Vision can be the factor that makes or breaks your church. Obviously, it's actually the Holy Spirit that makes or breaks your church. But He likes to work through people, and it's your church's vision that is going to motivate them to take action, or do nothing. And if your church is struggling to grow and impact your community, there's a really good chance that the issue lays with your vision.
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| Photo courtesy of Fedewild at Flickr.com |
I recently read a Andy Stanley's book, Deep & Wide. In it, he makes a profound statement about church vision. He says that, in order for your church to be united, you need a, "God honoring, mouth watering, crystal clear vision." So therein lays the question.
Does your church have a God honoring, mouth watering, crystal clear vision? My guess is, if you're struggling with growth and unity, the answer is probably no. And if that's the case, then it might be time to make some changes. But before you go picking apart the vision that your church is currently using. it's important to identify whether or not it's the problem. These are the signs that your church's vision is a problem that needs to be addressed.
A note for the organization geek. Yes, I'm using the terms 'vision' and 'mission' interchangeably. If you're off put or offended, I'd love to have an extended lunch meeting with you to discuss the valid differences between words like mission, vision, goals, and all of that. You can schedule that lunch by calling my secretary at 212- 479-7990. So with no more a due, here are the red flags for your church's vision.
It's not even on the tip of people's tongues. Some churches seem to think of the vision as a prerequisite to doing ministry. Somewhere along the line, someone they respect said something like, "You better not try to do ministry without a clear vision." Then they have a staff meeting, come up with a vision, write it down, and forget about it. The problem is, people can't get behind something they don't even know. That means someone is going to have to tell them. Here's a hint, you may be the person that needs to do that.
It's mystical. Some churches have vision statements that are confusing and undefined. If your church's vision statement is, Blankity Blank Church: feeding the sheep, you're in trouble. Mission statements that are foggy and potentially confusing are also off putting and people don't want to get behind them. Your church's vision statement needs to answer questions, not raise them.
It's invisible. If it's not written anywhere on your facilities or literature and nobody says it from the stage, then nobody is going to be inspired by it. Furthermore, if a statement about your vision doesn't appear in a prominent place, you're likely communicating that it isn't important.
It's not the cornerstone of your planning. If you're planning for Christmas, Easter, or even for regular services, the one question that you should be asking is how do we accomplish our vision. That's the key component to creating a culture that supports your vision among your church family.
A question that helped me fix the problem.
We talked about this at a staff meeting at Moon Valley Bible Church a few months ago. Our mission vision goal statement thingy is 'A safe place for neighbors to belong, believe, and become more like Jesus'. We've discussing (arguing about) this statement for the last couple of years. We've picked apart all the words, and are still doing so. But the most significant issue we had with this statement was that it didn't direct the way we do ministry.
At a recent staff meeting, our Children's Director, Gina, asked a question that hit like a sack of potatoes. She said, "What have you done today to share the church's vision?" I was so impacted by that that I made a daily reminder in my phone to share the church's vision with at least one person. Some days, it's as simple as telling someone that they make Moon Valley a safe place for others. Other days, I remind my whole team that they help people feel like they belong.
So I'll leave you with these questions: Do you know what your church's vision is? Do the people at your church know it?
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