the mustard tree
Where Vision Takes Root and Becomes Renewal
As the next movement in Cornerstone’s I.M.P.A.C.T. Approach, the Mustard Tree transforms the insights of the Mustard Seed Assessment into a living plan of action. If the Mustard Seed reveals your church’s identity, gifts, and opportunities for renewal, then the Mustard Tree is the moment where that vision begins to take shape—branching into clear structures, sustainable practices, and community-centered engagement.
The purpose of the Mustard Tree is simple and profound: to help your congregation move from possibility to practice, from clarity to action, and from intention to long-term impact. Built around the ACT Plan—Activate, Cultivate, and Thread—the Mustard Tree provides a structured yet flexible roadmap tailored to the unique character of your church. It aligns your ministries, leadership, communications, and community partnerships into a unified strategy that strengthens mission and deepens connection.
With the Mustard Tree, your congregation receives a clear, actionable, and context-specific plan that empowers you to grow with intention, serve with clarity, and live your mission with renewed strength.
what the mustard tree covers:
ACTIVATE
CULTIVATE
THREAD
ACTIVATE
If the Gospel is proclaimed with our lips but never organized with our structures, how long can a church expect its message to outlast the silence of its systems?
Activate focuses on putting strategy into motion by strengthening a church’s internal structure and communication systems. This includes launching a refreshed communications plan, organizing or revitalizing committee structures, establishing sustainable systems of volunteer engagement, and activating physical spaces—such as parish halls—to support ministry, fellowship, and community use.
CULTIVATE
If we believe our mission is worth living, how can we justify investing more hope than strategy and expect a harvest from seeds we never bothered to water?
Cultivate builds long-term capacity by developing the financial and organizational foundations needed for sustained ministry growth. This includes implementing a resource development plan, strengthening annual fund and pledging systems, preparing for or exploring capital campaign readiness, supporting mission-aligned programs (such as early-childhood or educational initiatives), and establishing pathways for planned giving, legacy gifts, and grant development.
THREAD
If a church remains present in worship but absent in the wider life of its town, can it still claim to be a lamp on a stand, or has it slowly become a light no one knows to look for?
Thread embeds the church more deeply into the spiritual, cultural, and civic life of its community. This includes developing ministries in the spiritual arts and music, expanding opportunities for seniors, youth, and teens, and positioning the church as a hub for philanthropy, volunteerism, and community collaboration—creating a presence that extends well beyond Sunday worship.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:19–20
WHAT TO EXPECT
Each engagement with Cornerstone Consultancy includes the following core methods, activities, and implementation supports, adapted as needed based on contract scope and congregational goals.
Strategic Communications & Branding Launch
Branding updates, visual identity templates, newsletters,
social media materials, and website enhancements
Campaign, Appeal, & Grant Activation
Hands-on support for preparing and submitting grants, creating appeals, developing campaigns, and establishing impact-measurement tools
Leadership, Committees,
& Volunteer Infrastructure
Refining committee structures, forming new leadership groups,
and building volunteer pipelines
Program & Ministry Development Pathways
Develop/strengthen programs, such as youth, teen, senior,
arts, or community initiatives
Community Partnership &
Engagement Strategy
Facilitate partnerships, align congregational gifts with local needs, support participation in community groups, and host listening sessions
Ongoing Tracking, Reflection,
& Adjustment Tools
Follow-up checklists, reflection summaries, assessment tools, and partnership frameworks that help your church monitor progress, celebrate wins
All data is detailed into a beautiful, easy-to-use report that serves as your strategic foundation for growth.
