Transforming Church

Though short (brief in verbiage), it is broad in nature (philosophical), keeping in mind the people the congregation hopes to reach and what it hopes to accomplish for Christ before He returns. Hopefully the statement is a short sentence, or two, preferably a total of ten words or less, which will enable everyone in the congregation to memorize it and always have it on their lips. Appreciate that even a slogan might be able to capture the essence of a good mission statement, but it needs to convey a theological sense that brings the congregation’s ministry into focus.

While there is certainly a need and place for maintenance ministry, one of the clear benefits of having a mission statement is that it encourages the congregation to be more mission than maintenance. It is always sad when survival concerns are part of a mission statement, since encouraging people to commit themselves to survival is an admission of defeat.

A mission statement should suggest more action than it details. Firm in focus, it is not merely something to be encouraged or desired. All of this being said, it is still entirely possible that more than one congregation can have the same mission statement.
Though not every coach will agree, mission generally precedes vision. Mission relates to general approaches to action. Vision, on the other hand, relates to specific ministry.

VISION:
A vision statement, while hopefully still short, is actually more specific, detailed, customized and unique to one’s own congregation. It should be understood that it is not possible for two churches to have the same vision, as your congregation’s vision will uniquely detail your place in Christ’s vision for the entire Church.

As the vision takes shape, it details opportunities, directions, types of ministry, and how the congregation intends to "do" its ministry. It precedes and determines any use of strategic planning in the congregation. It does not simply reflect the direction of the congregation. Decisions about specific ministries are made in the context of the vision.

How vision is identified is not the result of consensus or taking a vote within the congregation or its leadership. It is through the vision that the congregation and its leadership are to come to consensus, not the other way around. Vision is closer to God’s truth than it is to human consensus. Like discerning scripture, the discernment of vision comes from the Holy Spirit. The person attempting to discern is being led (inspired) by the Holy Spirit see the vision of what it is that God wants the congregation to do.

With little exception the pastor is the key spiritual leader of the congregation. It would be extremely rare that anyone else would be charged with the responsibility of discernment. Therefore the pastor needs to approach this task in the deepest context of spiritually listening to God, tons of prayer and meditation, immersed in scripture, doing whatever he or she can do to minimize human influence, including their own.

Then, as the vision begins to be unveiled, a Vision Team may or may not be utilized as a sounding board to assure even the pastor of his or her integrity in this matter. Consensus of leadership also becomes a factor as the vision is weighed against the mission. Understand that vision is not revealed all at once, and so it becomes important for the pastor to take to heart that the Holy Spirit will speak through others as well.

Bearing this responsibility in an on-going way, the pastor/senior pastor becomes the “keeper” (primary interpreter) of the vision. This is also why the pastor should spend as much as eighty percent of her or his time casting (interpreting) the vision to others. This occurs while he or she goes about personal ministry.

Though never static and always emerging, a point will be reached at which the vision can be embodied, though not completely contained, in a statement at the same time. Leadership should be invited to tweak the verbiage so they can interpret it into their own responsibility in ministry. Each ministry area should also have its own mission and possibly even vision statement.

Because it is constantly emerging, being clarified and accomplished, some congregations decline to use a "written" vision statement. If the vision is regularly being cast in other ways it certainly is not necessary to try to force it into concise verbiage. With or without a written statement, the key leader in every ministry ought to be able to articulate the vision for that ministry.

The goal of all vision is to glorify God. The purpose of vision is to shape and detail the future. Effective leaders must be visionaries and the vision cast by each leader for their ministry must fit into the congregation’s vision.

Intellect and reason, more the substance of mission statements lead to conclusions. Emotions, and passion in particular, lead to action. All leaders are visionaries, but unfortunately not all pastors are leaders. That which identifies people as leaders is not their position or title, but their passion and actions. What provides passion for leaders and motivates them to action is vision.

Does vision change with time? Vision has a fluid dimension; it is always emerging from the future through the present and when accomplished becoming a page in history. Because there are always new parts, the vision will outlast the visionary. Interestingly, while God’s vision for the congregation will always have new chapters, it is not often something that will change drastically. Be open and careful, though, a major shift can always come.

This also means “vision” statements are likely to change far more often than “mission” statements. In a practical way a vision statement can only focus on the present and near future status of the vision. Just as some people’s perception of God is too small, so also can vision statements stifle discerning vision. We are called to do ministry in the midst of chaos, not add to it.

Vision, if fully discerned, should always challenge a congregation to the optimum point of risk and payoff for God. It is, at the same time, easier to become passionate about a large challenge than one too small.