Vision
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General
Specific
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WHAT IS VISION?
• ‘The art or faculty of seeing.’
• ‘Foresight, an appreciation of what the future may hold.’
• ‘Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.’
(Bill Hybels)
MH p.5
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WHAT IS VISION? (2)
• ‘A clear mental picture of a better tomorrow given by
God which moves a person to believe that it not only
could be done but should be done.’ John C Maxwell
• ‘Vision is what enables leaders to “see” the possible
future further and more clearly than others, to be better
than others at identifying opportunities and possibilities,
and knowing how to respond to forthcoming events or
likely situations. Vision is an essential hallmark of all the
great leaders; it marks out a Moses or a Joshua, a
Samuel or a David or a Nehemiah.’ Tom Marshall (from
Understanding Leadership)
MH p.5
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NEHEMIAH’S VISION
Nehemiah’s picture of how things should be
GRIEF… PRAYER… VISION… CALL… PLAN
The news from the returned exiles
MH p.4
5
MIND THE GAP
What the world is
called to be
What the world is
like now
MH p.4
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WHERE THERE IS VISION
• Shared direction
• Faith and passion
• Energy towards the same goals
• The continuous involvement of new people
• Effective sharing of tasks and responsibilities
• Sacrificing short-term convenience for long term gains
• Common reference point for resolving conflict
MH p.6
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WHERE THERE IS VISION
• Helps you say NO
• Helps change
• Determines focus of all activities
• Keeps the main thing, the main thing
MH p.6
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WHERE THERE IS NO VISION
• Ministry is likely to be reactive and short-term
• There will be conflicts of expectation and direction
• Co-operative work is difficult
• Everyone does there own thing
Where there is no vision the
people perish
Proverbs 29.18 (AV)
Plastic Logic
MH p.6
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How
vision
develops
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GETTING & SHARING VISION
From God
to the world
Listen
Own
Confirm
Cast
GET
SHARE VISION
VISION
Discern
Define
MH p.16
11
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The workplace
The family
Wider society
The church
MH p.8
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HOW DOES VISION GROW
& DEVELOP?
1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate
2. Clarify what Christian vision is
MH p.9
13
• The responsibility of the church is not simply
to generate ideas (although there is a place
for human creativity) nor to invent
something, but discover the vision which
God has for the church as a whole and for a
particular local congregation. That vision will
be a mixture of what we are called to be and
what we are called to do.
• Steve Croft, Transforming Communities.
14
Prayer
Is the vision a Christian vision?
Prayer
Does the vision belong to God?
Does it look below the surface?
Prayer
Where is the horizon (church or kingdom)?
Is there a gospel perspective?
Is there a rhythm of fruitfulness and rest?
Prayer
MH p.10
15
HOW DOES VISION GROW
& DEVELOP?
1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate
2. Clarify what Christian vision is
3. Listen to the context and nurture the picture
MH p.13
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Prayer
A Christian
Vision?
Prayer
VISION
Prayer
Listen to the Context
Nurture the Picture
Prayer
MH p.13
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VISION EMERGES FROM...
VISION
MH p.10
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HOW DO WE CATCH THE VISION?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reflection with others
Scripture
Dreams or specific visions from God
Rebellion
Facing the truth about what is not working
Difficulty
Words of wisdom, knowledge or prophecy
Through other Christian leaders, books etc
Through circumstances working together
Through requests for help
MH p.13
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HOW DOES VISION GROW
& DEVELOP?
1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate
2. Clarify what Christian vision is
3. Listen to the context and nurture the picture
4. Test, weigh & refine the vision
MH p.14
20
TEST, WEIGH & REFINE
•
With those you hope to serve
•
With those you hope will serve with you
•
With those in authority
•
“The vision may die and be reborn”
(Sue Hope)
MH p.14
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HOW DOES VISION GROW
& DEVELOP?
1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate
2. Clarify what Christian vision is
3. Listen to the context and nurture the picture
4. Test, weigh & refine the vision
5. Communicate the vision clearly
MH p.15
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By knowing and loving God
and each other,
we seek to enable non church people
to develop a real and relevant
relationship with Jesus.
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1. It needs to be memorable and simple
2. It needs to make sense- realistic but faith stretching
3. Lived by the leader(s)
4. Cast it convincingly
Define the problem
Offer a solution
Present a reason. Why now and here
5. Sticky.
MH p.15
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Danger of 3 primary obstacles for vision
•success
•failure
•everything in between
Andy Stanley; Making Vision Stick
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You are responsible for this!!
•
•
•
•
•
Repeat it regularly- vision leaks
Celebrate it at every opportunity
Embrace it personally
Be careful of the new
Listen carefully to requests, stories &
complaints
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Tim Keel. Intuitive Leadership
• Not just search for answers & solutions
• Particulars of your context. Interpretation
and experimentation
• The option to do nothing
• “Ministry is the by product of our pursuit of
God (John 15)
• How are we to be the people of God-here
& now
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Where to position ourselves to have a good
chance of catching God at work among us
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Learning –from answers to questions
Vulnerability-from the head to the heart
Availability- from spoken words to living words
Stillness-from preparation to meditation
Surrender- from control to chaos
Cultivation- from programmes to environment
Trust- from defensiveness to creativity
Joy- from work to play
Dependence- Resolution to tension and back again
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WHERE ARE YOU?
SPECIFIC
GENERAL
• Where is your vision on the following scale?
• Where do you need to develop it further?
• What is the next practical step?
MH p.15
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