As God prepares us for a season of growth, I want to share four essential steps to help you regain a renewed church vision.
- Set aside adequate time to seek the Lord.
In this phase, you are the guard standing at your post to see what God will say (Habakkuk 2:1). While daily devotions are a vital foundation, I am referring to a deeper commitment. I challenge you to dedicate a day or more each week specifically to praying for God to renew your vision. Once He reveals His direction, take time to meditate on it. Understanding the vision thoroughly is necessary before you can effectively relay it to others. This intentionality is a key part of the process of regaining a renewed church vision.
- Make an action plan to implement the vision.
Be specific about what God is showing you. Does the vision involve fine-tuning your youth ministry, expanding your outreach department, developing leaders, or deepening the congregation’s understanding of God’s Word? Consider the following questions to help you create an actionable plan for your ministry, including strategic mapping for future growth:
- What will it take to see the vision come to life?
- Will I need to restructure church services or change our curriculum?
- How will this change in vision affect our current budget plans and calendar?
- Will this change require new staff? Do we hire new staff?
- What commitment will the vision require from your current team?
- What type of training will your leaders need to outwork the new direction for your ministry?
The Bible says that we write the vision so that those who read it can “run.” This renewed vision will give fresh energy to the legs of those who have been running this race with you.
- Create a plan to communicate this vision to your church.
When you receive a renewed vision from the Lord, do not just share it with anyone. You want to be strategic about those with whom you share it. I suggest that you first share it with your leadership team, which you can choose to do during a leadership meeting or leadership retreat. You want those who are closest to you and who knows your heart to hear the vision first. They will most likely catch on to the vision more quickly and they can help the rest of the church get on board.
Keep in mind that the goal is to articulate the vision not as your own but as the vision God has for the church. When you do that, not only will the church leadership jump on board, but so will the rest of the congregation.
- Stay encouraged; the vision will work if you work it!
This is key. Remember, the vision hastens towards the end goal and will not fail if we are faithful to run with it. If you are faithful to write the vision, communicate it to your church, and give them a strategy to implement it, then the vision will encourage you all to reach the end goal.
First published on StartChurch.com. Used by permission.
