This is part 4 of a 4-part series on project management in church ministry.
Projects come in different sizes and complexity. There are different project management frameworks that can be utilized depending on the characteristics of a project. The traditional project management approach has been the “waterfall” methodology. This technique is typically used for enterprise-level initiatives. It can be applied to large industrial endeavours such as church building construction and major church-wide events. Although large, the project scope could be scaled and broken down into smaller chunks that could be delivered in shorter timeframes, reaping the value and realizing the ROI sooner. Smaller and less complex projects can be managed with more nimbleness using the “ agile” approach. A key difference between “ waterfall” and “agile” is that the former follows a string of stages that flow and fall in sequence whereas the latter is iterative, incremental and adaptive. Agile has become prevalent in our current state of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.
This brings to mind a biblical exemplar of project management, from almost two and a half millennia past. In the month of Kislev, Nehemiah heard that the wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and its gates burned with fire. However, he did not rush to the rescue. Instead, Nehemiah sat down and wept, mourned and fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:3—4) Then four months later, in the month of Nisan, after praying to the God of heaven, Nehemiah asked King Artaxerxes for permission to send him to Jerusalem. He requested the king’s authorization and was granted the charter for the project. (Nehemiah 2:1—10) Before the work started to rebuild the broken down walls and gates around the holy city of Jerusalem Nehemiah broke down the work. First he inspected and analysed the situation along the walls around the holy city. (Nehemiah 2:11-16) Then he inspired, motivated and mobilized the team. (Nehemiah 2:17—20) Nehemiah was clear of the roles and responsibilities of the project stakeholders. He assigned subteams with the necessary skills and zeal to work on the different parts. (Nehemiah 3—4) As expected, there were resistance and risks. Throughout the project, Nehemiah continually managed the issues, be they opposition, safety, finance. (Nehemiah 4—6) With the help of God, the work was completed in 52 days in the month of Elul. (Nehemiah 6:15) Upon successful completion of the project, Nehemiah led the people in celebration and dedication. (Nehemiah 12:27—47)