George Barna says that vision is "the ability to understand the history, the present condition, and the potential of the church." Without vision, churches are wanderers. Visionless pastoring is the crock pot for doubt. It slowly cooks the average of situations and turns it into the largest of problems. Without vision the people perish according to Proverbs. So how can knowing one's vision prepare a leader to move out of wandering and into the straight and narrow path of ministry?
- Make it personal
Vision should be personal. People can tell within a few minutes if you believe in your vision. To be honest, a personalized vision triggers emotional responses. Leaders that are emotionally connected to there vision will be more passionate about communicating that vision.
Case in point - I have friends who were passionate about starting a coffee house ministry. I wasn't so sure about it but their passion translated into a vision that was undeniable. They moved from a small room in their church to the main street of their city. To hear them speak of their vision was to see a dream unfolding before your eyes. Not only are they thriving but people's lives are being changed because of it.
Personal vision speaks volumes about your ministry, and people can easily line up and be a part of something they know the leader believes.
Avoid the trap of being immovable in your vision, however. No one will follow someone over a cliff - no matter how many times they watch Thelma and Louise.
- Be able to give it in a 60-second elevator speech
Short and simple and not boring and long. You do not always have all the time in the world to communicate your vision to someone. If you can narrow it to a one minute speech, then you can capture more listeners who will not tune you out. Leaders without an intentional and prepared vision will start rambling. Rambling sounds good in a song but bad when presenting your passion.
- Make it visible everywhere
The biggest problem most churches have today is that a guest can enter and leave their facilities and never be introduced to the vision of the church. If you can paint it on the walls, put it up on posters, include it on bulletins, add it in the Powerpoint slides, and put it on your website, then you need to do it!
You only get one chance to help people connect with your vision. Don't miss it because you do not want to scare someone. They are there because they want to be a part of something bigger. Paint them into the picture by helping them know your vision!
- Repeat it constantly
Not only should it be visible, it should also be audible. It should be heard from the pulpit. It should also be heard from any and all volunteers. Do you want to know how well you communicate your vision? Ask your staff and volunteers to write out what they think the vision of the church is. Scary thought? It is not when you and those you lead are consistently repeating the vision.
- Make it fresh
Do not allow your vision casting to become a mantra. Refresh the language from time to time. Make it new and memorable. You will find that new ways of saying your vision will refresh you as much as energizes it your people.
Let me know what you think. I am available to coach this if you need it.
Vision is the ability to understand the history, the present condition, and the potential of the church, and to conceive a plan for action that will maximize the ministry potential. More often than not, vision is a result of having spent much time absorbing the facts about the community, knowing the resources upon which the church can call (people, funding, facilities, equipment, etc.), and devising sound but creative strategies for moving forward. Vision always entails progress: it is never satisfied with the status quo. George Barna, How to Find Your Church, p. 104.
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