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Vision-Directed Systems

Do you know Daniel Burnham? You most likely have never heard of him, unless you are an architect or a historian. He was a North American architect who designed the master plans for Chicago and downtown Washington, DC. He was also responsible for developing a number of buildings in New York City. No doubt, he had the most impact on the urban framework for North American cities, as he even influenced the designs of Cleveland and San Francisco too. Some feel he invented the profession of urban planning. Burnham even designed a few of the first skyscrapers in the world, and his construction of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago inspired the “City Beautiful Movement.” He declared we should do the following:

Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistency. Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Let your watchword be order and your beacon beauty.1

Burnham’s short statement, “Make no little plans,” is a watchword for numerous leaders today. He understood vision drives all things. Church leaders often say things such as “We have a problem with giving” or “We have a problem with a lack of volunteers” or “We have a problem with outreach.” While they are correct to identify these as surface issues, they are wrong on a deeper level. The foundational truth is, if a church has a problem with giving, volunteering, outreach, or a host of other issues, it has a vision problem.

All people are “eye-minded.” That is, they think, imagine, and remember in terms of images. Throughout the biblical record, God communicated with his people visually. For some, such as Daniel, God communicated through prophetic visions of the future (see Dan. 2:19; 7:1; 8:1); while for others, such as Abram, God used a natural experience of looking at stars in the night sky to expand his outlook (see Gen. 15:5). In every case, vision emphasized a connection between the spiritual world and the earthly world. The communicated vision ordered both worlds in a compelling and specific way that connected God’s plans for the future welfare of his people to the actual experience of his people, while appealing to them to respond with faith and action.

Vision is such a crucial dimension that the writer of Proverbs 29:18 asserts, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law.” This oft-quoted verse reminds us of two key points. First, without the direction vision provides, people are literally “out of control” (unrestrained). Second, happiness comes from God’s Word. Essentially vision gives people the purpose (direction) needed for a happy life, and the vision must be connected to God’s Word. Thus, fit churches have a biblically informed vision for the future that is communicated in a way that gives a sense of direction to the entire congregation.

You might be a fit church if . . .

  • You have a written statement of purpose.
  • You have a written statement of vision.
  • You have written goals and plans for the future.
  • You have identified your core values.
  • You base program decisions on your plans.
  • You organize the church’s systems to support the vision.
  • You regularly reference your vision in meetings, at lunches, and in private conversations.
  • You are known for trusting God and stepping out in faith.

Write the Vision

The Old Testament book of Habakkuk reveals insight on vision and its importance in guiding God’s people. Not much is known about the prophet Habakkuk, but he was a contemporary of Jeremiah and wrote before Israel was invaded by the Chaldeans. At that time, unrighteous judges ruled over the people of Israel. Habakkuk was concerned God did not appear to act to stop the miscarriages of justice taking place among the people. He learned, however, that God saw the fraud and iniquity of his people and discovered God had a plan for the future.

God spoke to Habakkuk as if he were a sentinel keeping an eye on a fortified city. Habakkuk most likely did not go and stand in a watchtower. Rather, he assumed an attitude of watchfulness—both spiritual and physical. “In this spirit of alertness the prophet was ready to receive by revelation the response of God. The answer was first to his own mind and heart, and then to his people.”2

First, God told Habakkuk to “look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days—You would not believe if you were told” (Hab. 1:5). This is where vision comes into play. That is, by looking at what God is already doing in the world. What we are seeking is not our vision but God’s vision for the future. Far from being inactive, God’s Holy Spirit is already at work in the ministry area of a church. It is up to the leaders to find out what he is doing. In the case of Habakkuk, God was raising up the Chaldeans to bring discipline to the Israelites. Once Habakkuk looked seriously at the world scene, he could see God was already acting.

If you want to find God’s vision for your church, you must look at the church’s ministry area, which should be no more than about a twenty-mile drive from your church’s campus.3 What is God already doing in the community your church serves? Who is responsive to the gospel? Where are the open doors for ministry? Vision starts by observing what God is already doing around the town, city, or community in which the church is based. Church leaders normally find potential vision where people are experiencing transitions, trials, or troubles; these happenings are often open doors of ministry. How could your church serve people during these times? Observe how God is already working in your community. If thousands of children are playing soccer each weekend or attending computer classes or spending time on their electronic devices, ask how your church could use those activities to engage them for Christ. As church leaders closely observe the movement of the Holy Spirit in their church’s community, a vision—God’s vision—begins to develop.

Second, as with Habakkuk, the articulation of a specific vision begins with a single leader who spots opportunities before others do. Who allows the vision’s amazing potential to capture their heart before it connects with others’ hearts. Who speaks forth the vision before others give expression to it. In all the years of our combined ministry experience, we have never seen a group of leaders develop a vision. Boards, committees, and other organized groups of people do a helpful job debating, refining, and confirming a vision. But rarely, if ever, does a vision—certainly not a big vision—originate out of group processes. The process of group decision-making naturally leads to acceptance of the lowest common denominator. That is, to obtain group consensus, the group reduces an idea down to its minimal components. This is hardly action leading to big plans.

Third, God told Habakkuk to “record the vision and inscribe it on tablets” (Hab. 2:2). This old adage is true: Nothing happens until it is written down. Leaders may dream about the future, but it is just a daydream until it is written down somewhere. Some church leaders may say, “We don’t have a vision statement, but we know what it is.” If that is true, then they should be able to write it down. However, when they attempt to write down what is in their minds and hearts, they find it difficult to do so. Writing down a vision forces church leaders to express their ideas specifically. It makes them engage in clear language. And it encourages them to remove foggy concepts. Most leaders put more time and energy into planning a Christmas or Easter event than they do into planning the future of the church. When faced with determining what God wants them to accomplish in the church, they have a difficult time deciding. The process of writing helps church leaders bring clarity to God’s vision for their church.

Fourth, God told Habakkuk to write the vision so “that the one who reads it may run” (v. 2). “The one reading it was to run to tell it forth, because it was such a message of joy to Israel, telling them of the ruin of their enemy and their own deliverance.”4 When God told Habakkuk to write the vision, he wanted the vision written using clear language and large, legible letters so the people could understand it. Then, after the people understood it, they participated in spreading the vision. This is still true today. A clear vision, clearly understood, leads to clear communication among the people and, we must add, clear acceptance of the future direction of the church.

Fifth, God told Habakkuk “the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay” (v. 3). For Israel, this meant the people had to wait patiently for God’s deliverance. God has an appointed time, and the vision cannot be hurried or delayed. It will take place in God’s time. Church leaders find they want to hurry the fulfillment of the vision along, but vision is about the future—an appointed time. A church must long for, work for, and pray for it, while trusting in God to bring it about in his time. While we may think God is delaying, delay is just in the hearts and minds of people. Once the vision is written down and communicated clearly to the people, it hastes (as a rushing person panting for breath) toward completion. Vision seeks its own fulfillment and accomplishment.

Set the Pace

To return to our running analogy, among the crowds of long-distance runners are a few pacesetters. These people do exactly what the word implies—set the pace for the other runners. If someone did not take the lead and set the pace, the group would naturally slow down to the speed of the slowest runner (lowest common denominator). Records are never broken unless someone dares to move into the lead by setting a pace above what most of the runners would do on their own. The bottom line? Someone must set the pace!

This principle of pace setting is true in churches too. If a church wants to be above average, at least one person must jump into the lead and set the pace by communicating a compelling vision for its future. If you are that leader, consider asking the following.

Are We Afloat but Adrift?

People may not be able to state it, but most know when their church is afloat but adrift. They know when leaders are using problem-solving rather than strategic planning based on a big vision to guide the church. Problems, not a dream of what God desires, are setting the pace for the future. This attitude is revealed in statements we have heard in church conversations, such as “Our church is over managed and under led” or “We’re making great time, but where are we going?” or “Our board takes forever to make a decision.” Have you heard these or similar comments? If so, it is a somewhat silent plea for someone to set the pace.

Is Program #545 Really Needed?

Programs and church ministries are good and necessary in all churches. Any approach to reach, teach, or serve others must eventually be developed into an organized structure. Yet starting new programs may keep a church busy but become a substitute for developing a wider vision. The church ends up doing a number of good things but going nowhere. The best picture we can think of is that of a duck paddling furiously under the water but going nowhere above the water. Leaders must ask, “Is our 545th program going to help us become what God wants us to be?” Since programs are meant to meet a church’s immediate needs, they often lack a sense of the eternal. Eventually people start wondering about the point to all the programming.

Am I Driven by CEO Matters?

Now by CEO we mean something entirely different from what may come immediately to mind. Church leaders, particularly pastors, are regularly “Consumed by Everyday Objectives” (CEO). The demands of sermon preparation, hospital visits, administrative details, constant meetings, pastoral care, and many other distractions hinder them from defining and articulating a big vision for the church. Of course, these routine objectives are good ones—even ones they must handle—but they do stop pastors from setting the pace with a full vision of the future. Some pastors are excellent at being consumed by objectives but fall short of their roles as leaders.

The problem for many leaders is their inability to find enough space in their busy schedules to even think about the bigger vision. Most pastors care about people and desire to be available to them. Being too accessible, however, can lead to problems in discovering God’s vision for the church. In describing this issue, one pastor writes:

Like most pastors, I enjoy being accessible. It makes me feel useful, almost indispensable. And after years of experience, I’m pretty good at overseeing the operations of the church. But there is a down side. Always being available drains me. When I’m drained, I lose perspective. I begin to think God’s kingdom is our local church, and our church is one problem after another! Then vision is hard to come by.5

The fact is that being overly accessible may cause other leaders in a church to lose respect for the pastor. Why? Because they view him as not taking care of the important matters of leadership—articulating and communicating vision.

Can I Get Away?

It is normal for the immediate problems and objectives of ministry to take the time and energy of a pastor. The tyranny of the now has greater power than the future. Then too the problems of today are more pressing than the dreams of the future. As is popularly stated, “It is difficult to remember that your goal is to drain the swamp when the alligators are biting.” If you want to dream a big dream, you must get away from the pressures of ministry and give yourself space to dream.

Gary remembers the difficulty of finding space to think and dream while pastoring a smaller church. To make room in his mind and heart to think about the future, he started going to the public library every Tuesday morning for about three hours. He would hide away in the back among some stacks of books to read and think. Only his wife and secretary knew where he was in case of emergencies. He also went once every quarter to a picnic area about thirty minutes into the mountains above the town where he lived. He took along his Bible, a notepad, and a sack lunch. This open environment gave him the space and freedom to think larger thoughts than he could experience sitting at his desk at the church. He discovered he was more creative in the mountains. His thoughts seemed to flow faster, and he regularly returned to church with a notepad of ideas and insights.

Whatever you do, you must find space to think and dream big. This means eliminating distractions and finding an environment that allows this to happen.

Our observations of pastors and other leaders who make the effort to get away to consider the future reveal a few things they do to make the most of their time.

First, take care of enough of the everyday issues and priorities so you can give your total attention to the future of the church.

Second, eliminate distractions, such as television, phone calls, and emails. How do you do this? Go to a place without television. Put your cell phone away for the day where you cannot hear it ring, beep, or vibrate. Leave your laptop on the desk at work. If you find it too stressful to be without your electronic devices, relieve the stress by calling home, say, only at 9:00 p.m. and just check emails once in the evening but never in the morning.

Third, take a Bible, notepad, and pens or pencils along but no other items that might distract you from thinking about the future. Most people find creative thinking happens better when they write or print by hand on a pad of paper than when they type into a computer. Besides, if the computer is around, you may be tempted to look at upcoming sermon notes or check emails or write a letter, all of which distract you from doing what you came to do—dream about the future.

Fourth, give yourself time to rest by just relaxing or, if you go on a retreat for a weekend, sleeping. The busyness of being consumed by objectives means we need time to de-stress. Allow yourself to do this without guilt. It is difficult to dream when your mind is exhausted. Then take time to read some passages in the Bible, asking God to convict you of any known sin. If you discover any specific issues, ask God for forgiveness. Clearing your mind and soul of clutter will open avenues for fresh thinking.

Fifth, ask yourself the following questions and jot down on your pad of paper the first thoughts that come to mind. Try not to polish or edit your thoughts or dwell too much on any one idea. The notion behind this exercise is to let your brain think freely while writing down everything that comes to mind.

Sixth, allow your thoughts to settle for at least an hour or two, and then read over the ideas you’ve written down and organize them into categories or common themes. As you do this, begin writing a single sentence that captures the essence of what you are reading. In most situations, you will discover God gives you the words to combine your ideas into one complete thought. Feel free to rewrite this thought until it is compelling to you, capturing your heart, mind, and passion. This statement is or will become your vision.

Seventh, think of one real-life story that captures the essence of your vision statement. It is best if this story comes out of the history or recent experiences of your church. However, it must catch the attention of those who hear it and clearly illustrate your vision statement.

Eighth, resist the urge to preach about your vision or to speak about it to the church board as a group. Instead, if your church has less than two hundred members, speak to all of them about your vision before you speak about it publicly. If your church has more than two hundred members, you will not be able to talk to all of them individually, so make a list of the two hundred most-influential people in the church and then talk to them. As you speak to people, share the vision you discovered while away and ask, “If we were to go in this direction, how do you see yourself being a part of it?” This will reveal the extent of people’s acceptance or resistance to your ideas. Listen carefully to any questions or objections, and begin to formulate answers or adaptations of the vision to address their issues. Always, always share the story that illustrates your vision, and ask them to pray with you as you formulate a fresh direction for the church.

Ninth, after (note: after) you speak to all the people on your list, then begin to preach and teach on the vision. By this time, you will have heard all the questions and concerns, making you able to speak to them. People will have prayed about your vision and discussed it with their social networks, so they will not be surprised when you speak about it publicly. Work with your church board to make the new vision a reality.

Tenth, begin to align all the ministries, programs, and decisions to the new vision. This is the hardest part of the process. You must execute the vision throughout the entire church, which will take time. At minimum, you must work to align the resources (money and people) to help fulfill the vision.6

Five Types of Churches

Beginner Churches

Beginner churches have no written vision statement. Leaders are concerned about immediate issues and needs and rarely give any thought to the church’s future. They view the church as a ministry to maintain rather than a future to envision. Since no clear vision exists, the church’s plans are limited to the immediate issues that arise. Essentially leaders are reactive rather than proactive in planning for more than a year.

PLAN OF ACTION IF YOU LEAD A BEGINNER CHURCH

Novice Churches

Novice churches have started to discuss the conceptual need for developing a vision. Some form of vision statement is emerging out of the initial discussions, and church leaders talk about it from time to time when the idea arises. They have begun writing a strategic plan but have failed to execute anything they have come up with. The plan is a paper plan, not an action plan.

PLAN OF ACTION IF YOU LEAD A NOVICE CHURCH

Intermediate Churches

Intermediate churches have developed a clear vision statement that has been published in several places—the weekly program, website, hanging banners, etc. At least once or twice a year the pastor spends an entire Sunday sermon explaining the vision to the gathered congregation. A strategic plan is in place, and it is executed intermittently.

PLAN OF ACTION IF YOU LEAD AN INTERMEDIATE CHURCH

Advanced Churches

Advanced churches have a robust vision, which everyone knows, believes, and can recite. Guests often hear people refer to the church’s vision in conversations, and leaders make decisions with the vision in mind. A strategic plan is in place and executed almost 100 percent of the time.

PLAN OF ACTION IF YOU LEAD AN ADVANCED CHURCH

Elite Churches

Elite churches have a compelling vision. That is, people are captivated with the thought of helping fulfill it. People in the church are gripped with the church’s vision and find it irresistible. They are drawn to give their treasure, time, and talents to empower its success.

PLAN OF ACTION IF YOU LEAD AN ELITE CHURCH

Many churches have a dream, but few have a vision. A dream is about the horizon. A vision is about a particular point on the horizon. A dream is cloudy. A vision is clear. A dream inspires, but a vision is implemented. Turn your dreams into a vision. It will be the vision that will compel your church to act.

Main Points

  • Beginner church: emphasizes maintaining the church.
  • Novice church: develops future plans and acts on the plans.
  • Intermediate church: has a clear vision of the church.
  • Advanced church: bases strategic plans on the church’s vision.
  • Elite church: vision drives the church.