Divisional: Operations Lesson 3

Operations Module 3: “Creating a Ministry Support Checklist & Timeline”
Audience: i100 Divisional Groups
Duration: 60–75 minutes
Format: Divisional Call
Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  • Create a ministry support checklist and timeline customized for their context.
  • Identify what needs to be done, when, and by whom throughout the year.

Lesson Outline

1.) Welcome & Framing the Lesson (5–10 minutes)

Just like we have direct ministry calendars full of clubs, campaigners, and camps, we can have ministry support calendars - registrations, trainings, audits, staff care, and more.

The LAC leadership team recognized this need and the challenge that, when not planned well, all these deadlines can become overwhelming. Let’s watch how they addressed this challenge:

Sample Checklist from LAC:

For a country or metro
For a Region

Not all field leadership will feel the same about solutions! But thats why the process is important and getting the right voices to speak into the process at the right time.

2.) ​ Checklist Brainstorm: What Needs to Be Done? (15 minutes)

Brainstorm:

Prompts:

  • What are your key tasks each quarter?
  • What do you often forget until it’s urgent?
  • What could be delegated or scheduled ahead?

Facilitator helps sort into:

  • Monthly
  • Quarterly
  • Annual
  • Seasonal (e.g., camp season)

You can use the templates provided above from Rebe.

3.) ​ Case Study: When Opportunity Exposes Readiness Gaps (10 minutes)

Without a strategic timeline, a country ministry suddenly found itself facing an unexpected opportunity. An opportunity arose for this country to receive a significant amount of money that could have greatly accelerated the growth of the ministry. Before moving forward, the person providing this opportunity wanted to understand how their gift would fit into the existing ministry and what kind of impact it could make. They requested to see the country’s budget, spending patterns, and ministry statistics so they could make an informed decision.

At the time, this was a medium-sized ministry with multiple staff and several ministry areas. On paper, the country had submitted a budget of approximately $250,000. However, when the data was reviewed more closely, it became clear that only about $25,000 had actually been spent in the previous fiscal year. In addition, the country had not submitted any CMI ministry statistics for the last 12–18 months.

This created a crisis for regional and VP geography leadership. Teams had to scramble to reconstruct missing data, revise the budget to reflect reality, and explain inconsistencies—all while trying to steward a major opportunity well. What could have been a moment of momentum became a moment of urgency and damage control.

Discussion Questions
  • What systems or rhythms do you think were most missing (e.g., budgeting, reporting, timelines, data tracking, training)?
  • What assumptions did leaders make about this country because of its size or stage?
  • The case shows that opportunity revealed gaps rather than creating them. Where have you seen this be true in your own ministry or organization?

Learning Insight

This case revealed some important lessons:

Because this country was not one of the largest ministries, it had been assumed that it didn’t yet need dedicated attention to operational and functional systems. But when opportunity came, the lack of clear systems, training, timelines, and checklists significantly limited the ministry’s readiness to receive and steward growth.

Just as importantly, the absence of consistent data created supervisory blind spots. Without accurate budgets, spending patterns, and ministry statistics, supervisors had no clear picture of what was actually happening on the ground. This made it difficult to support leaders well, identify risks early, or guide the ministry toward healthy next steps.

Finally, this story highlights that dreaming with a budget becomes both more realistic and more feasible when grounded in accurate historical budgetary data. When leaders know what has actually happened, they can plan for what could happen with greater clarity and credibility.

Operational health isn’t just about compliance—it’s about capacity. Healthy systems create confidence for partners, clarity for leaders, and freedom for ministry to grow when opportunity arises.

Key Learning:

Opportunity doesn’t create readiness — it reveals it.

4.) ​ Create Your Timeline (20 minutes)

Participants fill in a template live:

  • Quarterly planner - what needs to be done, when, and who is responsible. (feel free to use the templates provided above)
  • Add national holidays, camp prep cycles, and known report deadlines
For a country or metro
For a Region

Facilitator supports with examples:

  • Financial closeouts
  • Volunteer trainings
  • Staff Trainings
  • CMC deadlines
  • Staff reviews
  • Donor report submissions
  • Budgeting deadlines
  • Audit dates
5.) Call to Action (5–10 minutes)

“Finalize your checklist and share it with a teammate or supervisor this week. Accountability turns plans into action.”

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