), this book is packed with great info and insight throughout its nearly 200 pages.
The book is not without its weaknesses. The author likes dictionary definitions a little much for my taste and his prose style indicates he's a speaker first, then a writer. Sometimes in his zest he goes a little too deep into planning specifics. It wouldn't be hard to imagine a church with a certain style leadership getting so caught up in the details of planning they never get around to ministry.
But compared to the wealth of solid, practical information available in its pages, the quibbles are inconsequential. As our church works to create an organization that can fulfill our vision, Bud Wrenn's book is about to become our church's textbook.