GROWTH POINTS MEMO, Volume 1 Number 2 September 8, 2011
How to know if your people understand that ‘vision thing’
Too many times churches spend time and money trying to find God’s vision for their church. Leadership retreats. Bring in a consultant or two. Sermon series. Assessments. Focus groups. These tools and more are used to discover, communicate and implement the vision to members and communities. After all that work, is there a way to know if it’s all worth the effort? Let me suggest five ways to evaluate whether or not your people understand God’s vision for your church:
First, do your members remember and share the vision? Your church’s vision should include only 3-4 important elements. Why? It’s easier to communicate and it should be repeatable. In my life I’ve paid for a couple of hundred golf lessons. Unfortunately, none were for me----my oldest son played junior golf at a pretty high level in North Texas. A good God-given vision is like a great golf swing: it should be repeatable! Are your members sharing the vision with others?
Second, your members can point to specific actions and behaviors that show the vision. Embracing vision happens incrementally. Obviously, you want members to remember, embrace and share it with others. But the next step is implementation. Are your members doing the vision? They must be doers of the vision, not just hearers only. A classic example involves evangelism. Most evangelical churches would say it’s important. They may even believe that they share the good news. But what they really mean is: ‘Go ahead pastor, reach all the people you want as long as it doesn’t change our church, make us uncomfortable and nobody sits in my pew! Are your people beginning to be involved in making the vision happen?
Third, your vision is publicly integrated in how your church does its ministry. Lots of churches spend time, energy and resources embedding the vision inside their congregations. That’s good. You want your people to “get it.” But they don’t take it to the next level. You should be sharing it with your community. The community grapevine is a powerful tool. You can do one of two things with it: ignore it and let someone else frame it for your community or take a proactive step to share it with your community. Several years ago I served on a large regional church with a passion for ministry and missions. We invited a local community leader (who was not a church member, but a well-known and respected believer) to participate in our mission and ministry emphasis. Several years later he was the two-term governor of our state. His involvement reinforced to our community we were actually implementing our vision.
Fourth, your church public perception matches your vision. The issue here is credibility. If you market your church as a place for young couples and families but the median age of your church is seventy years old, you’ve got a credibility problem. Keep it real! Be truthful. Don’t over promise. Certainly don’t under deliver. Several years ago my wife and I travelled to another region of the country about the possibility of a move in our ministry. We had a good weekend with the search committee and staff. As we were leaving to return home we stopped at a gas station on our way out of town. My wife had a conversation with the lady running the cash register. Somehow my wife mentioned the name of the church, we had just visited. The lady behind the counter got very excited and said, “That is a great church-----full of wonderful people.” She’s wasn’t a member but her public perception matched the church’s vision. That was one factor in God leading us to relocate and serve there.
Finally, your members own experiences are aligned with your vision. The most powerful organizational principle and process I know is alignment. When church members begin making life-changing decisions due to the vision of your church, you’ve reached the final step. I’ve known Christians who’ve turned down opportunities in their careers because they didn’t want to leave their church. That’s powerful. It’s transformational. If your vision isn’t ultimately transforming lives is it really a God-honoring vision at all?
Ten Essential Books for Every Leader’s Library
1. Good to Great by Jim Collins. Great book even though one of the great organizations in his model is Fannie Mae (oops!). Still worth it though.
2. Seven Principles of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This book changed my life years ago. It helped me transition my leadership from being driven to understanding I’m called.
3. What Leaders Really Do by John P. Kotter, helps leaders understand the process of change and the challenge of relationships. If we don’t get that right, nothing about our leadership will be right.
4. The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins, provides leadership strategies for new leaders at all levels. Start right and you’ll finish strong. Watkins helps you do that.
5. Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby. This book is a great resource to multiply leaders in your church and ministry.
6. The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make by Hans Finzel. We need both positive and negative examples to refine our leadership. Finzel helps us by showing us what to avoid and not do.
7. Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham is leading a movement that says don’t focus on changing your weaknesses, instead build your life and career around what you do best. Well written and researched.
8. The Five Pillars of TQM (Total Quality Management) by Bill Creech. Ok, yeah I’m a process guy and this is one of my handbooks.
9. The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Classic primer on leadership.
10. Landry on Leadership: Noble Leadership in the Age of Celebrity by yours truly. It’s shameless plug and it’s not out yet. Hopefully this will motivate me to finish it!
2. Seven Principles of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This book changed my life years ago. It helped me transition my leadership from being driven to understanding I’m called.
3. What Leaders Really Do by John P. Kotter, helps leaders understand the process of change and the challenge of relationships. If we don’t get that right, nothing about our leadership will be right.
4. The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins, provides leadership strategies for new leaders at all levels. Start right and you’ll finish strong. Watkins helps you do that.
5. Spiritual Leadership by Henry & Richard Blackaby. This book is a great resource to multiply leaders in your church and ministry.
6. The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make by Hans Finzel. We need both positive and negative examples to refine our leadership. Finzel helps us by showing us what to avoid and not do.
7. Go Put Your Strengths to Work by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham is leading a movement that says don’t focus on changing your weaknesses, instead build your life and career around what you do best. Well written and researched.
8. The Five Pillars of TQM (Total Quality Management) by Bill Creech. Ok, yeah I’m a process guy and this is one of my handbooks.
9. The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. Classic primer on leadership.
10. Landry on Leadership: Noble Leadership in the Age of Celebrity by yours truly. It’s shameless plug and it’s not out yet. Hopefully this will motivate me to finish it!
