December 02, 2025
Planning for Your Year Ahead
As promised, here is our “response” to the November Ask AI prompt about planning & vision for the new year…
December is a time to reflect on the year just past and the year ahead. A time to set up those budgets (due to MM by the end of the year) and a time to seek the Lord to see what he has for your ministry for the upcoming year.
While recently reading this article from Development & Leadership Coaching I was reminded once again how much numbers play a vital role in ministry. Now, those of us at Miller Management know that numbers aren’t your favorite thing, and that’s okay! Because they are our thing!
That article is meant for those who face push-back when trying to bring in numbers into planning, and we couldn’t agree more. How can you measure your goal, your success, your progress, or your lack there of, without measurement?
The Lord may very well be saying “this ministry isn’t for right now.” Or, “continue on, faithful servant.” How can we tell for certain? Prayer and discernment help, and so do the numbers.
Ministry Resources
From last month’s post, below are a few MM resources for each topic. You may want to read more about those first, if you haven’t already done so.
- Spiritual Reflection
- for more on this subject, we’d invite you to read about our Chapels this year
- Mission & Vision Alignment
- listen to our podcast series on mission & vision
- People & Community
- a few simple ways to appreciate your people
- Impact & Effectiveness
- skim through our commonly asked financial questions & answers post
- Stewardship & Sustainability
- you have probably heard our mantra of balancing faith & stewardship – listen in to this podcast series on that very topic to learn more
- Vision & Hope for the Coming Year
- a breakdown of one of our Core Values to keep the vision in check
- Closing Practice
- A More Excellent Way: a training tool / prayer adopted from Edgar Stoesz
There are some of our suggestions / responses to add to our Ask AI series. We hope you will benefit from whichever practice to want to implement in the new year.
Good Faith Accounting Partners
You may have noticed, this year we have focused a little more on that faith side on our blog, by sharing a short devotional from our monthly Chapel times. We know how vital that time in ministry is. We also promote the facts, figures, and data points for the numbers people. Our staff are bridging the gap of “good faith” and “accounting” all while partnering with ministries across the nation to help them bridge that gap in their ministry as well.
So, as you plan for the upcoming year, we hope you’ll tune your heart to God to see what he has for you. And that you will also pull out those year-end financial statements and really look at those numbers.
If you have a faith & figures story to share, your MM reps would love to hear about it.
Blessings in your next year, friends!
-Your MM Team
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