Vision

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Vision
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Vision

• What Kind of Church Would
• We Like to Be?

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• Based on Aubrey Malphurs Developing a Vision
  for Ministry in the 21st Century (Baker Book
  House)
• Eating the Elephant Leading the established
  church to growth (Thom Rainer Pinnacle
  Publishers)
• Discipled Warriors Growing Healthy Churches
  that are equipped. (Chuck Lawless Kregel
  Publishers

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Kinds of Vision

• Personal Vision
• Ministries Vision
• Congregational Vision

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OUR GOALS

• To help you see the importance of developing a
  vision for your church.
• To instruct and challenge you to develop a vision
  for your ministry in the church.

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Need for a Vision

• Less than one out of every ten senior pastors
  can articulate what he believes is Gods vision
  for the church he is leading.
• George Barna, The Second Coming of the Church,
  p. 36.

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Importance of a Vision

• THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM in the church today
  is a fundamental lack of clear, heart-grabbing
  vision. The church in America has no vision. It
  has programs and institutions and property and
  ministers and politically correct hymnals, but no
  vision.
• Mike Regele, Death of the Church, p. 229

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Importance of a Vision

• The best way to create what you really want is
  by visualizing the outcome that youre trying to
  achieve.
• Without a vision, the people perish
• Proverbs 2918 KVJ

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Definition of a Vision

• A vision is a clear, challenging picture of the
  future of the ministry as you believe it can and
  must be.

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Definition of a Vision

• A Vision is Clear
• Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to
  go from here? That depends a good deal on where
  you want to get to, said the cat. I dont much
  care where, said Alice. Then it doesnt matter
  which way you go, said the cat. So long as I
  get somewhere, Alice added as an after- thought.
  Oh, youre sure to do that, said the cat, if
  only you walk long enough.
• Lewis Carrol, Alice in Wonderland

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Definition of a Vision

• A Vision is Challenging
• If you promptly file the vision statement away in
  some church filing cabinet, then you dont have a
  vision.
• A good vision challenges people.

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Definition of a Vision

• A Vision is a Picture
• A desired, preferable picture
  of an achievable future based on insight in
  the present and foresight for the future.
• Do you see what I see?

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Definition of a Vision

• Vision Affects the Future
• The vision has everything to do with the
  ministrys preferred future.
• While we cant predict the future, we can to some
  degree predetermine it.

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Definition of a Vision

• A Vision Can Be
• Youre convinced that the ministry can be or
  become what you see.
• God can turn feasibility into reality.

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Definition of a Vision

• A Vision Must Be!
• You not only believe that the vision can be,
  youre convinced that it must be!
• Its affected you at an emotional level-you feel
  strongly about it.
• This puts the vision in the realm of passion.

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Definition of a Vision

• PASSION
• 1. Passion affects your emotions.
• We can work with people at the cognitive level.
• The problem is the emotional level.
• People hold their views at an emotional level.
• Thats why its so hard for them to change!
• THATS THE POWER OF AN EMOTION!

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Definition of a Vision

• PASSION
• 1. Passion affects your emotions.
• 2. Just as a vision has to do with what you see,
  so passion has to do with what you feel. Its
  what you feel strongly about.
• Passion can be good or bad!
• We want to use it for good!

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Definition of a Vision

• PASSION
• 1. Passion affects your emotions.
• 2. Just as a vision has to do with what you see,
  so passion has to do with what you feel. Its
  what you feel strongly about.
• 3. A vision ignites passion.
• A vision uses emotions for good.
• Thats the power of a vision!

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Definition of a Vision

• PASSION
• 1. Passion affects your emotions.
• 2. Just as a vision has to do with what you see,
  so passion has to do with what you feel. Its
  what you feel strongly about.
• 3. A vision ignites passion.
• 4. Passion is more caught than taught.

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Definition of a Vision

• PASSION
• 1. Passion affects your emotions.
• 2. Just as a vision has to do with what you see,
  so passion has to do with what you feel. Its
  what you feel strongly about.
• 3. A vision ignites passion.
• 4. Passion is more caught than taught.
• Take people to a church that has caught your
  vision so that your people can catch the vision.

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Definition of a Vision

• The Test for a Good Vision
• Is it clear?
• Is it challenging?
• Can people see it?
• Is it future-focused?
• Do you believe it can be?
• Do you believe it must be?

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Definition of a Vision

• Similarities Between a Mission and a Vision
• Both are biblically-based.
• Both are future-oriented.
• Both are directional.
• Both are functional
• Mission without vision results in in little, if
  any, forward movement.

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Ten Non-Negotiable VisionPrinciples

• The glory of God is our motivation
• God is in Total Control
• Christ is the only way
• Christ builds the church
• The Bible is our authority
• Church growth outreach evangelism is spiritual
  warfare
• Prayer is a key to reaching the lost and growing
  the church
• The church is important its Gods plan
• Evangelism is the priority
• Laity must do the ministry