How to Facilitate a Biblical Mission/Vision Process, Part 1
Note: You’re reading Part 1 in an RPM Ministries’ blog mini-series on local church mission/vision. I’ve developed this material from my book Equipping Counselors for Your Church.
Be An MVP Facilitator
I understand that you may have spent countless hours in relatively unproductive vision catching/casting training. So:
• We’ll show how to facilitate relationship-building gatherings that excite people about mutually developing a powerful Mission, Vision, Passion, and Commission Statement—MVP-C Statement—that results in a practical ministry action plan.
• We’ll see why such sessions often fall flat and fall short of producing lasting congregational change.
In a sentence, here’s what we’ll learn together:
How to jointly create church-wide and ministry-specific MVP-C Statements that nourish the compassion, conviction, and connection needed to launch and lead flourishing equipping ministries.
3 Leadership Competencies
And here are three practical leadership tasks you’ll learn to fill with competence:
• Core Values: You’ll learn to discern if your church is running in the right direction—core values. It does no good to equip people for the wrong purposes for your church and community.
• Champion: You’ll learn how to champion the joint crafting of congregation-wide and ministry-specific MVP-C Statements.
• Catalyst: You’ll learn how to guide your church as a team in jointly crafting a church-specific MVP-C Statement.
Not Your Father’s Vision Process
I vividly recall the responses I received when I introduced the idea of “vision casting” to my church. Naively, I was excited. Just looking at the body language of my elders, I quickly discerned that they failed to share my enthusiasm. Their skepticism about vision follows similar doubts that others—perhaps you—share.
One elder explained, “Pastor Bob, we tried this before you came and it seemed like a major waste of time. Lots of work and little lasting benefit.”
Another elder stated, “I work in industry and we do ‘vision stuff’ all the time. So what makes this anything more than ‘secular’ marketing strategies?”
A third elder added, “Well, when we did this in another church, it felt like it came down from Moses on high. It was more ‘dictatorial’ than congregation-based.”
Still a fourth elder countered, “My experience was the opposite. I’ve been involved in the process twice. Once it felt like ‘pooling ignorance’ because it was so ‘democratic.’ The other time it seemed ‘seeker-sensitive’ and ‘man-centered’ and little about God.”
Men Wanted for a Hazardous Journey
Not one to be easily deterred, I responded to their less-than-enthusiastic reactions by telling them the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922). The British Antarctic explorer placed the following advertisement in London newspapers in preparation for the National Antarctic Expedition—which subsequently failed to reach the South Pole.
“MEN WANTED FOR HAZARDOUS JOURNEY. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”—Ernest Shackleton
Shackleton later said of his call for volunteers that, “It seemed as though all the men in Great Britain were determined to accompany me, the response was so overwhelming.”
I then told my elders, “I’m convinced that we ask too little of God’s people. Gone are the days when, without apology, we summoned God’s people to an arduous journey like Ernest Shackleton.
The ways we typically invite people to do church and be the church are not compelling enough. We cater to consumers with eye-candy instead of challenging Christians to live courageously for Christ.”
I continued, “What if, together as a congregation, we searched God’s Word for His compelling mission, vision, passion, and commission (MVP-C) for our church in our community? What if we did it in a Christ-focused, other-centered, biblically-based manner that rallied people like Shackleton did?” I then wondered if such a calling might sound like this.
“GOD’S PEOPLE WANTED FOR ARDUOUS JOURNEY. No human wages, but the internal reward of joy and the eternal reward of hearing, ‘Well done!’ Bitter cold and long months of complete darkness because servanthood is lonely. Safe return of your spirit guaranteed. Complete safety doubtful because in this world we will have tribulation, and all who attempt to lead a godly life will be persecuted. Honor and recognition guaranteed from God. Henceforth there is laid up for you the crown of righteousness.”—Your Elders
God’s Vision Casting
When these godly elders glimpsed a vision of vision catching and casting, they became as excited as I was. We became champions for the MVP-C process. Together, we helped our congregation to see what envisioning was and was not about.
• Vision catching and casting is not about catering to consumers; rather it challenges committed Christians to follow Christ for God’s glory. Envisioning involves a biblically-based, Christ-centered, God-focused process of determining God’s will for our congregation in our community.
• Vision catching and casting is not dictatorial Moses-like vision handed down from on high; it is not so democratic that it becomes a pooling of ignorance; rather it requires humble leaders facilitating a congregation-wide dialogue. Envisioning involves leaders and members together searching God’s Word for His wisdom for their ministry.
• Vision catching and casting is not secular marketing strategies or worldly business principles; rather it follows a biblical theology and methodology of discerning God’s will congregationally. Envisioning involves searching the Scriptures to become captivated by God’s specific calling for our church in our community for God’s glory.
• Vision catching and casting is not a waste of time; rather the envisioning process produces further unity and maturity as the Body grows together into Christ the Head. Envisioning results in an increasingly clear picture of God’s mission, vision, passion, and commission for our church in our community.
I don’t know your past experiences related to the envisioning process. Nor can I guess your visceral, “gut” reaction to “vision talk.” I do know that I have experienced the joy of an entire congregation, like the men of Great Britain, determined to accompany their leaders in an overwhelming response to catching God’s vision. This is why I long to see you equipped to lead God’s people in jointly crafting a compelling MVP-C Statement.
The Rest of the Story
Join us for Part 2—Capturing Your Biblical Calling—where we’ll explain what Mission, Vision, Passion, and Commission (MVP-C) are, and how to ensure that your MVP-C process is thoroughly biblical.
Join the Conversation
What has your past experience been related to the envisioning process—good, bad, godly, worldly?
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