Kindle Notes & Highlights
Two tools that should be in the pastor’s tool kit are mission and vision. Both are critical because they address the church’s direction. They answer in their own way the question, Where are we going? A church without some direction is much like a freighter out on the ocean going wherever the tides and currents take it. As someone has said, “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” This certainly applies to vision.
Congregants need to know where their pastors are leading them. The all-important question is, Where are we going, and what will it look like when we get there? It’s important that the congregants know where they are headed in case they have some other direction in mind. The same is true for staff. Both the congregation and the staff must align with the church’s direction or disaster will be the result.
We believe that 80–85 percent of these leaders are struggling because of the decline of their churches. They blame themselves as well as others in the church.
Leaders are by definition visionaries. Our short definition of a leader is a godly servant who knows where he or she is going and has followers.
A church’s vision not only motivates people to want to accomplish the mission, it motivates people to give their finances in response to and in support of the mission.
Pastoral ministry in general and re-envisioning churches in particular can be very hard work. Often discouragement and disappointment lurk in the church’s hallways and boardrooms, especially in struggling ministries that are on the downside of the organizational growth curve. Add to this the fact that our Enemy incites persecution against Christ’s church and its pastors (Acts 8:1). Also spiritual warfare comes with the ministry territory, though we’re seldom aware of it (see Eph. 6:10–18 for how we are to arm ourselves against spiritual warfare).
Pastoral ministrty can be very discourafing disappinoting, subject to persecution, spirifual warfare
What has kept people like Peter, Paul, James, Calvin, Luther, Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll, and others on the ministry track? The answer, as you expected by now, is vision. It challenges believers to look beyond the pain and the mundane. It constantly holds out a picture of what could be. When we focus on Christ and his vision for us—his church—we find that we’re able to rise above the ministry pain and mundane. Christ’s vision holds out a wonderful picture of hope and invites us to hang in there spiritually. It’s a wonderful story with a happy ending, and we must never forget that, especially
...more
Vision has kept the giants of the faith pushing ahead through the challenges, its a wonderful adventure with a happy ending, full of hope and promise against the mundane and the pain of the world
I believe that the Bible teaches that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Rom. 15:6; 1 Cor. 6:20), whereas the mission and vision concern the Great Commission.
Purpose of church is to glorify God the mission and vision is related to the Great Commission
vision is not the same as the ministry’s mission. The ministry’s mission is a clear statement of where the organization is going. The vision is a snapshot of what it will look like when the church gets there. The function of the mission is planning; the function of the vision is communicating that plan. The length of the mission is short—it should be stated in a few words that can easily fit on a business card; the vision statement may be as short as the mission or several pages long. The purpose of the mission is to inform; the vision’s purpose is to inspire. The source of the mission is the
...more
Mission is planning vision is communicating proclaiming what that pkanning will look like
Mission Vision Definition statement snapshot Function planning communication Length short short or long Purpose informs inspires Source head heart Development taught caught
***** summary of mission and vision
Vision is a clear, exciting picture of God’s future for your ministry as you believe it can and must be. This definition consists of six key concepts. WHAT A VISION IS A vision is clear. A vision is exciting. A vision is a picture. A vision is God’s vision. A vision is future focused. A vision can be. A vision must be.
Vision is to generat interset in what you see yourslef doing as the church
The fact that the vision is longer encourages clarity. You can say more in the vision statement, which can sharpen and focus its message.
A vision is exciting. When you hear the vision cast, it should excite you to want to be a part of it, to want the church’s future to be your future. It makes you feel good about the church’s direction because it captivates and moves you. It’s like caffeine for the soul—it has the potential to keep you up at night.
Vision is feel good should excite and inspire
A vision is a picture. It’s a portrait of the church’s future. You see what it will look like when the church arrives at the vision.
A vision is God’s vision for your church. Our vision must be God’s vision for our future. How do we know what God’s vision is? One way is to ask, Does our vision align with Scripture? If not, it can’t be God’s vision. To be God’s vision, it must be too big for us to pull off on our own—it has to be of God or it doesn’t happen. If it’s God’s vision, you will be passionate about it. If you feel strongly and care deeply about the vision, then likely it is God’s vision and captures your heart.
Vision has to be God's vision how does it conform to Scripture
the church’s vision is a picture of its future. It’s a clear statement of the church’s future. No matter where it has been or where it is now, the vision is where it’s going and what it will be when it gets there.
You believe that the vision can be a reality. For you the vision drips with potential.
Vision drips with potential
Robert Kennedy who said, “Some people see things the way they are and ask why; I see things the way they could be and ask why not.”
Finally, you not only believe that the vision can be, you believe that it must be. This
You go from what can be, to what should be
following questions about your vision. Is the vision clear? Do people understand it? Is it exciting? Do people get excited when they hear it? Is it a picture of the future? Can people see it? Is it God’s vision for the church? Is it future focused? Do people believe that it can be? Is it feasible? Are you convinced that it must be? Are you passionate about it?
Questions to ask if vision statement is effective
I believe that the lead pastor should take primary responsibility for both developing and implementing the vision. I like to refer to him as the “keeper of the vision.” Visions need “keepers” or they will get lost along the way. When the pastor takes this role, it sends the message that he is fully supportive of the vision concept.
Vision needs a keeper should be pastor who will assure vision is happening
Vision personnel, including the pastor, will score as sensing or intuitive types on the Myers-Briggs. Sensing type people are the practical, hands-on realists. They have a vision but arrive at it in a different way. They are “vision catchers.” They outnumbered the intuitive types in our exploration. While the intuitive types see the vision naturally in their heads as “vision creators,” sensing types have to see it literally with their eyes—they perceive it through their five senses. Thus they “catch” a vision by actually, physically visiting a church where they can see, smell, taste, and touch
...more
Vision slme can sense it, abstractly comprhend others have to be able to see touch what the vision is
time dreaming about the vision and they never get around to implementing the vision. The advantage the sensing types have is that they get to work on the vision. They get it done.
THE ENVISIONING PROCESS Step 1: Pray Envisioning Prayers Step 2: Think Big! Step 3: Connect Emotionally with the Vision Step 4: Decide on the Vision’s Contents Step 5: Determine the Vision’s Length Step 6: Answer the Vision Question
***** envisioning process
J. B. Phillips, who was an English Bible scholar, author, translator, and pastor, wrote the book Your God Is Too Small. Is that true of our God? I suspect that the way to find out would be to listen to our prayers. Are we praying to a big God or a small God? Someone once said, “Make no small plans, for they have not the power to stir the souls of men.” So what might our plans say about us? Do they have the power to stir the souls of our people?
Visioning should be thinking big
Does your vision language connect with your people at an emotional level? Does it engage the heart and touch the emotions? Is the language “image-laden”—does it use similes and metaphors that create mental pictures?
Another descriptive phrase for the Promised Land is “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses’ vision is more literal, while these words are more symbolic. He’s telling the people that this will be a wonderful place, and they will enjoy it just like they enjoy their favorite dessert—milk mixed with honey. Another great example is Dr. Martin Luther
When you write your vision, be creative. Let your creative juices flow. Of all the steps for developing your vision, this likely will be the most difficult for you—especially if you tend not to be a good writer. Because of this, you would be wise to have at least one good writer on the vision development team.
Be creative when writing a vision statement
Research in both the business and church worlds reveals that a number have opted for the shorter vision statement—one or two sentences. Others, however, have opted to include more details in their statement, making it one to two pages. The chart on page 160 lists the advantages, the disadvantages, and an advocate of each. Who will make this decision regarding the length of the vision? We believe the decision rests with the pastor. This does not exclude much input from his elders, deacons, or vision development team. Yet as the chief vision caster, he needs to be comfortable with as well as
...more
Final decision onvision has to be with pastor. He has to be comfortable with it and excited with it and people will look to him about the vision
Will you be a church simply with a vision statement or a truly visionary church?
CHARACTERISTICS OF A VISIONARY CHURCH People are excited about the vision. People want to be a part of the vision. People speak favorably about the vision. The vision impacts all the church’s major decisions. Some people leave the church.
Are hou a church with a vision or a truly visionary church?
Following are five characteristics of a visionary church. People are excited about the vision. The mission announces where the church is going; the vision gets them excited about going there. People want to be a part of the vision. They like what they see and want to invest their lives in being a part of it. People are talking favorably about the vision. If you listen carefully, you can hear it being discussed in the church’s hallways, parking lot, and the kitchen. The vision, along with the mission, truly impacts all the church’s major decisions. In making any decision, the questions are
...more
***** charateristics of a visionary church
You must cast the vision if people are going to catch it, and you must cast it regularly and repeatedly.
general rule is to repeat it over and over every day in a different way. This will be a primary responsibility of the pastor. If
Following are a number of practical ways to cast the vision. VISION CASTING The Leader’s Life Visual Images Ministries Sermons Vision Statement Annual Staff Evaluations Language and Metaphor Newcomers Class Brochure
Pratical ways to cast and share vision
The leader’s life communicates the ministry’s vision. He must live the vision. He must personify the dream. This happens when he models the vision. To accomplish this, he must own the vision himself.
Visual Images Visual images are a most effective means for casting the vision. They function not to communicate the vision by itself but to call attention to a dream that already has and is being communicated. Often they serve to touch the senses as well as the intellect. Different images affect people in different ways. Some impact younger people more than older people, and vice versa, so a variety of images is needed.
Visual images for vision
“The McDonalds’s logo—an arched M—and the shell used by an international petroleum company ranked higher in recognizability than the Christian cross according to a survey of 7,000 people in six countries [including the United States].”[2]
Young people and some older people would expect to see the vision on the church’s website. You could also communicate it via social media—Twitter, Facebook, and so on.
a church must be careful to back up its vision with its ministries.
The sermon is an excellent medium for casting the church’s vision.
The pastor would use this opportunity to cast the vision and let people know how well the church is doing in implementing the vision.
We encourage you in the development of your vision to write it down initially as a vision statement. It should be no longer than a page, or at the most two pages. Then you can place it on your website, in a brochure, and so forth.
use your staff evaluations to encourage them to do so, reminding them that casting the church’s vision is part of their job description.
you might refer to your people as missionaries rather than members. Thus they will self-identify as evangelists who are critical to realizing the evangelistic aspects of the vision.
People can listen intently to and ask questions about the vision and they can do so before they have made a commitment to be members.
Clnfirmation, new member classes to present vision statemnet
vision statement. A well-designed,
attractive brochure can be an effective means of casting the church’s vision—especially when
Following are some reasons why it is imperative that we understand and acknowledge the importance culture
use it to bring order to our lives, to interpret our daily experiences, to validate what we believe, and to evaluate behavior—both our own and that of others. And most of this takes place at an unconscious level—we’re hardly aware of it.
Culture guides how we function, how we function in the church
