Getting Unstuck: It Starts with Vision

Note: Part 2 of 4 in a series on “Getting Unstuck.” If you truly want to get your ministry unstuck, the next thing to examine is your vision. In Leading Congregational Change, my co-authors and I define vision as a “clear, shared, and compelling picture of the preferred future to which God is calling your congregation [organization].” This definition points to several questions that can be used to examine whether your vision is the reason that you’re feeling stuck:

• Your congregation/organization: Vision cannot be copied from someone else. It needs to reflect the unique DNA of your ministry. Does your vision uniquely reflect your organization?
• God’s preferred future: A vision must be grounded in “who we are” but it must also describe “where God is leading us.” This does not mean that leaders see 3-5 years into the future, but when they prayerfully seek God, He will give enough glimpses for them to begin painting the picture of what that future will look like. Is your vision birthed out of prayer and pointing to the future?
• Clear: “Clear” implies that the vision has been made explicit, not just a vague concept. But beyond that, it also implies choices of what will and won’t be done as a result of the vision. That’s important because an effective vision should focus your efforts on the essentials and allow you to prune the non-essentials. Does your vision create this kind of clarity?
• Shared and compelling: This speaks to the high level of excitement and commitment that should be generated by the vision. It requires the right vision, but it also requires the right process and the involvement of the right people in discerning the vision. Is your vision shared and compelling?

Let me close with 3 common vision killers:

• Vision du jour is the tendency to create a new vision every 6-12 months. This may be a change in the formal vision statement or it may simply be a new emphasis that seems disconnected from previous ones. The best organizations have visions that drive their major decisions for years.
• Vision by committee is the kind of wordy, punchless vision that comes from having “too many cooks in the kitchen.” “Shared” is important, but powerful visions have one (or at most, two) human authors who have sought God and listened closely to the input of other leaders.
• Vision by accommodation is a vague, watered-down vision that attempts to please everyone. In doing so, it provides no direction and generates little excitement.

Is your ministry stuck because it lacks a real vision? If vision isn’t the issue, the next blog will consider another common problem: failure to turn vision into action.    ]]>