"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11
Vision is not just imagination expressed in concrete images. Vision is grounded in something good for all people and provides the basis for hope and a future. This passage reminds us that God's plan is not for an individual but for the entire community of Israel, who is in exile in Babylon. Recognizing the plural "you" in the Hebrew text emphasizes the communal nature of God's hope and future for the Israelites. It's not just about individual prosperity but about the restoration and future well-being of the entire nation. True vision is something that the community can engage in, each contributing in their own way.
When John F. Kennedy promised that the United States would put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s, the idea sounded utterly ludicrous. He made this announcement in 1961 when the only rockets that could reach the moon carried no crew and crashed landed when they got there.
But, as it turned out, President Kennedy's idea was not so wild after all. In 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon and returned safely to Earth. Kennedy's plan only worked because countless scientists and contractors across the US space program shared his vision and gave their all to bring it to life.
A shared vision is what gives energy to a learning church. It keeps people working and experimenting. It helps staff carry on through disappointments and short-term failures.
Think about the world's most successful companies, such as Apple. What's made them so special? One answer is that employees have been entirely behind their companies' visions. Apple's vision was to create computers that were a joy to use. Their vision was so powerful because it was positive and ambitious. It wasn't simply about making money or beating the competition. Instead, they're about contributing to a product that will change people's lives.
Today, almost every company has a vision statement. But a genuinely shared vision will never come together if handed down from senior management's lofty heights. Visions do not reside in an HR memo or a lecture from the CEO. You cannot cajole or blackmail employees into sharing a vision. They must feel genuine and inspire ownership.
Saddleback Church, located in Lake Forest, California, USA, is an example of a church that created a unique shared vision. Saddleback Church is a prominent evangelical Christian megachurch led by Pastor Rick Warren. In the early 1980s, Pastor Warren and a small group of individuals developed a shared vision known as "The Purpose Driven Church."
The Purpose-Driven Church vision emphasizes five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. It aimed to provide a clear direction for the church's mission and activities, focusing on fulfilling these purposes in a balanced and intentional manner. The vision of the Purpose-Driven Church has had a significant impact on churches worldwide, as it encourages congregations to be purpose-driven and engage with their communities.
So, how can you achieve a truly shared vision? One essential step is to make it relevant to every congregation member and its staff. To achieve this, start an open dialogue about the church's vision and where it matches the personal values of its leaders and staff. If a church's leader wants to promote her vision of the organization's future, she needs to be honest and say that she is sharing what works for her personally. Then, she needs to give staff and congregants the freedom to develop it into something that inspires them wherever they fit in the ministry. Vision must be shared if the church wants to thrive.
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