Vision Navigator

Wanted to pass along a link to a great article by Will Mancini, which was published on the web a week or so ago [link to the full article is here]– here’s an excerpt:

What if the real challenge of translating vision to reality is something inherently wrong with our current models for vision? What if strategic planning models and long-range planning teams spend countless hours developing a vision or a plan that, by its very nature, is unrealizable? What if we changed our paradigm or working definition of vision in a way that made it naturally and organically more likely to blossom? What if we could make vision so clear that action was inevitable?

I believe the real challenge of turning vision into reality is one seven-letter word: clarity.

This resonates with me on so many levels. It’s part of the reason I joined up with Mancini and the Auxano team in the first place.

For when leaders pursue clarity, they find a unique vision from God that nourishes them and compels others to join. It’s not about the latest tricks, trends, or techniques then. It’s not about coercion or manipulation. Rather, it’s about leaning into, living, and casting a clear vision that invites others to participate in God’s mission — catalyzing folks into action to become part of something larger than themselves, a unique expression of Christ’s body on earth.

What is your experience? Do you see a connection between vision and reality in your life, or in the life of your church?

David Hayward had a thought provoking post earlier this week on Spiritual Engineering. He notes the preoccupation the Nazis had with social engineering, and how their desire to achieve a perfect society ironically translated into a genocidal agenda to contain or eliminate those who were considered to be disruptive or inferior.

He closes the post by asking this question: “When we try to engineer the kind of community that we want, are we actually doing violence to the body of Christ and violating his parts?“

Below was my response:

I think we all naturally gravitate towards engineering things in our favor, whether we’re conscious of it or not. It’s part of our broken, fallen nature seeking safety and self-preservation, and is not something we can escape. When we give in to this need for self exaltation, and organize others around our cause, then we recognize it as the warped type of social engineering you describe, where the goal is uniformity, not unity — promoting our own agenda, rather than participating in God’s mission.

The key to me is being aware of this, and humbly submitting ourselves together to become the community that God wants us to be. This involves dragging our own thoughts, feelings, convictions, biases, etc., into the light — sharing them with each other — airing them out — arguing if need be. And realizing that none of us has “the answer” in our back pocket. We all have limited perspectives at best, and we all need illumination from our Heavenly Father, the Waymaker, to show us the way forward.

This involves trust — trusting that God really does want to guide us and show us the way if we ask. It also involves trusting our Father’s heart, even when the path runs through the desert, is obscured, dark, or full of stumbling blocks. Because God’s purpose for the path often has more to do with the process — growing our faith, making us more dependent on him, and more loving/forgiving towards ourselves and each other — than the actual destination.

The question for me then is not whether we should try to engineer or not, but who’s agenda we’re advancing — each day — today — in this moment…

What are your thoughts? When church leaders cast a vision for your community, do you feel motivated or manipulated? How might the trust you place in leadership impact your perception?

Ran across a couple of great posts on vision, both of which drive home the notion that vision should be more than just an idea — vision needs to connect mission to strategy in a real/tangible/practical way:

1) Larry Brey talks about how Vision is Divisive, but in a good way — here’s a quote:

Vision isn’t a statement, it’s what you do. The more you clarify the vision the more divisive it is. It draws a line in the sand that says either jump on board or get out of the way because here’s where this church is going. For too long churches have muddied the vision keeping in nebulous and ill defined. When vision is only something you say, anything goes. But when you drill it down to what you do people are forced to do something…either get on board or go somewhere else.

2) Chris Marlow explains why Vision is Overrated — namely vision devoid of implementation — excerpt is below:

I think vision gets way to much credit in the church world. Lot’s of dreamers with big idea’s. (people like me) Dreams mean nothing if they don’t get some feet and start walking. Vision can become your friend or your enemy. Vision can bear fruit or cause apathy.

The difference is leadership. It takes a leader to see the vision from scratch to wholeness while a dreamer will continue to “put stuff on paper” but that “stuff” never comes alive in the people of God. A true leader will take the words on the paper document and bring life and fruit from the vision.

The greatest leaders are not the visionary but the implementer. The visionary has to learn how to implement or have people around them who can implement the vision.

Is your vision becoming a reality? Do you have a clear strategy or process for accomplishing your God-given mission, or is it still just wishful thinking?

I’ve read a lot of blogs, and come in contact with church leaders from any number of backgrounds who are wrestling with this question: What is the right way to do church?

As a public service, I just thought I’d throw out the answer to save everyone some time…

Ready? THE right way to do church is… [drumroll please]

The way God calls you to do it.

Simple as that. Now go and sin no more…

But seriously, as simple as that answer sounds, in practice it can be much more elusive for us to grasp hold of. Because simple isn’t always simple. We may be clear on what God wants us to do, but others may see it differently. Or maybe we’re not as clear as we’d like to be. Or maybe we’ve begun to wonder if there really is a path to follow in the first place. Or maybe we feel we’re so far off the path we’ll never find our way back.

Which causes many to withdraw and rethink/reimagine what church “should” be like. Or to re-double our efforts using our current approach, hoping things will work out. Or to photocopy someone else’s vision. Or to add a few programs that seemed to work elsewhere. Or to have endless rounds of water cooler talks comparing various philosophies of ministry. Or to adopt another approach altogether, leaving those who don’t like the new approach in our wake. Or to criticize what we think is wrong with others, to ensure that we’re at least not caught doing the wrong thing, like Joe Blow or ABC church over there who is REALLY messed up. Or to redefine our failure as success, chalking up criticism as the product of a sinful world, which rejects us just like they rejected Christ. Or to become disillusioned, bitter, or cynical about church and church people, whether we decide to actually do anything about it or not.

But do we ever ask ourselves, what if there is not one “right” approach for doing church that applies to everyone? What if God has something unique and creative to say to each of us?

What if local congregations were seen as the various parts of Christ’s body, and not just individuals? Could it be that God expects each local gathering of believers to do church in a stunningly unique way — a way that makes the best redemptive connection within their context, using their unique backgrounds, collective potential, sense of calling, leadership leanings, desires, failures, triumphs, etc.?

Could it be that we’re to learn from others, without letting what they do blind us from seeing what God has called us to do? Could it be that God really will show us if we’re willing to see, hear, believe, trust, and obey? Could it be he doesn’t want us to covet what others have, or rejoice when others fail? Could it be he wants us to extend grace and forgiveness and encouragement to ourselves and others along the way?

Could it be that we’re where we are for a reason? Could it be he’ll give us more light for our path, as we trust and follow his lead? Could it be that he’s given us a Great Permission within the Great Commission to do ministry in a way that brings us delight? Could it be that the desires of our heart match up with God’s mission in a way we never imagined? And that our God can be trusted — to lead us, and to lead others.

Well, those are my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours. Do any of these questions resonate with you? Provoke you? Make you think?

How clear is your vision of doing church? Are you engaged or disengaged from God’s missional work?

This blog post by Jesse Phillips over at Catalyst today got me thinking (and responding) about how busy most church leaders in America are, and yet how ineffective our efforts seem to be.

He asks whether this key statistic is true — that only 1% of America’s churches reach the unchurched. Source for this is an article by Associated Baptist Press.

Here’s my response:

I think the important question for every church leader to ask is — Is this true of my church? Are we growing (both numerically and spiritually) as a body of believers? If not, why not?

I speak from experience on this one. I tend to be a workaholic, and unfortunately, our American brand of Christianity all too often applauds this type of effort. In fact, I’ve found it’s very easy for me to win the praise and admiration of others in church circles by having a positive attitude, rolling up my sleeves, and getting to work.

Never mind that I often ignore the significance of Sabbath rest. Never mind that I practically act as if everything depends upon me. Never mind that I often say yes to things out of guilt or obligation, rather than out of a sense of calling or loving appreciation. And never mind that all I’m engaged can wear me out. After all, aren’t we supposed to suffer for Christ?

The funny thing I realized after awhile is that I really didn’t know anyone who wasn’t a part of a church. All this church activity was centered around church, and you just expected unchurched folks to be interested at some point and show up. If they did show up, the goal was to get them to forsake the world and get busy doing church things. So they could be worn out hoping other unchurched people would show up and become a part of all this activity. You get the point…

The problem I began to see was that this “gospel of hard work” was hardly working, and failing to reach those to whom it was aimed. It wasn’t the gospel’s problem though. It was mine — because my incarnaton of the gospel had become more of a master / slave relationship than that of a father and son. And the truth was that I didn’t blame others for not wanting to become sucked into such a crazy, hectic, and life draining pace. So I began to question why I did the things I did, and whether God really wanted me to do them in the first place.

In addition to the Matthew 11 passage mentioned above, one other passage really struck me — Haggai 1:5-7,

Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. “

Give careful thought to your ways… Is it possible that all our activity isn’t being blessed by God, because we’re not stopping long enough to consider seriously what he would have us do? Is our busyness drowning out the sound of his still small voice? Has our ministry model or way of doing church become an idol? Are we struggling to support the weight of our own successes and expectations? What message does our busyness, in and of itself, communicate to those who are unchurched? Do we have eyes to see, and ears to hear what God is showing us?

Does any of this resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts or experiences…