The Primary Objective: To define Vision Proper, explain how to cast vision and discuss how to use the Vision Frame in ongoing visioning and planning work.

Vision Proper defined

Vision Proper is the living language that anticipates and illustrates God’s better intermediate future.

The importance of living language is that the vision is always a developing Polaroid picture. Never static. Always evolving.

Vision Proper is not a vision statement. It is a new dynamic vocabulary. It anticipates and illustrates your future.

We listened to Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream.” The full text here.

Casting vision

Vision is not to be confused with mission. Mission gives direction and integrates activity. Vision inspires sacrifice and creates energy.

There are two types of vision. Qualitative and Quantitative.

Qualitative vision comes first to the leader. God reveals a picture of the future that captures the leaders imagination and affects his heart. The leader can’t contain it and shares it with others.

Quantitative vision expresses milestones used by the leader to focus the people on measurable checkpoints. Benchmarks set to inform the people of their progress toward reaching the mountaintop.

Metaphors are used to connect people to the vision. Vision ought to be like a conk shell at the beach. When you’re not there, it can be picked up and heard.

Jesus used metaphors to communicate. As one co::Lab participant pointed out, “The language of everyday images and stories used by Jesus would have been perfectly understood by His disciples and the people around Him.”

There are six essentials to casting vision effectively.

1. Common Denominator – An emotional connection based on shared history.

2. Burning Platform – People will not be emotionally connected to your vision unless they have been previously connected to the problem the vision is addressing.

3. Golden Tomorrow – The promise of a better world in which people will want to live. How will the vision sound to people that get great satisfaction from spending Sunday’s sleeping in, reading the paper, enjoying relationships with others, having brunch and resting?

4. Wake-up Call – Creating urgency and inducing action. In contemporary terms, The Jack Bauer Factor of articulating Vision Proper. The “NOW!”

5. Mind Stretch – Find an idea, a cross functional initiative, that everyone joins together to accomplish at the same time. “I would throw away a notebook full of plans, objectives and strategies any day, in exchange for one milestone that everyone buys into.” Will Mancini

6. God Smile – Clarifying the biblical basis of the vision and showing how God’s heart is pleased.

Using the Vision Frame for ongoing visioning

Vision Proper lives within the Vision Frame – mission, values, strategy, measures. The Vision Frame provides boundaries for what will be an unpredictable journey. Changes are going to occur.

With the Vision Frame in place, team members will be able to contribute ideas and insights of their own that will complement the actions of the leader. There is room for all the leadership roles of Ephesians 4:11. The entire team has a common starting point and vocabulary adaptable to their individual gifts.

Every day brings vision-casting opportunities. In regular patterns for church at large. Every time leaders meet. When making changes such as multiplying a small group. Every time people are considering membership. Every time you introduce change. Every time you recruit a volunteer.

Leaders must help their teams to live vision daily. This one of the seven things I learned about casting vision during co::Lab, shared in my previous post. A transforming insight.

Thanks Will, Cheryl and Jessica for a great co::Lab. Enjoyed being with everyone and tracking together on vision clarity. Blessings on next steps!!

Andy Sytsma, New Life Church

In the final hours before our last session (that will be live blogged), I have been reflecting on what I’ve learned about casting vision.

Vision-casting was not new to me prior to co::Lab. Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I’ve participated in vision planning retreats many times.

I was fairly comfortable with the process. Where have we been? Where do we want to go? What will the future look like when we get there? Creating vision statements. Writing a strategic plan.

co::Lab reminded me that we should always leave room for continuing education on any subject. This is especially true when God gives a leader new insights on that subject. During co::Lab, Will Mancini shared with us his original approach for discovering and articulating vision.

Here are seven things that I learned about casting vision during co::Lab.

1. God is the source of all true vision for the local church (and for individuals).

2. God’s vision is unique.

3. Activities, programs and personalities do not equal vision.

4. Discovering uniqueness requires a systematic process.

5. Preparation – praying, learning and discerning what God is doing – is more important than planning.

6. Clarity and simplicity are new imperatives for the Digital Age.

7. God’s unique vision is a lifestyle to be lived daily.

During session five of co::Lab, I journaled in real time for the first time using ScribbleLive.

The last entry from the live blog that day was “Wherever there is great ministry results you will find that people have been intentional in how they work and think.”

co::Lab gave me the opportunity to observe this principle in action.

The intentionality of the Coach and his team. Will and his Auxano team are spearheading a movement for radically changing how the church identifies and expresses God’s unique plan. This is a unified team. They love Christ. It has been a privilege to spend these months together. Participating in co::Lab was a great opportunity. I am grateful.

The intentionality of the Leaders. My fellow co::Laborers were some of the most humble, interesting, on fire pastors and leaders anywhere. It was energizing to watch these men and women focus on discovering God’s unique plan for their churches, their congregations and their own individual lives. I will continue to pray for them.

The co::Lab sessions and collaboration with church leaders provided me with an excellent education about daily church leadership. I’ve learned a lot about the importance of vision integration, particularly as it relates to my own area of focus with New Media and communication technologies.

I knew the co::Lab sessions would come to an end. Though, as I’ve learned, living a lifestyle of visionary leadership is a daily journey that is just beginning.

Postscript: God is using co::Lab and Church Unique to redefine vision with catalytic clarity. I highly recommend Will Mancini as a leader and Auxano as an organization.

Here are three truths about the source of vision that empowers leaders for visionary leadership:

Principle #1: All true vision comes from God. “Then the Lord said to me,’Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.’” (Habakkuk 2:2) Almighty God is the source of all true vision. He wants to reveal His plan for our churches, our ministries and our lives. Not only that, His message is to be assembled in such a way that it can be clearly articulated to others. There is to be no mistake about where the vision came from.

That leads to the second principle, so important for the leader that loves enabling others to get a clear picture of what could and should be in their churches and organizations.

Principle #2: God alone enables us to see His vision. “I could not do anything of my own accord.” (Numbers 24:13) Self centeredness defeats clarity when seeking God’s vision. Leaders must subordinate every desire, every dream, every whim in order for the Lord’s vision to breakthrough. Staying spiritually fit will keep us out of mental fog. Staying humble will enable the Spirit to confirm that the plan is from the Lord and not one of our own making.

Knowing what to do with God’s plan when He’s enabled us see to see it leads to the third principle.

Principle #3: The ability to think about or plan toward God’s future takes His wisdom. “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” (Proverbs 4:11) God told Solomon that he could ask for anything and it would be given to him. Solomon asked for wisdom. That may be the number one prayer request of leaders today. God give us wisdom to _____. Only the Creator of the universe can give us a mental image followed by an understanding of the pathway toward the splendid future He has planned.

It might seem obvious for a Christian leader to state that God is the source of all true vision for a lifestyle of visionary leadership. After all, He is also the author of the true values and principles that support every area of life.

What’s not always so clear, is identifying the enemies that can cloud our ability to see God’s grand picture. Entrepreneurial leaders are constantly coming up with the new: new ideas, new ways of doing things, new directions, new avenues of growth. The new may be good, but it may not always be best. A personal example.

When our good plan can be the enemy of God’s best plan

In 1991 we joined a church that had suffered from decades of unresolved conflict before we arrived. The pastor eventually resigned. The search for a new pastor lasted six years. Factions formed. There was a breakdown in leadership, morale and spiritual order.

After many months of prayer and counsel, we too decided it was time to leave. We believed the Lord had given us a new direction. We joined in what He was doing through a church plant in a neighboring town. (Notice use of the right vision language here.)

We were convinced that becoming a part of this new church was the Lord’s plan. A short while later we experienced an uneasiness over our decision. God revealed His “true vision.”

“Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.” (1 John 2:10)

Now, because we were humbled, the Lord opened our eyes and hearts to His truth. We had been tired of the conflict in our previous church. We had become extremely frustrated and wanted out. The new mission had to be God’s answer, right?

It was a good mission. It just wasn’t God best plan for us.

The One who calls is faithful

His vision all along had been for us to stay in the church. We knew that He had called us to be there. His plan in this situation was teach us how to be more loving and compassionate. Not how to escape from difficult circumstances.

We returned and restored our fellowship.

Living a lifestyle of visionary leadership takes trusting God completely; getting our desires out of the way; and allowing God to make His vision and plans clear. Then, “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”

Question: What do you find is the biggest obstacle to living a lifestyle of visionary leadership?

One of the greatest benefits to being in this learning community is the opportunity to make new friends. Church leaders participating include Wendell Hutchins, Church of Champions; Jim Martin, The River UMC; Steven Barr, LifeWorship Ministries; Matt Neely, The Watershed Church; and Andy Sytsma, New Life Church. Our lead navigator is Will Mancini, Auxano founder and visionary captain.

The primary objective for this session was to learn how to identify and develop The Kingdom Concept. The one thing your church does better than 10,000 others.

Focusing on mission is important to my current thinking and activity regarding media and technology in the church. So I leaned in close to listen.

Finding the sweet spot

Up front, we were told that getting to a single unifying purpose for any individual or organization would be hard work. Mancini said this was because Church leaders had not been trained to think that way. In the past, traditional church models influenced leaders toward the idea of doing a number of things well.

Mancini referred to the hugely successful book, The Purpose Driven Church, where Rick Warren identified five purposes of the church: worship, discipleship, fellowship, mission and ministry. Building vision and mission around those five aspects of ministry enabled churches to generally stay on course.

In today’s challenging climate of declining and plateaued churches, however, Mancini believes greater focus and clarity of purpose are needed. His main point was that God has a unique plan for every church. You just have to be willing to slow down long enough to discover it, he stressed.

Think of it, Mancini told us, as finding your organizational sweet spot; the place where your church’s unique experiences flow as a body of Christ. What your church can do better than any other church.

This thinking may sound familiar. Mancini paid homage to the book Good to Great, where Jm Collins called the idea of doing one thing better than anyone else in the world, ‘The Hedgehog Concept.’  Mancini has creatively reinterpreted the concept for a local church context.

We weren’t left hanging with theory. Mancini took us through the practical process of getting to The Kingdom Concept. We learned that it begins by considering three sets of questions, represented by three concentric circles, stacked pyramid style. Each circle, a different theme of exploration, was designed to help unpack the various expressions of your church’s uniqueness.

The following is a small sample of his questions.

Your Kingdom Concept

Circle One: Local Predicament – Answers the question, “What are the unique needs and opportunities where God has placed you?” What burning issues are alive in the public’s eye and brought to attention by the media? How would you describe the ‘atmosphere of lostness’ in your community? Does the history of your community bring to light any spiritual strongholds?

Circle Two: Collective Potential – Answers the question, “What are the unique resources and capabilities that God brings together in your church?” If a guest visited your church several times and answered the question, ‘What did you like best about that church?’ what would they say?  If your church was immediately uprooted from the community, what would people in the community feel is missing? What spiritual gifts seem to be more prominent in your church?

Circle Three: Apostolic Esprit – Answers the question, “What particular focus most energizes and animates your leadership?” What one thing bothers you most about the world? What do you tend to pray for the most? If you knew you couldn’t fail, what one thing would you pursue for God?

Getting through the entire list of questions will often take a period of weeks or months. The Kingdom Concept is found where the three circles overlap. The ‘sweet spot.’  The final expression comes, he said, when you can fill in the blank below with a clear and concise phrase…

Our church glorifies God and makes disciples by:

________________________________________________________________

We were cautioned about keeping some things out of The Kingdom Concept:

1.  Church growth projections, capital campaigns and building plans

2.  Flashy mission language or the mission language of another church

3.  Random thinking about future possibilities

Mancini likes to quote his mentor, Professor Howard Hendricks, Dallas Theological Seminary. With reference to point #3, he recalled Hendricks saying, “Can dos make it hard to know what one must do for God.”

Chapelwood United Methodist Church, under the leadership of Senior Pastor Jim Jackson, identified their ‘must do’ like this: To Embody God’s Grace As We Receive It To Those Who Need It

Mancini recounted a remarkable event to illustrate how Chapelwood knows its  people are living out their unique mission mandate.

“A number of years ago, on a Sunday, I came to Chapelwood to steal a car. A parking attendant saw me. Instead of calling the police, he invited me into the service. What I found that day was something that I couldn’t steal. I found God’s grace.” (Chapelwood Ministry Leader)

Mancini said Chapelwood’s expression of its Kingdom Concept, had the ‘OOZE Factor.’  O-rginal O-rganic Zeroed-in E-xtravagant…and S-weet.

Question: What does your church do better than 10,000 others?

This year Auxano launched Vision co::Lab, a learning community of pastors and church leaders that meets one day a month over a six month period to focus on the process of defining and communicating vision.  Expressing interest in the Vision Pathway principles and coaching strategy for teaching them, the door opened for me to participate in the Houston co::Lab.

Five reasons I am looking forward to participating in this unique learning environment:

1. Remarkable concept. I was hooked after reading Will Mancini’s book Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture and Create Movement. The approach boils down to this: God has given every local church a unique DNA. During Vision co::Lab, we will learn what it takes to discover, develop and deliver what God has uniquely created each church to do.

2. Reputation of the coaching team. Auxano has guided hundreds of churches through the vision pathway & trained thousands of leaders, including the team at Oak Hills Church, San Antonio. Having gone through the process, Pastor’s Max Lucado and Steve Dye called the approach “the missing link to all the chatter regarding church strategy.” We will be learning from the best of the best.

3. Relationship with the participants. It is always an honor to meet and interact with men and women of God. Listening to stories of faith and hearing about ministry dreams will be inspirational and instructive.  Through collaboration – ongoing dialogue, sharing knowledge and ideas – we will learn as a team how to apply a new visioning process to our individual mission assignments.

4. Recreating the role of technology in church. Thousands of churches are in position to adapt sophisticated communication technologies to The Great Commission mandate. The churches that do so will need to develop a “technology strategy” to be most effective. I recently wrote a blog post about the idea of Digital Missions initiatives. Churches will need to determine what technology tools fit and how to best align those tools with their vision. Through the thinking and processes behind Church Unique, I look forward to learning how to help churches develop a holistic approach for integrating technology into their central strategy.

5. Recognizable terrain. In the interest of total disclosure, Houston is my hometown. We have three daughters in the area and family throughout South Texas. I never pass up an opportunity to come home. I hear that familiar territory creates an environment more conducive to learning. That’s my story anyway. Being a native will also be useful to the group. When anyone mentions “Pico de Gallo” I’ll understand what’s being said.

“AH-HA” Moments

Speaking about a team pulling their unique vision together, Mancini says, “I wish you could see the delight on leaders’ faces, and hear the “ah-has” as a team crystallizes their Church Unique with stunning clarity. I am not sure there is a more exhilarating moment in leadership.”

Pursuing God’s vision for technology in church led to my taking this six month journey of discovery with the Auxano team and outstanding group of church leaders. As I reflect on how the opportunity came about; the privilege I will have in making new friends; and the possibilities of how God might work through these intersections in the future, I am humbled. And, having a pre-co::Lab “ah-ha” moment of my own.

Praying for everyone involved.