In This Edition:
Dreaming Together
What’s New On The West Side? Christ, Culture & Kingdom
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Dreaming Together
On August 28, 1963, writes Daniel Burrus, Martin Luther King did not climb the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and declare “I have a plan.” Instead, in a voice that would shake a country from its slumber, MLK said “I have a dream.” The reason is simple: I only care about your plan if I first buy into your dream.
Dreaming is about vision.
Vision: More Than A Motto
A motto is a great thing—a catchy slogan that serves as a quick summary of what you are all about (and a familiar line from the Lion King). Lots of companies and other organizations have mottos. But a motto means nothing if it doesn’t actually summarize your mission statement.
A mission statement projects your hopes for the organization, how you would describe it in the ideal. As such, it provides the basis for how the company is going to act. A mission statement is good and often necessary—providing a mental picture of what could be. But even that is useless if it doesn’t flow from something even more fundamental: your vision.
A motto is a way to remember what you say you are, but a vision statement provides a foundation for your mission statement. As Andy Stanley has observed, a “clear mental picture of what could be” must be “fueled by the conviction that it should be.” Think of a motto as a tagline; a mission statement as what you are going to do or be, and a vision statement as why you exist in the first place, why you get up in the morning, and why you would give your life to the mission or be defined by the motto.
Every company, every organization, and every church will experience a revolutionary change of experience when they stop operating out of a plan (or tradition or procedure), and start living out of a vision.
Starting With God’s Vision
When leadership book authors try to baptize their methods, they go looking for a Bible passage and usually stumble upon Proverbs 29:18. In the King James Version, the passage reads this way: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Other translations point out that the passage is not inherently discussing strategic vision; instead, it is talking about a prophetic vision—a message from God, or a revelation. But when a church is looking for a vision statement, this passage is not without merit. We want to be guided by the revelation of God. And Eugene Peterson’s The Message offers up a unique paraphrase that gives additional insight worth pondering:
“If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves.” (MSG)
The question for your church is simply this: “Why (your church name here)?” Church leaders are asking people to give their last two copper coins to help them fulfill their goals. Why would we ask them to do that? What makes our goals worthy of their last dime?
Reading Acts 2:42-47, I can’t help but notice language that describes the visionary nature of the early church. This Christian community was “devoted,” “everyone was filled with awe,” and “they sold their possessions and gave to anyone who had need.” “Every day” – outside and inside, in temple courts and house to house—they ate, and taught, and prayed, and fellowshipped “with glad and generous hearts.” They praised God and won the favor of “all” the people. And the Lord added to them “daily.”
Sounds like they hade a clear plan that everybody memorized, right?
No.
It sounds like they fell in love. It sounds like they were eager to live out of a dream.
What if I told you that the same God has the same dream for the same church. Listen to Philippians 2:13:
“Yes, God is working in you to help you want to do what pleases him. Then he gives you the power to do it” (ICB).
Envisioning The Local
Let’s see where we are.
Vision is more central, more essential, more important than mission or motto. Vision is necessary for any people or group to have meaning, and God’s vision is more important than all.
But we see God’s vision for his church is a people so full of Him they give, and love, and serve, and “all” the members fully participate; “all” the people in town take notice, “all” the people benefit as any has need, and people come flowing into the church.
God is inside us right now stirring us up to want the same thing; in addition, he promises to provide the means to make it happen.
So I ask again, Why exist? There are churches all over your area. Why you? Why there? Why now? I mean more than simply coming up with an adequate reason. What is the vital reason so great it’s why you would get up in the morning and give your life to it? Why should everyone in your vicinity be part of it? Why would the world be impoverished if you didn’t exist? Why would your community mourn for months if you ceased to be?
Vision. Vision is aspirational. A vision statement conveys what we believe God desires to see in the future for the church, while also being reasonable and measurable about our goals.
Vision is about direction. Think “compass” more than “calendar.” It’s good to think of new programs. But even before that, think of yourselves standing on a bluff, looking in all directions, with starving people sitting at your feet, and needs as far as the eye can see. It is your task to point the way. Someone once said “everybody ends up somewhere in life; a few people end up somewhere on purpose.” “Anybody can steer a ship,” said another; “it takes a leader to chart the course.”
Vision is about far more than a new ministry, a new program, or even a “job well done.” Its about how lives will be different—in our church, our neighborhood, our city, our country, and our world—because we facilitated people experiencing Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.
Vision takes patience. People often need time to grow “ears to hear” the gospel, and we—leaders—often need time to grow eyes to see problems and possibilities. What I’m hoping to do in this series is to spark your interest, to help churches grow a conviction that says “we have to do or be this…because God calls us to this and this world desperately needs us in this.” I’m looking for the kind of thing for which people give their lives.
Visionary leaders don’t start by lining up what they have and taking inventory. That’s diagnosing what you have. Visionary leaders start with vision first. Resources needed to fulfill that vision comes second. Assessing inventory comes third.
Finding Your Why
What if we really wanted to reach lost people (Mark 16:15)? How many? All of them. Ask yourself what percentage of your country do not know Jesus, or do not have a church home. Why would or should they call your congregation home?
What if we really wanted to shepherd the whole flock (Acts 20:28)—providing for the needs and deepening their commitment? There has to be a compelling reason to belong. What is that?
What if we desired to train every member to be an influencing servant (whether in leadership or not) (Eph 4:12) and got them involved (Eph 6:7)? That’s a lot of commitment for us and for them. Why should we bother?
If we don’t get clear on our “why,” we have no foundation for our who, what, when, where, or how. It’s all about the why.
Simon Sinek notes that 100% of those in a company know what they do. Many of them know how they do it. But hardly any of them can explain why they do it. Sinek gives an example of how most companies operate (as seen in their advertising):
“We sell paper. We offer the highest quality product at the best possible price. Lower than any of our competitors. Wanna buy some?”
Makes sense right? This advertisement clearly expresses what you do. They even show features and benefits. The problem is that it won’t garner loyalists. Only people looking for a ream of paper are interested, and as soon as they find a better deal, they are gone. Features and benefits do not inspire. But what if this company chose to start over with the why? Sinek offers this improved vision:
“What good is an idea if it can’t be shared? Our company was founded to help spread ideas. The more ideas that are shared, the greater the likelihood those ideas will have an impact in the world. There are many ways to share ideas: one is the written word. That’s where we come in. We make paper for those words. We make paper for big ideas. Wanna buy some?”
Who knew paper could sound so good!? This isn’t sharing facts and figures. We aren’t actually talking about paper. We are talking about people, about ourselves, about our world; who we are and what we stand for. This vision will arouse a lot of interest …including from those who just want a ream of paper!
And now think bigger. Beyond mere paper. What if we are talking about the most important thing in the universe? The most important thing in a person’s life? What if we are talking about the kingdom of God…and what God is right now stirring up inside us to want and to do his will through us?
People are desperate to find a church that actually believes in something! They want to belong to something bigger than themselves, and they will join a band of people who are full of conviction about the reason they exist.
Start with why. There are companies, schools, and churches all over the world that have meetings obsessed with with what everyone else is doing. They are stuck in where they are. But then there are companies, schools, and churches based on “why”: and they are obsessed with where they are going.
Inspire Leaders
Start with why…and watch. Watch how you then move from “trying to recruit volunteers” to “unleashing leaders.” Workers work, says Craig Groeschel, and doers do. But owners own. And we can help volunteers become owners when we give them a why.
People will work for a what. But they will give their life for a why. After you define the what, and explain the why… let them loose to creatively explore the “how.” And at that point, you haven’t recruited a volunteer—you’ve planted a leader who now has ownership.
Sinek’s line is memorable: “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
Take this opportunity to dream. To see with fresh eyes. To see what could be as you develop a conviction of what must be.
Christ, Culture & Kingdom
How is our witness? On one hand, we find that far too much of the world is creeping into the church; when this happens, we lose our distinctive flavor and quickly lose our witness. On the other hand, we find that the church carries far too little of God’s kingdom vision into the world; when this fails to happen, we lose our opportunity to offer a new way of seeing, and thus lose our witness.
Join us at West Side for a 4-part series as we confront the gods of money, sex and power (or materialism, sexual anarchy, and power-thirsty political maneuvering) as they affect our witness. In their place, we will affirm the power of salt, light, and sweet aroma, filling the world with an alternative vision of a kingdom the likes of which many in the world (and some in the church) have never seen.
(July 23) Naming the Gods: Keeping the Church Free From Idols
(July 30) Not of This World: Representing A Kingdom That Is Out of This World
(Aug 6) Faithful Presence: Providing A Third Way Beyond The Culture Wars
(Aug 13) Salt, Light & Sweet Aroma: Making A First & Lasting Impression
Stream our lessons Sunday at 9 AM (CST) on facebook or YouTube. If you are in the middle Arkansas area, we would love to have you join us in person. I’ll save a seat for you.
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My name is Nathan Guy, and I serve as the preaching minister for the West Side Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas. I am happily married to Katie and am the proud father of little Grace. You can find more resources on my website over at nathanguy.com. Follow me: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.