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Vision. General Specific. Where are you going ?. ‘ If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for , in detail and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully the thing
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General Specific
‘ If you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for , in detail and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully the thing I want to live for. Between these 2 answers you can determine the identity of any person. The better answer they have , the more of a person they are. Thomas Merton
Where am I heading ? What is your dream? Vision sets direction
“The first task of the leader is to define reality.” Max De Pree
Seeing the future
‘seeing the invisible and making it visible.’ ‘a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted to God by to his chosen servants and based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances.’ ‘a deep dissatisfaction with what is and a deep pressing desire for what could be.’ ‘foresight with insight, based on hindsight.’ WHAT IS VISION?
NEHEMIAH’S VISION Nehemiah’s picture of how things should be GRIEF… PRAYER… VISION… CALL… PLAN The news from the returned exiles
MIND THE GAP What the world is called to be What the world is like now
“Creativity is no more than looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking somethingdifferent.” Albert Szent-Gyorgi
Clarifies direction Invites unity Facilitates function and purpose Prompts passion Fosters risk taking Sustains in difficulties The continuous involvement of new people Sacrificing short-term convenience for long term gains Motivates giving WHERE THERE IS VISION
Helps leaders to say NO Helps change Determines focus of all activities Keeps the main thing, the main thing WHERE THERE IS VISION
Clarity • Movement • Alignment • Elimination Simple Church. Thom Rainer
Ministry is likely to be reactive and short-term There will be conflicts of expectation and direction Co-operative work is difficult Everyone does there own thing WHERE THERE IS NO VISION Where there is no vision the people perish Proverbs 29.18 (AV)
Culture eats vision for breakfast
Culture eats vision for breakfast • Inspiring • Accepting • Stagnant • Discouraging • Toxic
Culture eats vision for breakfast • Control • Understanding • Leadership • Trust • Unafraid • Responsive • Execution
Where have you seen good and poor examples of vision ?
How vision develops
GETTING & SHARING VISION From God to the world Listen Own GET VISION SHARE VISION Confirm Discern Cast Define
The responsibility of the church is not simply to generate ideas (although there is a place for human creativity) nor to invent something, but discover the vision which God has for the church as a whole and for a particular local congregation. That vision will be a mixture of what we are called to be and what we are called to do. Steve Croft, Transforming Communities.
Prayer A Christian Vision? Listen to the Context VISION Prayer Prayer Nurture the Picture Prayer
VISION EMERGES FROM... VISION
A Vision from failure • The process of trial and • error is essential • Try new things • Make failure survivable • Know when you have failed
Prayer Passions Track record Reflection with others Scripture Dreams or specific visions from God Facing the truth about what is not working Difficulty Words of wisdom, knowledge or prophecy Through other Christian leaders, books etc Through circumstances working together HOW DO WE CATCH THE VISION?
With those you hope to serve With those you hope will serve with you With those in authority “The vision may die and be reborn” Sue Hope TEST, WEIGH & REFINE
A Vision • is from God • is clear • challenges • is visual • relates to the future • can be • must be • is dreaming the most possible dream • must convince you!!! ‘ Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.’
We think too small, like the frog at the bottom of the well who thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If it surfaced, it would have an entirely different view. Mao Tse-Tung
Who is the mission for? • Who is the mission by? • Who is the mission with?
By knowing and loving God and each other, we seek to enable non church people to develop a real and relevant relationship with Jesus.
It needs to be memorable and simple It needs to make sense- realistic but faith stretching Lived by the leaders Cast it convincingly Define the problem Offer a solution Present a reason. Why now and here 5. Sticky.
Vision is…… • This is who we are and where we are now • This is what/who we’re for • This is where we are going & how we will get there • This is how you can get involved
You are responsible for this!! • Repeat it regularly- vision leaks • Celebrate it at every opportunity • Embrace it personally • Be careful of the new • Listen carefully to requests, stories & complaints
YOU CAN’T PREDICT THE OUTCOME Control to chaos Answers to questions Certainty to risk
Tim Keel. Intuitive Leadership • Not just search for answers & solutions • Particulars of your context. Interpretation and experimentation • The option to do nothing • “Ministry is the by product of our pursuit of God (John 15) • How are we to be the people of God-here & now
Where to position ourselves to have a good chance of catching God at work among us • Learning –from answers to questions • Vulnerability-from the head to the heart • Availability- from spoken words to living words • Stillness-from preparation to meditation • Surrender- from control to chaos • Cultivation- from programmes to environment • Trust- from defensiveness to creativity • Joy- from work to play • Dependence- Resolution to tension and back again
Hearing God (before, during and after) and responding in faith is the key
Completing the task takes determination, focus and prioritising
Learning to pace your walking is important
God has gone before you and prepared the way