Developing Vision for Non-Visionaries

Here's a summary of an article on the subject you might find helpful. To get the whole thing, click on the title (he gives some great examples in the full version).

Developing a Vision When You're Not a Visionary
It's easier than you think.
by Kevin Miller

My wife, Karen, and I are both in leadership at our church. So dinner-table discussions often come back to how to help other Christians step into leadership. Volunteers tell us, "I might be willing to facilitate, but I'm not sure I'm a leader." People don't consider themselves leaders, because when they say leader, they think of only one type: a strong, visionary leader. And they know they're not that.

But you don't have to be a visionary to lead well. We've found we can help people move forward as leaders when we say to them, "You can develop a vision even if you're not a visionary." Here are six ways that mortals like us can see where a group needs to go:

1. Tie in to a bigger vision that's already in place. First, ask, "Do I even need to come up with a complete vision from scratch?" Chances are, you don't need to. In most situations, a leader earlier on or higher up has already set a vision, and you can tie what you're doing into that.

Barb is taking on the women's ministry at our church. Does she need to create a vision? Not really. First, her ministry is part of a church, and churches have been going on for 2,000 years and already have a vision: to make disciples through worship, fellowship, teaching, prayer, missions, etc. Second, her ministry is part of our local church, which already has a vision to "Build a sanctuary of transformation" (read: "Become a place where people's lives change for the better because of God"). And finally, Barb's inheriting a women's ministry that already has a vision to encourage women and help them draw closer to God...

2. Pray and wait on God. ...What does it look like? That varies.

Maybe you'll be reading Scripture, and the particular section captivates you... Or you may be inspired by someone else's ministry... Or maybe you'll literally have a middle-of-the-night experience...

3. Gather a group and jointly develop a vision. When I used to take on a new role at work or church, I would (a) gather a group, (b) cast my vision for this area, (c) see who got on board with the vision.

Then I noticed that my wife did things differently. She would (a) gather a group, (b) talk and pray with all of them, until they all jointly came up with a vision, (c) not worry about who got on board, because they already were on board. When people come up with the vision, they want to help make it happen....

4. Listen to the people you want to help. You don't have to be great at coming up with vision, if you're willing to listen to the people you want to help. If you listen well, people will tell you what they really need. In other words, the people you want to serve help set your vision.

5. Stay in your gifts and let them guide you. ...ask yourself, "What has God given me? What passions? What skills? What opportunities? What concerns?"...

6. Solve some problem right in front of you. Often vision is born by passing through the narrow and dark birth canal of problems. You see the problem, and you start to work on it. You don't necessarily feel inspired or see lights. All you are doing is trying to solve some problem right in front of you. But later, everyone else says, "What a great vision!"

The Bible's classic example is Nehemiah. ...Nehemiah was simply trying to solve one problem right in front of him.

Bringing your vision to fulfillment. Once you've got your vision, through one or more of the six ways listed above, do something with it...

...In Acts 20:24, the apostle Paul says, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me." Bill Hybels comments on this verse: "What is Paul saying? I think he's saying, 'The moment I received my vision from God, fulfilling that vision became the pressing priority of my life.'"

Kevin A. Miller is a vice-president for Christianity Today International and assistant pastor for Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.

This article originally appeared on Gifted for Leadership, Christianity Today International's website and blog for women who have the spiritual gift of leadership.

Barricade of Backs (Part 2)

(Please read previous post first.)

One of my greatest passions as a pastor has been to overcome the "barricade of backs" so common in churches. The causes are many and not unique to the church. Once we're "in" it's just hard to care about and work to include others. And I'm not just talking about excluding people who don't yet have a relationship with Christ, although that is most tragic. I'm talking about anybody who is new and doesn't yet belong. Anyone who comes to a new church and finds closed circles of people.

These are not necessarily unfriendly people. They may smile and shake hands, but it doesn't take long to discover that all the circles of friends (friends who often love and care for each other) are closed. Most churches are so filled with closed circles that the newcomer gives up before finding an open one.

My dream has always been and continues to be of a church of open circles of people intent on Christ's mission, his kingdom work. A band of brothers open to new recruits, willing to multiply their platoons or working hard to form new platoons for the sake of the mission.

So what can each of us do to be this kind of church?

• Every week, after the service, greet someone you don't know before gravitating toward someone you know. Ask, "How long have you attended Five Oaks?" And then go from there.
• Attend Men's and Women's Ministry events and make an effort to meet someone new and then invite them to your small group.
• Serve in the First Impressions Ministry.
• If you're in a circle talking to friends and you see someone close by who's not in any circle, open the circle and invite them in. This is a physical activity. I literally mean to step back and open the circle. Be a circle opener every chance you get.
• Next time you go to any event where you don't know anybody, make a point to remember how it feels and take that feeling with to church services every week.
• Make it a habit by including people at work, in the neighborhood, at your kids' sporting events, everywhere.

Are you shy? An introvert? All the more reason to include others. You know how hard it can be to crack the code of a small group of friends! Once you've included someone, you can let the extroverts in the circle take it from there.

But we need to face it, we don't exclude because we're introverted. We exclude because we're curled in on ourselves.  Opening our circles is a discipline that helps us overcome our selfishness and self-centeredness. Let's break the barricade of backs!