Setting goals is critically important if you want to get anywhere in life – career, personal development, family, and even ministry.
This is because without goals, our day-to-day activities tend to get hijacked by whatever seems most urgent, pressure from other people, or what we feel like doing in the moment. Or as legendary baseball player (and amateur philosopher) Yogi Berra once said…
If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else. -Yogi Berra
So, if you’ve been wondering about any of these questions…
- What are the different types of goals?
- What’s the difference between objectives, projects, processes, and metrics as goals?
- What type of goals should I set for my organization?
- How do I choose the right goals to focus on?
- Can goals help with church growth or ministry planning?
- How do I set goals for next year?
… you’ve come to the right place!
Our team here at OurChurch.Com recently finalized our 2026 strategic plan. It’s the 21st consecutive year we’ve developed a strategic plan.
We have learned a lot about goals over these last two decades. Perhaps the most important is that there are 4 different types of goals. These 4 types of goals are universal. They can be applied to any kind of organization. I also use them in my personal goal-setting each year.
4 Types of Goals
1) Objectives
Objectives are broad goals. They are what you would like to see happen in the next year. Some objectives that organizations or people might have include…
- Church: Connect with people in our community
- Ministry: Serve the poor
- Business: Increase sales
- Personal: Become a better parent
Objectives define WHAT you want to accomplish but not HOW.
2) Projects
Projects goals are the “how;” they’re specific things you are going to do to accomplish your objectives.
For example, if one of your objectives is “connect with people in our community,” your project goals might be:
3) Processes
Process goals are also HOW you are going to achieve your objectives. But while projects goals are achieved when the project is complete, process goals are regularly recurring tasks. Some examples of process goals are:
- send follow-up cards to new church visitors every Monday
- update the website every Tuesday
- write a weekly blog post
- post new content to Facebook three times a week
4) Metrics
Metrics are the specific data you are going to track and the specific numerical goals you want to reach to indicate success. Numerical goals are things like:
- increase sales by 10%
- reach 1,000 website visitors a month by the end of the year
- start 10 new life groups
When people hear the word “goals,” many people’s thoughts immediately go to these types of metrics goals, but I would caution against that.
In my opinion, our culture over-emphasizes outcomes, which we usually can’t control. Outcomes can depend on
- The weather (farming)
- Other people’s responses (sales)
- A move of God (commitments to Christ)
- or other things.
We would be better served by focusing on project and process goals, which we have more control over. What do you think?
Consider this post part one. We’ll talk more about how to develop each type of goal next week.
As Steve Keating says…
We seldom fulfill our dreams until we turn them into a goal and develop a plan to achieve them. -Steve Keating
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If we don’t pray about these things, ask God for guidance and write down where we sense him leading us, we have a tendency to get distracted, lose our way, or forget exactly what God has called us to do.
Goals Month
Our focus this month at OurChurch.Com is on helping you set and achieve the right kinds of goals for your church, ministry or business. We encourage you to share your perspective in this month’s Listening Post. Keep an eye out for more posts about goals and specific goals to consider for your website and SEO.
- Kick Off 2026 with a Free Website Review
- Should Churches Set Goals?
Discuss
- Have you set goals for your organization for 2026? Why or why not?
- Which type of goals are you and your organization setting this year?
Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com
Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.
An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.
Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.
