14 – Management Plan & Annual Goals
Annual goal-setting templates, the FY27 plan, and the FY26 stabilization inventory.
- Overview: Management Plan & Annual Goals
- Annual Goals Template
- FY27 Annual Goals Template — May 2026
- FY26 Stabilization Inventory — May 2026
Overview: Management Plan & Annual Goals
Status
Implementation status: Approved by Servants Council
Date: 2026-05-30
This book contains the templates and instances of Mayflower's annual operations plan: the goal-setting framework and the active fiscal-year plan.
Annual Goals Template
MAYFLOWER CHURCH
Annual Goals
Streamline System 11 — Annual Goal-Setting for Staff, Officers, and Team Leaders
Draft April 2026
Governing Principle
Goals are pastoral.
At Mayflower, an annual goal is not a corporate metric we are trying to hit; it is a faithful naming of what we are asking God to do through us this year, and what we will pay attention to so we know whether He is doing it.
Purpose
This document establishes how Mayflower Church staff, officers, and ministry team leaders set annual goals for their roles. It is the front end of the performance evaluation cycle: the goals set here are the goals reviewed in the annual Performance Evaluation Framework conversation. Without this front end, evaluations review against nothing; with it, the year has shape.
It sits inside System 11 — Performance Evaluations — alongside the existing Performance Evaluation Framework, Office Bearer Annual Reaffirmation, Senior Pastor Pastoral Review, and Staff Joy-at-Work Review.
Why Goals at Mayflower
Three convictions shape why we do this:
- What we name, we tend. When something is named at the start of the year and written down, it gets attention. When nothing is named, attention drifts to the loudest current thing.
- Expectations are care. Telling someone what we hope to see them do this year — and telling them clearly — is not pressure; it is the opposite of pressure. Vague expectations are exhausting. Specific ones are manageable.
- Goals connect the role to the mission. Mayflower's mission and the Five Priority Ministries we guard are the church's North Star. Every staff member, officer, and team leader's annual goals should connect to that North Star. Goals that have nothing to do with the church's mission are a sign the goals are off, not a sign the mission is.
Cadence
The annual goal cycle is anchored to Mayflower's annual rhythm:
When | What |
|---|---|
August Leadership Summit | Goals for the upcoming program year are set or refreshed. Each person leaves with a written list of three to five goals. |
Quarter end (Sep / Dec / Mar / Jun) | Brief self-check: Am I on track? Anything need to shift? |
Mid-year (typically January) | More substantive check-in conversation with the supervising leader. Course-correction, not evaluation. |
August Leadership Summit (next year) | Goals are reviewed (did we see the year we hoped for?), then refreshed for the new program year. The annual Performance Evaluation Framework conversation runs in this same window. |
The August Summit is the single most important calendar event for this rhythm. If goals are not set there, they tend not to get set at all.
Goal-Setting Principles
Three to five goals per person.
Fewer than three and the role is underdescribed; more than five and nothing gets attention. Three to five is the sustainable range.
Each goal connects to one of the Five Priority Ministries.
Goals that do not connect should either be reworked or named honestly as supporting work that protects the priorities. The Five Priority Ministries — Ministry of the Word, the Lord's Day Gathering, Gospel-Driven Prayer, Disciple-Making Pathways, and Membership and Shepherding Care — are the test.
Measurable enough to know if we hit it.
Not every goal can be a number, but every goal should be specific enough that at year's end the question “did we do this?” has a clear answer. “Improve hospitality” is not a goal. “Train and deploy a twelve-person hospitality team that covers every Sunday and welcomes first-time visitors by name” is a goal.
Time-bound.
Annual horizon, with at least one mid-year checkpoint. Some goals will have multiple interim deadlines that get tracked through the year.
Realistic and faith-stretching.
Goals should be achievable enough that the person can actually plan toward them, and large enough that the person needs to ask the Lord for help. A goal that doesn't drive you to your knees is probably too small.
Who Sets Goals With Whom
Goal-setting is collaborative. The person whose goals are being set drafts them; the supervising leader reviews, refines, and confirms.
Role | Sets Goals With |
|---|---|
Senior Pastor | Board of Elders |
Other pastoral and program staff | Senior Pastor |
Office staff | Senior Pastor (or designated supervisor) |
Officers (deacons, trustees, board members, treasurers) | The relevant board, in consultation with the Senior Pastor where appropriate |
Ministry team leaders | The board (elders, deacons, or trustees) that oversees their team or group |
The supervising party reviews the drafted goals against three questions:
- Do these connect to one or more of the Five Priority Ministries?
- Are they specific enough that we will know if we hit them?
- Are they realistic for the season this person is in?
If any answer is no, the goals get reworked together. Goals that survive this review are the goals for the year.
The Template
A goal record for a single person, set annually, has four fields. Use this template for each goal — three to five rows per person.
Goal | Why It Matters / Priority Ministry Link | How We Will Know We Hit It | Owner & Due |
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Worked example: Worship Team Leader
Three sample goals showing the level of specificity expected:
Goal | Why It Matters | How We Will Know | Owner & Due |
|---|---|---|---|
Recruit and train two additional vocalists capable of leading congregational singing. | Strengthens The Lord's Day Gathering (Priority 2). Currently the team can only cover three of four Sundays. | Two new vocalists active by November; both have led at least one service by January. | Worship Team Leader / Nov 30, 2026 |
Move from monthly to weekly Sunday morning rehearsals during the program year. | Strengthens The Lord's Day Gathering (Priority 2). Tighter rehearsals raise the spiritual focus of corporate worship. | Weekly rehearsals in place from September; attendance at or above 80% per week. | Worship Team Leader / Sep 7, 2026 |
Build a worship-team prayer rhythm tied to the pre-service huddle. | Strengthens Gospel-Driven Prayer (Priority 3). Prayer becomes structural to the team, not a private add-on. | Pre-service prayer led by team members on a rotating basis weekly by October. | Worship Team Leader / Oct 5, 2026 |
Mid-Year Check-In
In January, the supervising leader and the goal-holder meet for a brief check-in. Not formal. Coffee. Three questions:
- Where are we on each goal? A short, honest update. Green / yellow / red.
- Has anything changed? Life seasons, family events, ministry surprises, doctrinal matters that have surfaced — anything that might change the right shape of the year.
- What support do you need? What would help you finish the year well?
The mid-year check-in is not an evaluation. It is a course correction conversation. Goals may be revised, dropped, or replaced — what matters is that the year ahead is clear and honest about where things actually stand.
Annual Review
In the next August, the goal cycle closes. The Performance Evaluation Framework conversation reviews the year against the goals that were set, names what God did, and produces the goal list for the new program year.
The Performance Evaluation Framework page in System 11 documents how that conversation runs. The goal record from the previous August is the input to that review; the goal record for the next year is the output.
Sample Goals by Role Type
These are illustrations, not prescriptions. Every person's goals will be specific to their role and season.
Senior Pastor
- Preach through one full New Testament epistle in expository series.
- Equip the elders to handle at least one specific area of pastoral care without my involvement.
- Lead the church through the SBC affiliation transition, including any associational integration steps.
Elder Chair
- Hold every monthly elder meeting on the first Tuesday at 6 p.m., with minutes on file within seven days.
- Conduct annual reaffirmation interviews with each office bearer.
- Identify and begin discipling at least one potential future elder.
Equip Discipleship Leader
- Run two full Equip cohorts in the program year.
- Move a defined percentage of completing participants into a leader-track conversation.
- Refresh the Equip curriculum annually based on graduating cohort feedback.
Ministry Team Leader (general pattern)
- Build a recruitment list of N potential team members using at least three of the eight discovery methods (see Volunteer Chapter, System 06).
- Hold a minimum of N huddles for the team across the program year.
- Conduct an annual check-in with each team member, using the Volunteer Ministry Check-In Guide.
Sources
- Streamline: How to Create Healthy Church Systems — Michael Lukaszewski (Chapter 14: Clarify Goals for Everyone on Your Team).
- Mayflower Performance Evaluation Framework — Draft April 2026 (BookStack, System 11) — for the back-end evaluation conversation that reviews against these goals.
- Five Priority Ministries We Guard (BookStack, System 01) — the test for whether a goal connects to the church's mission.
- Mayflower Two-Page Plan — Draft April 2026 (BookStack, System 00) — the church's overall strategic frame.
FY27 Annual Goals Template — May 2026
Mayflower Church Annual Goals Template
FY27 Working Draft | For the August 2026 Leadership Summit
Purpose
This template is the working scorecard for Mayflower's fiscal year — populated each August at the Leadership Summit, reviewed quarterly by each board, refreshed at year-end. It translates the Two-Page Plan into specific goals with named owners, baselines, targets, and milestones.
Every goal in this template must answer three questions on its way in:
- What evidence (metric, board reflection, dashboard signal) calls for it?
- What existing goal does it replace or extend?
- Which board owns it?
That gating is what keeps the plan from accumulating barnacles.
How to use this template
- Section 1 (Foundations) is read at the start of the Summit. It is not edited at the Summit — it comes from the Two-Page Plan and the FY26 close-out data. If the Two-Page Plan needs refreshing, that work happens before the goals are set, not after.
- Section 2 (FY27 Top-Level Priorities) is the Summit's central work. Three to five priorities are named and given owners.
- Sections 3–7 (Goals by Priority Ministry) translate the top-level priorities into specific, measurable goals. Each section has empty Goal Blocks; the Summit fills them. Most ministries will have 1–3 goals; not every Priority Ministry needs a new goal every year.
- Section 8 (Operational / Cross-cutting Goals) is for goals that don't sit inside a single Priority Ministry — Personnel, Finance, Facilities, Communications.
- Section 9 (FY27 Indicator Dashboard) is the at-a-glance scorecard with FY26 baselines pre-populated. The Summit fills in FY27 targets.
- Section 10 (Review Cadence) governs what happens between Summits — quarterly health checks, mid-year review, year-end reflection.
- Section 11 (The Decision Filter) is the test every new ask must pass during the year.
- Section 12 (Worked Example) shows one fully-populated goal so leaders see how the form fills.
- Appendix A is the Streamline-to-Priority-Ministry crosswalk, so a goal can be tagged with the operational system that supports it.
Section 1 — Foundations (from the Two-Page Plan)
Purpose
To glorify God by knowing Jesus Christ deeply and making Him known faithfully — until He returns or calls us home.
Mission (through 2030)
By the end of 2030, Mayflower will be a healthy, doctrinally grounded, multi-generational congregation in Kingston — known for: faithful expository preaching of whole books of the Bible; gospel-driven prayer as real corporate ministry; a coherent disciple-making pathway; shepherding care that does not let people fall through the cracks.
Five Priority Ministries (Keystone)
- 1. Ministry of the Word — Faithful preaching and teaching of Scripture as the central ministry.
- 2. The Lord's Day Gathering — Word-shaped, prayerful, warm Sunday worship.
- 3. Gospel-Driven Prayer — Corporate prayer as real ministry, not private preference.
- 4. Disciple-Making Pathways — A coherent spine forming believers in doctrine, obedience, mutual care, and leadership.
- 5. Membership & Shepherding Care — A clear front door (membership and baptism) and the care of souls.
Decision Filter
Does this clearly strengthen one or more of our Five Priority Ministries — at a realistic cost in time, volunteers, and leadership attention? If not, we will simplify it, rotate it, or pause it.
Section 2 — FY27 Top-Level Priorities
Three to five priorities the whole Mayflower leadership will guard for FY27. These are the priorities each board will work toward in their own domains. The Summit names these; everything that follows in Sections 3–8 serves them.
Priority 1
Priority |
|
Why this priority |
|
Owner board(s) |
|
Headline indicator |
|
FY26 baseline |
|
FY27 target |
|
Priority 2
Priority |
|
Why this priority |
|
Owner board(s) |
|
Headline indicator |
|
FY26 baseline |
|
FY27 target |
|
Priority 3
Priority |
|
Why this priority |
|
Owner board(s) |
|
Headline indicator |
|
FY26 baseline |
|
FY27 target |
|
Priority 4 (if needed)
Priority |
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Why this priority |
|
Owner board(s) |
|
Headline indicator |
|
FY26 baseline |
|
FY27 target |
|
Priority 5 (if needed)
Priority |
|
Why this priority |
|
Owner board(s) |
|
Headline indicator |
|
FY26 baseline |
|
FY27 target |
|
Section 3 — Goals: Ministry of the Word
Faithful preaching and teaching of Scripture as the central ministry. Indicators: books of the Bible preached through (24-mo cycle); EQUIP cohorts run per year.
Goal Block 1
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 2
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 3 (if needed)
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Section 4 — Goals: The Lord's Day Gathering
Word-shaped, prayerful, warm Sunday worship. Indicators: average Sunday attendance vs target; first-time visitor → second-visit return rate.
Goal Block 1
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 2
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 3 (if needed)
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Section 5 — Goals: Gospel-Driven Prayer
Corporate prayer as real ministry, not private preference. Indicators: church-wide prayer gatherings per year; team meetings opening and closing in substantive prayer.
Goal Block 1
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 2
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 3 (if needed)
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Section 6 — Goals: Disciple-Making Pathways
Welcome → Know → Grow → Go. Indicators: members in a BFG or discipleship cohort; baptisms per year; new members completing Foundations annually.
Goal Block 1
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 2
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 3 (if needed)
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Section 7 — Goals: Membership & Shepherding Care
A clear front door and the care of souls. Indicators: members assigned to a shepherding team (target 100%); counseling cases per year; new-member 18-month retention.
Goal Block 1
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 2
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Goal Block 3 (if needed)
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Section 8 — Operational / Cross-cutting Goals
Goals that don't sit inside a single Priority Ministry — Personnel, Finance, Facilities, Communications, Volunteer System. These goals support the Five Priority Ministries by making sure the operational base is sound.
Personnel / HR
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Finance / Stewardship
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Facilities
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Communications
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Volunteer System
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Performance Evaluation System (Streamline #11)
Goal # |
|
Goal Statement | [ One sentence — what FY27 will produce. ] |
Priority Ministry | [ Word / Lord's Day / Prayer / Disciple-Making / Membership & Shepherding ] |
Streamline System | [ See Appendix A for crosswalk. ] |
Owner Board | [ Elders / Deacons / Trustees / BoF / Staff ] |
Owner Person | [ Named individual. ] |
Outcome | [ If this goal succeeds, what visibly changes by Dec 31, 2027? ] |
Indicator(s) | [ How we will know — quantitative or behavioral. ] |
FY26 Baseline | [ Where we are now. Pull from monthly dashboard or Indicator Dashboard (Section 8). ] |
FY27 Target | [ Where we aim to be by Dec 31, 2027. ] |
Key Milestones | [ Q1 / Q2 / Q3 / Q4 — what will be true at each? ] |
Budget Tie | [ FY27 budget line(s) this goal depends on. ] |
Risks / Watch-fors | [ What could derail this; how we'll know early. ] |
Section 9 — FY27 Indicator Dashboard
The at-a-glance scorecard. Baselines are populated from the FY26 monthly dashboards and the 2025 Annual Report. The Summit fills in the FY27 Target column. Indicator values are updated quarterly by the named owner.
Domain | Indicator | FY26 Baseline | FY27 Target | Owner |
Word | Books of the Bible preached through (24-mo cycle) | [from Senior Pastor] | [Summit sets] | Senior Pastor |
Word | EQUIP cohorts run per year | 5+ in 2025; avg attendance 20+ in early 2026 (5-yr high) | [Summit sets] | EQUIP Discipleship Leader |
Lord's Day | Average Sunday Worship attendance | 63.3 (2025) / 62-65 (Q1 2026) | [Summit sets] | Senior Pastor / Worship Team |
Lord's Day | First-time visitor → second-visit return rate | [Standardize metric in May 2026] | [Summit sets] | First Impressions Leader |
Lord's Day | Sundays with visitors ≥ 10% of attendance | 22 of 50 in 2025 | [Summit sets] | First Impressions Leader |
Prayer | Church-wide prayer gatherings per year | [Pull from 2025 calendar] | [Summit sets] | Prayer Team Leader |
Prayer | Formal team meetings opening & closing in substantive prayer | [Establish baseline in Q3 2026] | [Summit sets] | Each board chair |
Disciple-Making | Members in a BFG or discipleship cohort | BFG/Bible Study avg 22 (2025); 33 (Mar 2026) | [Summit sets] | EQUIP / BFG Leaders |
Disciple-Making | Baptisms per year | 4 (2025); 4 in Jan 2026 alone | [Summit sets] | Senior Pastor / Baptism Team |
Disciple-Making | New members completing Foundations annually | [Pull from membership records] | [Summit sets] | Senior Pastor / Membership |
Membership & Shepherding | Members assigned to a shepherding team | [Confirm with Elders] | 100% | Elder Board |
Membership & Shepherding | Counseling cases handled per year | $4,353 income in 2025 (~12 cases/year est.) | [Summit sets] | Director of Biblical Counseling |
Membership & Shepherding | New-member retention at 18 months | [Establish baseline from 2024 cohort] | ≥ [Summit sets]% | Elder Board |
Membership & Shepherding | Attenders/members lost (full year) | 29 in 2025 (across 15 families) | [Summit names target] | Elder Board |
Stewardship | Total Tithes & Offerings (annual) | $204,332 (2025) | [Summit sets] | BoF / Treasurer |
Stewardship | Average Per Capita giving | $67.01 (2025, +11% vs 2024) | [Summit sets] | BoF / Treasurer |
Stewardship | Recurring-giving share of total | [Establish baseline before Sept arc] | +10 pp by Nov 1, 2026 | Treasurer / Comms |
Operations | Performance reviews completed on time | [New for FY27] | 100% by stated cycle date | Each board chair |
Operations | Quarterly plan health checks completed | [New for FY27] | 4 of 4 per board | Each board chair |
Sources: Monthly dashboards Jan 2025–Mar 2026; 2025 Annual Dashboard Report; March 2026 Attendance Trend Report. Where baselines say [Establish baseline …], Q3 2026 work is to define the metric and capture an opening number.
Section 10 — Review Cadence
This template is reviewed three ways during the fiscal year: quarterly health checks (light), a mid-year review (heavier, in late February or early March), and a year-end reflection (in late June, before the next planning cycle begins).
Quarterly Plan Health Check
At the first meeting of each quarter, each board (Elders Tuesday, Deacons Tuesday, Trustees Thursday) spends 30 minutes on the goals it owns. Each goal owner reports:
For each goal | Status: Green / Yellow / Red |
Indicator value as of end of quarter | |
What we did this quarter | |
What we will do next quarter | |
Anything blocking us? | |
For the board overall | Are these still the right goals? |
Any goal to retire or re-scope? | |
Any new goal to add? |
The Servants Council, which already meets quarterly, gets a one-page rolled-up dashboard at each of its meetings — the same dashboard the quarterly congregational meeting (last Sunday of the first month of each quarter) gets in summary form. No new meetings are invented; existing meetings carry the work.
Mid-Year Review (late Feb / early March)
Heavier than a quarterly check. Each board chair signs off on whether their goals are still the right goals. The Board of Finance gets early signal on whether budget assumptions are holding. Goals overtaken by events are formally retired.
Goal Re-Scoping | Has the world changed since the Summit? Does any FY27 goal need to be re-scoped, retired, or replaced? |
Indicator Reality Check | Are the indicators we chose still meaningful? Are we able to measure them? |
Capacity Reality Check | Are owners overloaded? Are any goals starving for attention? |
Budget Assumption Check | Are FY27 income assumptions holding? If not, what changes? |
Pastoral Reality Check | What is God doing among us that the plan didn't anticipate? How do we steward into it? |
Year-End Reflection (late June)
Lands deliberately before the July BoF build and the August Summit. Each board produces a one-page reflection. Personnel inputs feed this — the Senior Pastor Pastoral Review, Staff Joy-at-Work Reviews, Office Bearer Annual Reaffirmation, Volunteer Check-Ins. Event Debrief Templates feed it for any flagship event.
What we accomplished | List FY27 goals that closed (Green at year-end). |
What we did not accomplish | List Yellow/Red goals; name reasons honestly without blame. |
What we learned about our capacity | What did FY27 teach us about realistic pace and load? |
What we carry forward | What FY27 goals continue into FY28? |
What we let go of | What did FY27 surface that we should formally stop doing? |
What surprised us | What did God do that wasn't on the plan? |
Section 11 — The Decision Filter
During the year, every new ask — a new ministry, a new event, a new line item, a new committee — must pass through this filter before it joins the plan.
Does this clearly strengthen one or more of our Five Priority Ministries — at a realistic cost in time, volunteers, and leadership attention? If not, we will simplify it, rotate it, or pause it.
Practical test:
- Which Priority Ministry does this serve? (If the answer is 'all of them' or 'none directly,' that's a yellow flag.)
- Which existing goal does it advance, replace, or extend?
- Who is the owner? If no one already on the plan can own it, do we have capacity to add it?
- What is its budget cost? Is that already in the FY27 budget, or is this an exception?
- If we say yes to this, what must we say no to? (If nothing, we are over-committing.)
Section 12 — Worked Example
One fully-populated Goal Block, drawn from a plausible FY27 priority. This is illustrative — the Summit will name the actual FY27 goals — but it shows how the form fills.
Goal # | Example |
Goal Statement | Lift the first-time-visitor → second-visit return rate to 25% by Dec 31, 2027. |
Priority Ministry | The Lord's Day Gathering (with assist from Membership & Shepherding Care) |
Streamline System | Hospitality System; Membership System; Communications System |
Owner Board | Elders (sponsor); First Impressions Ministry (execution) |
Owner Person | First Impressions Ministry Leader; Senior Pastor as elder sponsor |
Outcome | Visitors who attend a Sunday worship service are followed up in a way that warmly invites a second visit; we measurably retain more of them. Visitor retention has been named in the 2025 Annual Dashboard as 'our biggest challenge.' |
Indicator(s) | Percentage of first-time visitors in a given month who attend a second time within 60 days. |
FY26 Baseline | Not currently measured. 22 of 50 Sundays in 2025 had visitors ≥ 10% of attendance, but second-visit return rate is unknown. May–June 2026 work: standardize the metric and capture FY26 baseline. |
FY27 Target | 25% second-visit return rate by Dec 31, 2027 (from a defined FY26 baseline). |
Key Milestones | Q1 2027: tracking system in place; baseline confirmed. Q2 2027: First Impressions volunteer training complete. Q3 2027: weekly visitor follow-up SOP in operation. Q4 2027: rate at or above 20%. |
Budget Tie | First Impressions Ministry line in 6400 Fellowship/Hospitality; Communications line for follow-up materials. |
Risks / Watch-fors | If volunteer base is thin, follow-up lapses. If the metric is gameable (e.g., recording someone as 'visitor' twice), the number misleads. If the Sunday experience itself isn't compelling, no follow-up will rescue it. |
Appendix A — Streamline System ↔ Priority Ministry Crosswalk
Mayflower's twelve operational systems (per Streamline Healthy Church Systems by Lukaszewski) and how each supports the Five Priority Ministries. When you tag a goal with a Streamline System in its Goal Block, this is the reference table.
Note on numbering: the canonical Streamline system numbering should be verified against Mayflower's BookStack copy on the Mayflower Church Operations shelf. System #11 (Performance Evaluation) is confirmed; the others are listed by function. If the numbering differs in your Streamline edition, update the labels in goal blocks accordingly.
Streamline System | Priority Ministry/Ministries Served | Mayflower Vehicles |
Strategic Planning System | All five Priority Ministries (cross-cutting) | Two-Page Plan, Annual Goals, Quarterly Reviews |
Communications System | Lord's Day Gathering; Disciple-Making | Bulletin, Website, Sunday announcements, social presence |
Personnel / HR System | All Priority Ministries (cross-cutting) | Senior Pastor JD, Hiring SOP, Employee Handbook, Performance Evaluation Stack |
Volunteer System | Lord's Day Gathering; Disciple-Making; Membership & Shepherding | Volunteer Chapter, Serving Team Huddle Guide, Position Descriptions |
Hospitality System | Lord's Day Gathering | First Impressions Ministry, Welcome Team, Hospitality Team |
Discipleship System | Disciple-Making Pathways (primary); Word | BFGs, EQUIP, Children's & Youth, Bible Studies, Foundations class |
Outreach / Evangelism System | Disciple-Making Pathways; Lord's Day Gathering | Evangelism Team, Christianity Explored, Easter & Christmas events, Missions |
Worship System | Lord's Day Gathering (primary); Word | Worship Team, AV, Scripture Reading, Communion |
Children's / Youth Ministry System | Disciple-Making Pathways | Discipletown, Nursery, Youth |
Finance System | All Priority Ministries (cross-cutting) | Board of Finance, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Audit |
Performance Evaluation System (#11) | All Priority Ministries (cross-cutting) | Pastoral Review, Joy-at-Work Review, Office Bearer Reaffirmation, Volunteer Check-In |
Facilities System | Lord's Day Gathering; cross-cutting | Trustees, Custodial, Snow Removal, Maintenance, Insurance |
Source materials: Mayflower Two-Page Plan (Draft April 2026); Five Priority Ministries We Guard (January 2026); FY26 Stabilization Inventory (May 2026, Rev. 3); Monthly Dashboards Jan 2025 – Mar 2026; 2025 Annual Dashboard Report; March 2026 Attendance Trend Report; Streamline Healthy Church Systems (Lukaszewski) — verify numbering against BookStack; The Guide to Healthy Church Operations (Ministry Brands).
Document version: FY27 Working Draft v.1 — May 4, 2026.
FY26 Stabilization Inventory — May 2026
Mayflower Church FY26 Stabilization Inventory
Phase 1 of the May–October 2026 Management Plan adoption. Drafted by Anton Brown, Senior Pastor — May 4, 2026 (Revision 3, incorporating monthly dashboards Jan 2025 – Mar 2026 and the March 2026 Attendance Trend Report).
Headline
2025 was a hard year. Mayflower lost 29 regular attenders or members across fifteen families. Worship attendance, BFG enrollment, and Total Tithes & Offerings all declined. By the closing 12-week rolling average, attendance was 12.7 below the end of 2024.
And — at the same time — there are real signs of life. 2025 average per capita giving rose to $67.01, the highest figure since 2022, indicating that those who stayed gave more sacrificially. Q1 2026 Budget+Funds giving ($48,327) was the highest first quarter in recent history. EQUIP attendance is at a five-year high (averaging 20+ each month since November). January 2026 saw four baptisms. March 2026 BFG/Bible Study attendance reached 33, the highest in a year. Total Participation in March 2026 (611) was the highest since November 2024.
The FY26 budget was set ambitiously: $259,154 in income, against 2025 actual Total Tithes & Offerings of $204,332. That is a 27% increase. The gap we appeared to be running against the FY26 budget through April 17 (income at 22.3% of budget at 29% of year) is therefore largely a budget-design gap rather than a generosity gap. The pastoral question for the August Summit and the FY27 budget is whether to chase that gap or recalibrate expectations to a sustainable baseline.
1. Year-over-Year Trend (from the 2025 Annual Dashboard)
Giving (annual totals 2022–2025)
Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024→2025 |
Total Budget & Funds | $140,196 | $166,048 | $181,381 | $168,076 | −8% |
Total Tithes & Offerings | $168,885 | $204,332 | $217,188 | $204,332 | −6% |
Total Missions | $24,936 | $34,062 | $32,698 | $25,265 | −29% |
Avg Weekly Giving | $3,380 | $3,789 | $4,187 | $4,018 | −4% |
Avg Per Capita | $62.36 | $58.28 | $59.37 | $67.01 | +11% |
Read: Total dollars dropped, but per capita giving rose meaningfully. The −29% in Missions was driven by the absence of large one-time gifts (per the Annual Report); ordinary missions giving was steady. The −8% in Total Budget & Funds is the line that most directly reflects pew-level participation and is the most important to watch.
Attendance (annual totals 2022–2025)
Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024→2025 |
Total Worship Attendance | 2,742 | 3,502 | 3,676 | 3,064 | −17% |
Total Participation (all activities) | 4,491 | 5,690 | 6,327 | 5,430 | −14% |
Total BFG & Bible Study | 710 | 1,135 | 1,456 | 1,185 | −19% |
Avg Weekly Worship Attendance | 51.2 | 63.8 | 70.6 | 63.3 | −10% |
Read: 2024 was the high water mark. The losses in 2025 were concentrated in fifteen named families and span a range of reasons: relocations, theological drift, changes in life stage, and one return (Joan Robinson).
2. Monthly Trajectory (from the dashboards)
Average weekly worship attendance, Total Giving (excludes counseling), and baptisms by month, where available:
Month | Avg/Sun Worship | Total Giving | Baptisms |
Jan 2025 | — | $17,858 | — |
Feb 2025 | — | — | — |
Mar 2025 | — | — | — |
Apr 2025 | 68 | $23,369 | 0 |
May 2025 | — | — | — |
Jun 2025 | 65 | $21,115 | 0 |
Jul 2025 | 59 | $14,506 | 0 |
Aug 2025 | 58 | $18,726 | 3 |
Sep 2025 | 64 | $14,336 | 0 |
Oct 2025 | 66 | $15,972 | 1 |
Nov 2025 | 66 | $20,811 | — |
Dec 2025 | 63 | $14,443 | — |
Jan 2026 | 62 | $18,009 | 4 |
Feb 2026 | 58 | $17,508 | — |
Mar 2026 | 65 | $21,102 | — |
Pattern: 2025 average worship attendance settled into a 58–66 band with summer dips (July 59, August 58) and fall recovery (Oct/Nov 66). 2026 has held that band so far (Jan 62, Feb 58 — depressed by weather cancellations including 4 of 4 services in February, Mar 65). Giving is steady-to-strong: every full month except February 2025 (no dashboard) has produced $14K+ in Total Giving, and the months above $20K (April, June, November 2025; March 2026) all included a fifth Sunday or special-events giving.
3. Q1 Comparison and 12-Week Outlook
Period | Avg/Sun Worship | Total Giving | Baptisms |
Q1 2024 | 67-69 | — | — |
Q1 2025 | 65 | — | — |
Q1 2026 | 62 (avg of monthly avgs) | $48,327 Budget+Funds (highest Q1 in recent history) | 4 (January) |
From the March 2026 Attendance Trend Report: the current 12-week rolling average is 60.7, down 12.7 from the end of 2024. The 2026-through-Mar-15 average is 59.9 across 10 Sundays. Read against 2025's full-year average of 63.3, that's a continued softening — but the dollar trajectory (Q1 2026 strongest Q1 in recent history) is heading the other way. The two metrics are diverging, which means a smaller core is giving more sacrificially.
4. Encouraging Signals to Steward Into
- EQUIP attendance: 24-25 average in January 2026 (highest in five years on the dashboards); 20 in February and March 2026. The dashboard author has flagged this repeatedly as encouraging.
- Baptisms: 4 in January 2026 alone. 2025 had 4 across the year (3 in August, 1 in October). January 2026's four baptisms exceed all of 2025.
- BFG/Bible Study attendance: March 2026 averaged 33, the highest in a year. The Spring 2026 cohort is gathering momentum.
- Total Participation in March 2026 (611): the highest since November 2024.
- Q1 2026 Budget+Funds giving ($48,327): the highest Q1 in recent history per the dashboard.
- Per capita giving in 2025 ($67.01) and Jan 2026 ($97.35): the highest values on record. Those who stayed are leaning in.
5. Real Concerns to Name Plainly
- Twenty-nine attenders/members lost in 2025. The Annual Report's Table 2 names every family. The cumulative effect on attendance, giving, and morale is real.
- Worship attendance trend is gradually downward over four years' window — 2024 70.6 → 2025 63.3 → 2026 thru Mar 15: 59.9. Without intervention, the trajectory continues.
- Bible Study and BFG enrollment dropped sharply in 2025 (−55% in average attendance). Spring 2026 is rebuilding, but slowly.
- Visitor retention is the dashboard author's named concern. Visitors comprised 10% or more of worship attendance on 22 of 50 Sundays tracked in 2025; few converted to regulars.
- FY26 budget was set 27% above 2025 actuals. Either a real giving recovery or a recalibration is required by the August Summit.
6. Inventory of Active Initiatives
Items below are drafted, in motion, or already adopted. Each should be confirmed in May–June with the responsible board and either folded into FY26 close-out or named explicitly as an FY27 carry-over.
Domain | Item | Owner | Status | Disposition |
Constitution & Bylaws | Bylaw Amendment Gap Memo (April 2026) | Senior Pastor / Clerk | Active | Carry into FY27 plan; close gaps before October 25, 2026 vote |
Affiliation | CCCC withdrawal complete; SBC affiliation in progress | Senior Pastor / Elder Board | Active | Update Two-Page Plan page 1; integrate Guidelines for Seeking a Pastor (SBC Draft) |
Senior Pastor JD | Job Description Rev. 3 (April 2026) | Elder Board | Active | Adopt; cycle into Pastoral Review |
Employee Handbook | Draft April 2026 (incl. Mandated Reporter) | Elders / Trustees | Draft | Review, adopt, publish on BookStack |
Hiring SOP | Non-Pastoral Staff Hiring SOP (April 2026) | Elders / Trustees | Active | Adopt and use for next hire |
Decision-Making Framework | Framework + Quick Card (April 2026) | All Boards | Active | Use to scope FY27 plan items by decision rights |
Performance Evaluation Stack | Framework, Pastoral Review, Joy-at-Work, Office Bearer Reaffirmation, Volunteer Check-In | Elders / each board | Drafts | Adopt before fall reaffirmation cycle |
Event System | Event Evaluation Process, Debrief Template, Planning Checklist | Hospitality / Comms | Active | Use for every flagship event in 2026 |
Meeting System | Meeting System (Draft April 2026) | All Boards | Draft | Adopt; align with quarterly cadence |
Volunteer Chapter | Volunteer Chapter (Draft April 2026); Serving Team Huddle Guide | Each Team Leader | Draft | Pair with team-by-board oversight model |
Two-Page Plan | Two-Page Plan (Draft April 2026) | Senior Pastor | Draft -> FY27 anchor | Refreshed at August 2026 Leadership Summit |
Annual Goals Template | Annual Goals Template (Draft April 2026) | Each Board | Draft -> FY27 anchor | Populated at Summit; re-populated annually |
Leadership Handoff | Guidelines + Quick Card (April 2026) | Each Board | Active | Use at September officer transitions |
Five Priority Ministries | Document (January 2026) | Senior Pastor / Elders | Active | Anchor of Two-Page Plan, page 1 |
Monthly Dashboards | Jan 2025 - Mar 2026 (active) | Dashboard author (Amy/secretary) | Active | Continue; standardize attendance taxonomy in May for full FY27 baseline |
7. Quick Wins for May–June
Six high-leverage items that do not require congregational approval and can move before the July Board of Finance build.
Action | Why it matters now | Owner |
Standardize attendance metric on the dashboards | Definitions vary across years (visitor sub-types, online treatment, BFG vs Bible Study). Lock one going-forward taxonomy in May 2026 so the August Summit and FY27 Two-Page Plan can populate Indicator targets cleanly. | Dashboard author / Senior Pastor |
Tie QB expense categories to Streamline systems | Currently functional, not mission-keyed. Mapping table makes BoF July build plan-aware. | Financial Secretary / Treasurer |
Adopt the Performance Evaluation Stack | Five drafts ready. Adoption lets the Summit tie goals to people. | Elder Board |
Adopt Meeting System & Decision-Making Framework | Both drafted. Clears Robert's-Rules ambiguity that has slowed plan execution. | Elders / Moderator |
Set FY27 financial assumptions in writing by July 1 | Including a realistic giving baseline (use 2025 actual, not 2024 peak); missions/capital priorities; staffing assumptions. | Senior Pastor / BoF |
Address the FY26 budget vs. 2025 actuals gap | FY26 budget of $259K was set 27% above 2025 actual Total Tithes ($204K). Either name how we will close that gap or revise FY27 expectations downward toward a sustainable baseline. | BoF / Elder Board |
8. Calendar of Plan Milestones — FY26 Mid-Year through FY27 Q1
Mayflower's fiscal year is January 1 to December 31. The planning cycle that produces each year's budget runs from July through October of the prior year, anchored by the Board of Finance build (July), the Leadership Summit (August), the officer transition (September), and the quarterly congregational vote (late October).
When | Milestone |
May 2026 | Phase 1 stabilization inventory reviewed by Elder Board (FY26 Q2) |
May 2026 | Each Team Leader confirms team status, owner, and one-line FY26 outcome |
June 2026 | FY26 mid-year reflection from each board (one-pager) - feeds Summit |
July 2026 | Board of Finance opens FY27 budget build, plan-aware |
August 2026 | Leadership Summit: produces FY27 Two-Page Plan + Annual Goals |
September 2026 | Officer elections, leadership handoff, plan owners confirmed |
September 6-27, 2026 | Q3 Stewardship Arc (4-week sermon series, 2 Cor 8-9) |
October 25, 2026 | Quarterly Congregational Meeting: approve FY27 budget |
November-December 2026 | FY26 close-out; Q4 plan health check |
January 1, 2027 | FY27 begins |
February 2027 | FY26 year-end review; first quarterly meeting |
9. Open Questions for Elder Board Review
- Visitor retention strategy: the dashboard data shows steady visitor flow but limited conversion to regulars. Should this be one of the three to five FY27 priorities at the August Summit?
- Bible Fellowship Group expansion: 2025 saw fewer groups; 2026 has only 2 in-person BFGs in the spring. Is launching additional BFGs an FY27 priority?
- FY27 budget realism: do we set FY27 closer to 2025 actuals ($204K Total Tithes) or maintain an aspirational $260K target?
- Departures: should the elders revisit the fifteen families who left in 2025 — pastorally, not analytically — to learn what we should be doing differently?
- SBC affiliation impact on the Two-Page Plan page 1: refresh now, or at the August Summit?
10. Recommended Next Steps
- Circulate this inventory to the Elder Board ahead of their next Tuesday meeting; ask each board chair to confirm the Disposition column for items in their domain.
- In June, each board produces a one-page reflection on FY26 to date — what is in motion, what has been completed, what is being carried into FY27 planning.
- Use the July BoF meeting to bind every requested FY27 budget line to a goal area on the Annual Goals Template and to set a realistic income baseline drawn from 2025 actuals.
- Use the August Leadership Summit to produce the FY27 Two-Page Plan and Annual Goals — three to five priorities with named owners and indicators (visitor retention, BFG expansion, baptisms, per capita giving).
- Run the September stewardship arc (separate document) tied to the FY27 priorities.
- Archive the FY26 inventory, FY26 board reflections, FY27 Two-Page Plan, and FY27 Annual Goals to BookStack on the Mayflower Church Operations shelf.
Source data: Monthly dashboards Jan 2025 – Mar 2026; 2025 Annual Dashboard Report; Mayflower Attendance Trend and Projections Report (March 2026); QuickBooks Budget vs. Actuals through April 17, 2026; Donations export Jan 18 – May 3, 2026.
Revision history: Rev. 3 (May 4, 2026) — incorporates the full monthly dashboard set Jan 2025–Mar 2026, the 2025 Annual Report, and the March 2026 Attendance Trend Report. Replaces partial-workbook attendance numbers with the dashboard series. Adds 2025 actuals as the FY27 baseline reference. Acknowledges that 'behind FY26 budget' was largely a budget-design gap (FY26 budget set 27% above 2025 actual). Names the encouraging signals (EQUIP, baptisms, Q1 2026 giving) alongside the real losses.