Melinda sat down in the sanctuary and prepared for worship. Her mind wondered and she thought, “I love this church, our worship, and my friends. But I want more. I want to be part of a church with a clear mission and vision. I want to grow deeper as a Christian rather than attending the same programs I have attended for 17 years. What needs to change for this to happen?”
Think about your church during the past 12 months. What is the evidence it is soaring with faith because it is fueled by God’s vision for its future ministry, and flavored by relationships emerging out of meaningful disciplemaking processes?
What is magnetic that draws spiritually passionate people to connect with your congregation as their second or third place in life rather than their fourth or fifth place? Is connecting with your congregation beating out Starbucks, sports events, and other places? How much church do people connected with your church want in their lives?
It is estimated that less than 20 percent of all congregations are both captivated by God’s vision for their future Christian ministry, and focused on deepening relationships with God, one another, and their context through meaningful disciplemaking processes.
Which group is your congregation in? The 20 percent or the 80 percent?
Your congregation is more likely to exist ten years from now with vitality and vibrancy as a FaithSoaring church if you are fueled and flavored by an empowering spiritual vision and deep discipleship relationships. You are marginal or uncertain to exist with vitality and vibrancy if you are flavored by the success of programs, ministries, and activities. You are much less likely to exist with vitality and vibrancy if you are fueled by management processes that are controlling.
For a congregation to have an empowering vision means they are sure about who they are as a Christ-centered, faith-based community. They have clear core values, they are captivated by a vision of where God is leading them, and they are intentionally seeking to fulfill or live into that vision. Vision needs to be the fuel that drives them forward. It must be the passion that thrills their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
A congregation with an empowering vision focuses on at least significance in a success—significance—surrender continuum. They highlight at least impacts in an outcomes—impacts—sustainability continuum. They focus on the future in a past—present—future continuum. Frequently these congregations grow qualitatively and quantitatively, and have the vitality and vibrancy other congregations long to experience.
Vision is not something a congregation catches rather it is something by which they are caught. Congregational leaders continually cast vision until the congregation is captivated by it. Vision is not a statement by the pastor or a committee that is memorized rather it is a movement of God that is memorable. It is felt more than read. It is more experienced than written.
Relationships that emerge out of meaningful disciplemaking processes are focused on people not programs. They are focused on helping people grow spiritually in the grace of knowledge of Jesus in the spirit of 2 Peter 3:18. How people are deepened spiritually flavors all aspects of congregational ministry. Like vision it is more about significance than success, impacts than outcomes, and the future than the past or present.
When a congregation is programmatically flavored and captivated it focuses on the success of its programs, ministries, and activities. It measures and praises outcomes. Making immediate progress in the present tense is important.
Programmatically flavored and captivated congregations believe solutions to their challenges are in the visible things they do that bring an immediate sense of accomplishment. They believe if they get their programs to function correctly in the present based on an idealized image of past success, then their congregation will be healthy. Often these congregations are plateaued, or perhaps even declining.
A congregation controlled by management focuses on doing things right rather than doing the right things. It seeks to push itself into the future through management procedures and strong accountability. Often this accountability is about a past image of the congregation.
The focus of these congregations is on boards and committees rather than people and ministries. Sustaining past gains rather than innovating for the future is the goal of these efforts. Often these congregations are declining. Frequently their key leaders are at least 60 years old, have been a committed Christian for at least 40 years, and have 20 or more years tenure in their congregation.