In a few weeks, our Lead and Management team will be talking about Vision for Lakeside Community Church. Here are a few things I am process when it comes to vision. Would love from other Visionary Pastors your thoughts on going through the Vision Process with your team.
I pulled together resources that I have gathered over my 19 years of
ministry experience, especially doing ministry in high impact churches. I have seen the fruit of many of these things when they are implemented.
One of the saddest things in the world is the person who can
see, but who does not have a vision. Determining a vision is the basic way a church
defines and expresses itself. Such a vision is not humanly devised, but
God-given, I would rather have ONE GOD IDEA than a thousand GOOD ideas.
With a compelling vision, churches will not be paralyzed by the “activity
trap.”
A classic definition of vision is one developed by George
Barna.
“Vision for ministry is a
mental image of a preferable future,
imparted by God to His chosen servants, based on an accurate understanding of God,
self, and circumstances.” (
The
Power of Vision, pg. 28)
Vision is a picture held in your mind's eye of the way
things could or should be in the days ahead. At first it is yours personally,
but eventually you must be able to show/share that vision with others so that
they might see it. A fuzzy view is not a clear image.
Vision involves change. Vision is never about maintaining
the status quo, or preparing for mere maintenance. Vision is about stretching
reality to go beyond the existing state.
Vision focuses on thinking ahead, rather than dwelling upon
or seeking to replicate the past.
While He allows us ample latitude and creativity to
articulate, disseminate, and implement the vision, make no mistake about it --
visionary leaders get their vision for ministry from God.
God provides vision to leaders. Leaders know what to do with
vision.
The primary vision caster in churches is the pastor. He
designs a picture for the future and fuels the church’s spiritual and
imaginative capacities. The congregation embraces the vision.
A person can starve to death in a full pantry if his vision
is at floor level.
- Constantly
ask/answer the question, “Who are we as a church?”
- Keep
members focused on the vision.
- Focus
on self and not others. (“What am I doing” is more important that what
others do.)
- Advance
the vision by steadily monitoring the church’s course.
- Help the
pastor to re-dream the vision from time to time.
- Lead
in focusing on the vision of mission instead of being over-focused on
the pastor/staff.
- Realize
that when the way forward is unclear, it is difficult to be wholehearted.
- Understand
that if the vision is vague, people lose interest.
ESTABLISH URGENCY
IN CASTING VISION:
(THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER)
Establishing urgency, casting the vision, and then seeing
the vision carried out is spelled out by John
P. Kotter as an eight stage process. Kotter, writing form a secular
perspective, gives a very helpful paradigm for the process of vision casting
that ends with the “anchoring” of the vision into the culture of the
organization. His eight stage process is:
1. Establishing a
sense of urgency
2. Creating the guiding coalition
3. Developing a Vision and Strategy
4. Communicating the change vision
5. Empowering broad-based action
6. Generating short term wins
7. Consolidating gains and producing more change
8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture (Kotter 1996, 21)
A new vision for a local church
must permeate all aspects of the ministry. The pastor must be the primary vision
caster; but for a vision to move from ink and paper to action in the church,
the leadership of the church must be convinced of the need for and usefulness
of the vision. The church
leadership, which may include staff, deacons, elders, board members, or other
key leaders, must work to support and cast the vision as well. These leaders
would be the equivalent of Kotter’s guiding coalition. The purpose of the
“coalition” is to guide the organization, in this case the church, through the
process of implementing the new vision.
All ministries
of the church should seek in some way to provide education about the vision of
the church. This is, in Kotter’s terminology, the broad-based action. The church must put into action its vision
throughout the organization, not only in the front office or the worship
service. Sunday School, small groups, senior adults, youth, and all other
ministries of the church must take the new vision seriously enough to act upon
the vision. Malphurs says that every activity within the body of the church
represents an opportunity to communicate the message (Malphurs 2005, 64).
The broad-based action of the church to execute the vision within each smaller
ministry results in the execution of the vision by the larger church over all.
The vision should also be referred
to in some way on print publications, church bulletins, and websites. If a vision is to take root in the fertile
soil of urgency, the vision must be cast far and wide. Scripture plainly says that the one who sows sparingly will reap
sparingly. The same is true for the
vision of the church. If the vision is not cast far and wide, the leader should
not expect that the vision will be accepted by a large number of congregants.
However, if the leadership of the church believes in the vision and in the
possibility of a brighter future and works to spread the excitement of the
vision, the visionary can and should expect to see the vision carried out in
the life of the church.
As a final note on communication, nothing should be assumed in the
communication of a new vision within the local church. The story is told of
Vince Lombardi, one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time, that he started
the first practice of every season in the locker room with a football in his
hand. To his professional football
players, Lombardi would show the football and say, “this is a football.” From
there Lombardi explained his coaching strategy and their team objectives, but
he assumed nothing and communicated everything. The pastor, leadership, and guiding coalition of a church during a
new vision must assume nothing and communicate everything.
Once the vision is actively being pursued within the church, then the
visionary leader is liberated to continue developing vision for the church.
The freedom to do this will be given as
the church finds small wins upon which it can celebrate. Andy Stanley refers to
this process as “clarifying the win” (Andy Stanley).
The clearly defined
win will result in celebration. As the church sees the results of the pastor’s
vision, the church will empower the pastor to continue implementing change upon
which the church can be built. This
is Kotter’s concept of consolidating gains and producing more change. In the
church, one example is seen in new members.
New membership will
add to the overall workforce of the church. As the church is blessed with a
greater number of laborers, the harvest can be even more plentiful. The visionary pastor in this situation,
then, is faced with the task of implementing changes that incorporate expanded
membership into the ministry of the church. A church engrossed in celebration
and success can accept that change is good and beneficial.
As mentioned earlier, a great vision does not mean that there will not be uncertainty. (With
the NEW NORMAL – Are we willing to Embrace Uncertainty?)
In fact, uncertainty
is the reason that vision is needed. Vision provides clarity in the midst of
uncertainty. Andy Stanley suggests that leaders are allowed to be uncertain,
but they must always be clear. Further he states, “The goal of leadership is not to eradicate uncertainty, but rather
to manage it” (Stanley 2003, 84). “Uncertainty will not be your undoing
as a leader. However, your inability to give a clear directive in the midst of
uncertainty might very well be the thing that takes you out or causes you to
plateau early in your career” (Stanley 2003, 98). People can trust a
transparent leader who admits his fears and uncertainty as long as they are
confident that the leader can navigate them through the future, regardless of
what it may hold.
The visionary pastor is not a fortune teller, but he is a leader. The
visionary leader is willing to say “I don’t know,” but he also says “but, we’ll
find a way.”
Many writers today use the term coaching in reference to
leadership. This is an apt term because coaches can never predict what will
happen during the course of an athletic event, but their game plan (or vision)
enables them to adapt and adjust to address every situation on the court or
playing field. The 21st Century is
defined by rapid change. For the church to thrive in this new era, pastors and
other leaders must develop and implement vision that will enable the church to
address the ever changing future while remaining true to the sacred past and
the command of God’s word.
The old adage holds true, if you aim at
nothing, you’ll hit it every time. The
church aiming at nothing is nearly always satisfied, but it is never living to
its full potential.
The church without
clearly defined vision is like a person stumbling in the darkness. The apostle Paul was not content to stumble
in the darkness, instead he pressed on toward a goal. Paul had a vision and he
overcame all obstacles because he knew where he was going. In the book of
Acts, as quoted earlier, Paul tells Felix, “I
was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.” Paul knew he was obedient because
he was sure of his purpose…he had a vision.
People,
for the most part, do not like change. This is especially true
within the church. Human beings are
creatures of habit and ideas that threaten those habits are often met with
opposition. However, for a church to reach its full potential, change is
essential because those habits to which people become so addicted create ruts
into which Christians often fall.
Those ruts, over time,
are dug deep, often so deep that church members can see only themselves within
the ruts and not the possibilities of
God outside of the ruts. Change
is the automatic byproduct of an active vision. Change is not always comfortable, but change that is in line with God’s
will keeps the church’s faith energized and its community excited. Routines
bring order and stability, but they also put people to sleep.
Visionary leaders
wake up the church to do the work of the Lord.
Implementing new vision will not be easy, and the older a church is,
the more difficult it will be to spur it onward to change. So, is it really
worth the effort? Absolutely! Not
only is vision casting worth the effort within the church, it is essential for
the life of a congregation.
The question that must be asked by all pastors, leaders, deacons,
lay people, and even entire churches is not, “is it worth it,” but rather “can
we afford not to implement new vision?” Churches holding on to a Twentieth
Century paradigm for ministry and leadership will attract people with a
Twentieth Century mindset. Those people will feel very comfortable and their
mindset will not be challenged. However, the church will not adapt to the
changing culture and as a result, the church will slowly waste away as members
of the old paradigm pass away.
Pastors and other leaders within the church must wake up and
realize that the current model is broken and will be broken again in a short
time as the world rushes by. The church
model must be “fixed” and the fix will come through visionary leaders who
prayerfully develop and institute exciting vision for the new century. (THIS
WHY TO FASTING AND PRAYER...are we FASTING AND PRAYING?)
REFERENCE LIST
(ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHECK A FEW
RESOURCES)
Barna, George. 1993. The Power of Vision. Ventura, CA: Regal Books.
Blanchard, Ken, and Phil Hodges. 2003. The Servant Leader.
Nashville, TN: J. Countryman.
Collins, Jim. 2001. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make
the Leap and Others Don’t.
New York: Harper Collins Publishers.
Cionca, John R. 2004. Before you Move: A Guide to Making
Transitions in Ministry. Grand
Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.
Kotter, John P. 1996. Leading Change. Boson, Massachusetts:
Harvard Business School
Press.
Malphurs, Aubrey. 1998. Planting Growing Churches for The
21st Century. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Books.
Malphurs, Aubrey. 2005. Advanced Strategic Planning. Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Baker
Books.
Maxwell, John C. 2003. Equipping 101: What Ever Leader Needs
to Know. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson Publishers.
McManus, Erwin Raphael. 2002. Chasing Daylight. Nashville,
TN: Nelson Books.
Monroe, Myles. 2003. The Principles and Power of Vision. New
Kensington, PA: Whitaker
House Publishing.
Prime, Derek, and Alistair Begg. 2004. On Being a Pastor.
Chicago: Moody Publishers.
Rainer, Thom S. 2001. Surprising Insights from The
Unchurched, and Proven Ways To
Reach Them. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Sanders, J. Oswald. 1994. Spiritual Leadership: Principles
of Excellence for Every Believer.
Chicago: Moody Press.
Stanley, Andy. 2001. Visioneering: God’s Blueprint for
Developing and Maintaining Personal
Vision. Oregon: Multinomah Publishers, Inc.
Stanley, Andy. 2003. The Next Generation Leader. Oregon:
Multinomah Publishers, Inc.
Stanley, Andy. 2003. Practically Speaking (downloadable
audio from Northpoint Community
Church). http://www.practicallyspeaking.org/
NOW THE IMPORTANCE
OF COMMUNICATING THE VISION: (THIS
IS WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT)
1. STATE IT
SIMPLY.
Take time to think through what exactly it is you are trying
to accomplish….And state it in a way that you can say it quickly and
succinctly….The memorable is portable…You
need a portable vision….It doesn’t have to be cool or rhyme….Be aware of the
“Curse of Knowledge” – you know so much of what you’re doing you assume
everyone else knows what you’re doing….Vision doesn’t stick on it’s own….People
aren’t asking stupid questions – they’re just showing us how poorly we’ve
communicated it….What is it that people who volunteer in your organization come
together to do….One campaign – “to make poverty history.” You’ll know this
vision for the rest of our lives….Doesn’t even have to be original….Not just
committed to GROWTH, but committed to MULTIPLICATION….Its’ one thing to say one
thing over and over who sit in front of you in rows, entirely different to
communicate it through several tiers….Sometimes very powerful statements and
vision statements come accidentally….As you think about what you’re trying to
do, you serve yourself and others well to ask yourself, “when people show up
for work or plan a service, etc….What have we come together to do?” What’s the
one sentence job description associated w/ organization?
2. CAST IT
CONVINCINGLY
Neh 2 – the ultimate explanation/illustration of casting
vision…..the WALL has been torn down for a long time….Casts vision as to WHY they need
to REBUILD NOW….Did it in 50 + days with 3 components: (1)Define the
problem, (2) Offer a solution, (3)Explain WHY and WHY NOW….If people don’t feel
the problem they are not excited about the solution. EVER! You need to learn to
craft your vision as a solution to a
problem….You’ve got to understand the problem that your vision is a
solution for….Most people don’t have a problem w/ Jesus, they just don’t like
the church….What is the problem that our vision addresses?….To ask yourself:
What must be done in the environment you find yourself in? What would go undone
if your organization ceased to exist?….“Business Solutions” – Google this.
Because businesses have learned to position themselves as a solution to a
problem.
3. REPEAT IT
REGULARLY
You have never stated it enough. Look at the rhythm of your
organization….At Northpoint in January is our highest attendance so we use this
time for vision casting. Staff asks, “Shouldn’t we do something practical?”
No….You need to discover what those are and build into the rhythm the times to
cast vision. Can’t do it sporadically….When Andy casts vision, he almost always feels like he just
preached the SAME THING!! But people still get moved by it! Why? Because vision
doesn’t stick!
4. CELEBRATE IT
CONSISTENTLY
Not only a matter of repeating it, But find ways to
celebrate it….When you catch somebody
living out the vision the way you anticipate, celebrate it! Show it! Say, “This is what I’m talking about!”….Stories
do more to clarify more than anything….An emotion brings to life these phrases,
sentences, etc…The first question asked at staff meeting is, “Where have
you seen (insert your vision statement here) lived out this week?”
5. EMBRACE IT
PERSONALLY
Talk about it! In your attempts to be humble or below the
radar – you might be missing opportunities. Gives people permission to push the
envelope in their own life.
The importance of getting the big picture right (VISION), before nailing down
the detail.
VISION BEFORE THE
STRATEGIC PLANNING
- Mission:
A non-negotiable imperative. A statement about why we exist. It’s usually
industry-specific (i.e. common to churches). For example: “Make
disciples”.
- Vision:
An expression of a broader mission, specific to the particular church. For
example: “Create churches unchurched people love to attend.”
- Model:
How do we do this here.
Beneath these, are programming, products and services. And
you want the people in your church to be
more committed to the mission and vision, than than are to the ways we seek to
achieve these.
I like the way that Steve Furtick explains this:
“Marry the vision, hire the strategy.”
Andy encourages leaders to keep asking one question:
“What’s the best way to…”
This will help you to continually review the program as a
means of achieving a mission and a vision.
For example:
“What’s the best way to get adults into small groups?”, and
“What’s the best way to get singles involved in the local
church?”
Vision: A mental
picture of what could be, fueled by a passion that it should be. Vision leaks.
It’s a daily enterprise for leaders to make sure vision sticks.
As we look ahead and have VISION for the future at Lakeside
Community Church I want us to have these thoughts and questions in mind:
1. Pray and fast!
Nothing comes without seeking God sand allowing you to speak to
you. Without this nothing else
matters!
2. Are we
opened up to God ideas, new ideas, are we looking at ways we have never done
things before?
3. Are we
willing to embrace uncertainty?
4. Don’t allow
our budget to determine our VISION!
Let our VISION determine our budget! If it is a God-ordained VISION – God WILL provide! Faith is spelled R-I-S-K!
5. Don’t allow
fear to keep us from a VISION!
Fear in the unknown will Short circuit the God possibilities!
6. Keep asking
the question – “WHAT IF?”
7. We need to continue to do recon – LOOK
at Healthy Models of Churches that are resistant to stay stagnant. We need to keep growing and learning
from churches who are way ahead of where we are at.
Would love to hear from other pastors who have gone through the vision process. Want to get your take as visionary leaders of your churches.
