Leading somewhere, or in circles?
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:06 am
“What’s your vision?� is a question that causes me to roll my eyes and sigh. I’ve been in and around the modern business world, where the vision/mission statement model first gained prominence, long enough to see the drawbacks of this strategy. Most people involved in the day to day operation of a business hear the word vision and roll their eyes and sigh. The middle managers will tell you “The vision is always changing and adapting from one year to the next,� the practical engineers will tell you that no matter what your vision is you can’t plan with reliability more than a few years out, and many day to day workers will tell you that their business’s mission statement seems to mean a lot to the guys up stairs but it is just a slogan to them.
But still it seems like everyone is asking about a church’s vision today. If push came to shove, my vision for my church would be plain and simple: for our people to love God and love others in deeper and more meaningful ways. It is not a dynamic catch phrase or a five year growth strategy, rather I’d say that it’s scriptural, something that God has called all of us to do, not something that I need to tote as a vision or mission statement.
But in spite of my cynicism the opening paragraphs of today’s devotional laid heavy on my heart. Even if I don’t feel called to have a “vision statement� on where to go and what we’ll be doing in a modern cooperate sense. My flock still needs something more than to be encouraged to “Love God and love others.� They need someone leading them, someone modeling that for them, someone guiding the way. That’s part of what I’m called to do as a shepherd. And if I’m going to lead my church I need to know where we are going, and what we are doing, and what’s coming up. If a shepherd is going to lead his flock he needs to know where he is taking them, otherwise I’ll just end up leading them in circles.
But still it seems like everyone is asking about a church’s vision today. If push came to shove, my vision for my church would be plain and simple: for our people to love God and love others in deeper and more meaningful ways. It is not a dynamic catch phrase or a five year growth strategy, rather I’d say that it’s scriptural, something that God has called all of us to do, not something that I need to tote as a vision or mission statement.
But in spite of my cynicism the opening paragraphs of today’s devotional laid heavy on my heart. Even if I don’t feel called to have a “vision statement� on where to go and what we’ll be doing in a modern cooperate sense. My flock still needs something more than to be encouraged to “Love God and love others.� They need someone leading them, someone modeling that for them, someone guiding the way. That’s part of what I’m called to do as a shepherd. And if I’m going to lead my church I need to know where we are going, and what we are doing, and what’s coming up. If a shepherd is going to lead his flock he needs to know where he is taking them, otherwise I’ll just end up leading them in circles.