Vision
No church has a future if its memories are bigger than its dreams. To realize your full Kingdom potential, your church must identify and develop God’s preferred purposes and plan. Proverbs 19:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” Three verses later, the writer says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Churches that are not motivated by a strong and compelling vision, who have become inward focused, frequently become plateaued until they sink into decline.
Vision is the antidote for a church that is struggling with inward-focused members who are more concerned with their own preferences than they are with fulfilling the Great Commission with Great Commandment love.
Vision is the current understanding of God’s preferred future for a congregation.
What would your church look like if God was in charge and could do whatever He wanted to do? If our impact is less than we dreamed it would be, does our vision need to be recharged?
Vision isn’t about buildings, plans, or numbers. It isn’t about programs or ministry tools. Vision is about being the kind of people and the kind of church God wants us to be.
The best vision statements combine the passion of the leaders, the abilities of the people, and the needs of the community or city in which the church is located.
A vision catches God’s dream for your church. It will incorporate love for God and love for others, and it will be lived out in the five functions outlined in Acts 2:42-47: evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and worship.
Vision answers the questions, “Where are we going?” and, “Why are we moving in that direction?” Vision understands who we are and what we are uniquely designed to do. Vision unites people around a common plan and gives people clear focus on an intended destination. It assists in establishing the priorities of the church. It determines how the church will invest its resources.
Don’t be discouraged or intimidated by setting a vision for your church. Vision isn’t a scary word. It isn’t something to go find; it’s something we discern, discover, and then develop. It’s in the heart of God. He offers it to your spirit through His Spirit, and He’s waiting for you to draw it out and act on it.
With a compelling vision, people flourish.
