WHAT
A VISION IS
"Write down the
revelation (vision) and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with
it." Hab. 2:2
"A vision is an attempt to articulate, as clearly and
vividly as possible, the desired future state of the organization. The vision
is the goal that provides direction, aligns key players, and energizes people
to achieve a common purpose." 10
Vision, in terms of leadership and
ministry, exists on both a personal and an organizational level. Personal
ministry vision focuses directly on a leader's unique design that helps in
determining and directing that leader's future ministry direction. It comes as
the result of discovering his or her divine design from God (see Ps. 139:15-16;
Isa. 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5;
Luke 1:15; 1 Cor. 12:18; Gal. 1:15). This unique
design consists of spiritual gifts, natural talents, passion, temperament,
leadership style, and so on.
The discovery of personal ministry
vision not only helps in the mobilization of laypeople within the ministry, it
assists leaders in determining their future place of ministry within the body
of Christ. When an individual discovers that he or she has the spiritual gift
of leadership and natural gifts in leadership, they may begin to realize that their
personal ministry vision involves leading an institution, such as a Church,
from the point position. People with different gifts are placed in other
positions that call for the exercise of their specific abilities. The practice
of far too many Churches in the past has been to place people in ministry
positions based solely on their availability, financial income, political
power, or other reasons rather than God's design.
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Six Key Ingredients of Vision 1. It is Clear 2. It is Challenging 3. It is a Mental Picture 4. It is the Future of the Ministry 5. It Can Be 6. It Must Be |
Once leaders have determined their
personal ministry vision, they have the tools to identify ministries that have
an organizational vision that aligns itself closely with theirs.
A Church's vision statement is a clear and challenging
picture of the future of ministry as its leadership believes it can and must
be. This definition consists of six key ingredients.
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Copyright
2006, Vision Planning Inc. All rights reserved.
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