What do we do with our Vision? – Part 1

You need to believe it

Have you ever heard a sermon and thought, “I don’t even think the preacher believes what is coming out of his mouth?”

Vision is at the core of leadership. It is Vision that drives you and your people year in and year out to achieve great things. It is Vision that convicts people to serve whole heartedly.

Tell your church what it is

Life can overpower people. Vision gives them that sense of belonging and direction. It creates energy, excitement and moves people to service.

This gives your church ownership, buy in and helps them feel a part of the team.

Tell visitors what it is

This gives them a big picture about what you are on about and shows them you have a plan.

Say it all the time

This shows that you believe it and it reinforces it. It is also the framework for everything you do, so it makes sense to always talk about it.

Your Vision

   * You need one

   * This will be a big picture statement.

   * Could be a bit general

   * You could use the church’s vision or dovetail into it

   * It needs to use language that children and youth understand

   * Include a visual

   * Bible references and imagery  

  * Use words that communicate ongoing action

  * It needs to sink into people’s heads, hearts and will. When it does you will see change

Bishop John’s: a healthy church… transforming life

Mine: a growing children’s and youth ministry… real life

ahealthychurch… transforminglife

    

agrowingchildrensandyouthministry… reallife

Grow                                 Real Life

1 Corinthians 3:6                Matthew 6:25

Ephesians 4:15-16              Matthew 7:14

Colossians 1:10                  Mark 8:35

1 Thessalonians 1:3            Luke 12:15

2 Peter 3:18                       John 10:10

Did Jesus have a vision?

I would like to suggest, yes.

Check out Mark 8:31

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

What can we learn from Jesus’ vision?

* This verse is the what of Jesus’ vision, what it looks like

* He actually has one

* He tells us his vision

* Who does he tell? His disciples, verse 27

* It is general – Son of Man: Jesus’ characteristic way of referring to himself. It is prominent in Daniel 7:13-14. It refers to a human agent who would execute God’s saving purpose as God’s representative. The Son of Man bears God’s authority both to forgive and to judge

* It dovetails into God’s plan to fix the problem of sin

* It will happen, he keeps to it

Vision - the "What" of ministry - part 2

Vision is the “what” of your ministry

What you are on about

What you are trying to achieve

What you are setting out to complete

It’s unique to your culture and context.

It’s what you think is needed in your children’s and youth ministry.

It’s focused on your current setting.

It shows you have direction

It shows that you are not making up things as you go

This is useful when you might try something new or have an idea, how does this fit into your vision for children’s and youth ministry?

More on this when we look at purpose – making disciples.

For now

Do you have a vision?

If no, why not?

And if you do how do you use it?