Spring 2015

Steps Forward

Steps Forward

Exploring vision for your church

Pray.

Don’t take anything for granted—prayer is the foundation for the work to be done. You want unity in your discussions, and you want to hear the heart of God as you consider His vision for your church. So, pray.

Create a vision team.

Invite 8-10 men and women, a combination of both intuitive and detailed thinkers who are key influencers and leaders. Begin discussing where the church has been, what gifts and passions are present among its members, what the church’s core values are, and where the Holy Spirit seems to be leading.

Listen.

Listen, carefully, to each person you’ve invited onto the team. If you really want buy-in for the vision, it cannot be one person’s vision. Consider every corner of your congregation and how the proposed vision would speak to them.

Identify a timeframe.

Because a vision represents tangible goals, consider when you wish to reach those goals (after which you’ll recast a new vision).

Be patient.

Articulating a vision that represents your church’s unique DNA doesn’t come easily. Be prepared to invest in a lot of searching and discussing.

Be brief.

The vision statement of Kaiser Hospital is a single word: Thrive. That might be too short for your church, but aim to be as descriptive and compelling as possible in as few words as possible.

Consider available resources.

No other church is the same as yours, but other people have walked a similar path. Consider what you might glean from their proven processes: