Visioning Workshop

Indiana ConferenceThe United Methodist Church

CCHWRKVDPresentation120312

Visioning Workshop“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Prov. 29:18

Objectives of Today’s Workshop

To gain a clearer understanding of:

• The Importance of Core and Aspirational Values

• The Value of Visioning;

• The Impact of Vision Within the Church

• The 3 Necessary Components of Vision;

• How Vision is Developed.

Church LifeCycle

Maturity

Retirement

DeathBirth

Childhood

Adulthood

Old Age

Empty Nest

Infancy

Adolescence

Our Challenge? Wherever we are today on the cycle, we have to …

Start a new LifeCycle!

Start a new LifeCycle!

If people can't see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. - (Proverbs 29:18 The Message)

Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18 NKJ)

Four Components of a New LifeCycle (VRMS)

• Fresh Vision for the future.

• Relationships that embrace new people.

• Ministries/Programs that focus on outreach

• Structures that anchor accountability

Key TermsValues: the constant, passionate, biblical core beliefs

that drive your church and ministry. 1. Describes your church at its very best; 2. Defines how your church will behave.

Mission: a broad, brief, biblical statement of the

purpose of the ministry. The focus is on “what” we are to do.

Key Terms The mission of every United Methodist

Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Key Terms:Vision: a clear, challenging picture of the future

of the ministry, as you believe that it can and must be. The unique way your church will carry out the mission.

Goals & Objectives: tangible measurement on the path to the vision to which pastor, staff, & ministries are held accountable to accomplish.

The Value of Mission• Mission means that we are moving…. are in process …… are working towards a

common goal of what we exist to do.• Our MISSION does not change.• While many things around us are altered,

changed, updated, or deleted

our MISSION continues to defineWho we are and why we exist.

Visionis a God given picture to leadersin order to fulfill the mission and meet particular needs for a particular time.

• Vision does change. • As a discerning leader you come to

understand what God knows “can be” and so you begin to take the strategic steps necessary for fruitfulness …. what it “will be.”

ValuesThe Advantage –Lencioni (pgs. 91-99)

o “If an organization is tolerant of everything, it will stand for nothing.”

o Values to be values, must be: o written down and followed.o what we do, not just what we believe.

Values Are IndispensibleBecause They

o Communicate what is important

o Help people embrace positive change

o Affect the church’s overall behavior

o Inspire people to action

o Determine what decisions to make

ValuesThe Advantage –Lencioni (pgs. 91-99)

Clarity:o In addition to adherence to the Mission

and Vision, Values are critical to establish clarity in the church.

o To attract the right staff members and repel the wrong ones.

o To attract the right congregates and help those not aligned to find a church where they are aligned.

ValuesThe Advantage -Lencioni

Core Values:1. Two or three behavioral traits which lie at

the heart of a church’s identity2. They already exist3. Do not change over time


Core Values:4. Will be followed even if people decide to

leave the church.5. Guide every aspect of the organization

from hiring and firing to strategy and performance management.

Example

The church should be culturally relevant while

remaining doctrinally pure.


Aspirational Valueso These are characteristics a church

desires to have, but are not necessarily inherent throughout the entire organization.

Values

Aspirational Valueso Must be in alignment with Scripture

and Traditiono A failure to respect the past will

lead to disrespect of the present and the future.

Example

Clear biblical teaching is the catalyst for life transformation, and that ongoing life-change

happens best in small groups.


Accidental Valueso Are values that sneak in

unintentionally.o Are contrary to the mandates and

teachings of Jesus.o Leadership must be on guard to

protect the body from these unintentional values.

REFLECTION: In this story, what are Jesus’ values?

Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his workcollecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, "Come along with me." Matthew stood up and followed him. Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riff-raff?" Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.‘ (I Sam. 15:22) I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.“ (Matt. 9:9-13 The Message)

An Accidental Value whichhas Infiltrated the Majority ofUnited Methodist Churches in Indiana

o First Beneficiary has become those inside the walls.

o Second Beneficiary is those outside the walls.

o Does this align with Jesus’ values?

Values ExerciseWhat Does Your Church Do Which Must Never Change?1.2.3.4.


Is this Value Inherit and Natural For Your Church and has It Been Apparent for a Long Time? Yes or No?1.2.3.4.


Is this Value Inherit and Natural For Your Church and has It Been Apparent for a Long Time? Yes or No?1.2.3.4.

Does this Trait Align with Scripture? The Historic Traditions of the UMC? Yes or No?Scripture Tradition 1. 1.2. 2.3. 3.4. 4.

Values ExerciseWhat does your church do which must never change?1.2.3.4.

Is this VALUE inherit and natural For your church and has It been apparent for a Long time? Yes or No?1.2.3.4.

Does this VALUE Align with Scripture? The Historic Traditions of the UMC? Yes or No?Scripture Tradition 1. 1.2. 2.3. 3.4. 4.

With credibility, are you as a church sold out to this VALUE? (Is time, finances, and people invested in this VALUE?)1.2.3.4.

TAKE A BREAK!

Vision Part 1

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Vision-eeringVisioneering = Inspiration + Action + Determination + Completion

4 Components of an Effective Vision

1. The Problem.2. The Solution.3. The Reason something must be

done.4. The Reason something must be

done Now.

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How can vision make that much of a difference?Why does a clear vision enable you to

see things that differently?

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Vision weaves four wonderful things into our experience:

1. Passion. Vision evokes emotion.2. Motivation. Vision provides motivation.3. Direction. It serves as a road map & can simplify our

decision making.4. Vision translates into purpose.

Churches, like people, end up somewhere

in their lifetime.

A few end up somewhere on purpose.

Those are typically the ones with vision

Isaiah 54:2

Enlarge the place of your tent.

Stretch your tent curtain wide;

Do not hold back; lengthen your cord,

Strengthen your stakes.

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Vision gives significance to the otherwise meaningless details of our lives.

Take that ordinary and mix it up with a God-ordained vision and suddenly there is

Purpose! Meaning! Adrenaline!Vision brings your world into focus.

A clear vision enables you to see everything differently.

Top 10 Most Receptive in Our Mission Field:

1. Second-time visitors (guests)

2. Friends of new believers

3. Divorced/Single4. First-time parents5. Marriage problems

6. Parental Challenges 7. Finance Matters 8. New Residents9. Illness10. Recovery issues

4 MISSION FIELDS1. Those currently in your congregation

that don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.

2. Those people outside church that are like you.

3. Those people outside church that are not like you.

4. Those in locations outside your community.

ActivityWhat must we do to reach them?

In your group:– Consider “what” your mission field is like.– Consider “who” is receptive in your

mission field.– Brainstorm a list of ideas for reaching out

to your mission field.

TAKE A BREAK!

Vision Part 2

What is Vision?Where does vision come

from?Bearing Fruit; Ministry

with Real ResultsL. Weems, Jr. & T. Berlin

God’s Vision is More than the Leader’s Vision Fruitful biblical leadership is about vision. It is not about a leader’s vision, however, but the vision to which God is calling a people. It is from obedience to a calling from God that visions for ministry emerge. Beginning with God’s calling clearly shows that God is the source. It implies a discernment process that a leader does not carry out alone, something that is often missing when people describe their visions of the future. The best visions are never about our wishes but about God’s will for our community and our servanthood of God’s vision. Fruitful Christian leadership begins the day that we are able to align the calling of God in our lives with the mission and context in which we serve. Then the vision emerges out of our community as God’s people together discern the calling of God in all of our lives in light of our mission and context. It is the next faithful step toward becoming a mission-shaped church. Bearing Fruit; Weems/Berlin (pages 39-41)

The “Vision Intersection Profile”

The Community

“Needs”

Experiencing God Henry Blackaby’s Reality #1: GOD IS ALWAYS AT WORK AROUND

YOU.“You never find God asking people to dream up

what they want to do for Him. The pattern in the Scripture looks like this: you submit yourself to God, and you wait until He shows you what He is about to do.”

“It is better to be still and do nothing with God than to be busy and do much without Him.”

Blackaby goes on to say,

“For unless God allows you to see where He is working, you will not see it. You can involve yourself in doing good

things, but you may miss the work that

God intended you to do. The servant

doesn’t tell the Master what kind of

assignment he needs. Instead,

he waits on his Master

to give him the assignment.”

Investigate First• Helps to distinguish between a good cause and a God-ordained vision.• Recognizing a need does not necessarily translate into

vision.• A general sense of sadness about the condition of a

group of people is not a vision …. that’s compassion.• Don’t commit in response to the passion of the needs

of the moment. Emotional commitments are only as strong as the emotions.

• Timing is everything….Don’t rush!

WHY WE DON‘T INVESTIGATE

1. IMPATIENCE (I already know….let’s go!)

2. PRIDE (What’s the point? I already know everything!)

3. FEAR (If things are that bad I’ll get discouraged.)

The “Vision Intersection Profile”Leadership “Passion”

Community “Needs”

Leaders maintain EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

in their organizations by staying true:

• to STRATEGIC GOALS;

• to action directed toward GOAL ACHIEVEMENT;

• to a high degree of TEAM INTERACTION,

• to maintaining a RELIANCE ON GOD that provides clarity of purpose.

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3 Keys in Visionary Leadership

1. Navigates in the fog 2. Eliminates the impact of fear;

Fear of making mistakes-Fear of doing some things different-Fear of getting lost for a while-Fear of conflict

3. Avoids distractions.

Group Activity: Build the Best Tower

1. In this activity, your group will follow the direction given by your leader.

2. You can use any of the materials in your bag to build the BEST tower.

3. You will have a limited time to complete this task.


The Congregati

on“Shape for ministry/

discipleship growth”

The Community

“Needs”

Know Your SHAPE: S = Spiritual GiftsH = HeartA = Aptitude/AbilityP = Personality/PreferencesE = Experiences

Zig Ziglar: “Are you a wandering generality or a meaningful specific?”

Wandering generalities often miss the mark because they are running around trying to be all things to all people.


The Congregation

Shape for ministry/

discipleship growth

The

CommunityNeeds

VISION

Prayer WalkRight now: Decide what area of this community (or

within this church) is an area that God has put on your heart as a mission field that needs to see God’s love.

Come make a sign where that location is and make sure no one else is duplicating that location. Hold your sign up and invite others to join your team.

Prayer Walk

1. Gather according to mission field interest. Write the names and phone # of everyone the back of that mission site poster.2. Groups of at least 3 people should plan to meet at that location sometime within the next 2 weeks. Make sure that everyone is in a group and that you know who will make arrangements for your group.3. Spend 20 minutes at the location and pray (by yourself) asking God what He wants to reveal to you about this mission field. Be observant to the surrounding and people that might be there. 4. After the prayer time, gather back with your group and write a summary of what you felt God telling you. 5. Give the summary to your pastor.

Questions to PonderConsidering our community… what do you sense God desires to

accomplish within and through our church in the next three years?

IN 2015 OUR CHURCH…• Has what ministries in place?• Is reaching what kind of people?• Is new and/or different in what ways from 3

years ago?

Vision Timeline1. Prayer Walk summaries reviewed by visioning team;2. Visioning team meets until a draft is concluded;3. Pastor takes Vision draft to Leadership team;4. Leadership team gives input for additional action back to the visioning team;5. Visioning team meets and re-submits Vision back to Leadership team; 6. Steps 4 and 5 continue until;7. Leadership team approves the Vision.

• A plan for making this a reality will be developed in the near future

Vision timeline, continued

8. Vision is introduced to the congregation;9. Second vision workshop is held: Transitioning Vision to Ministry;10. Ministry teams begin to align ministry to vision using strategy, goals (fruitfulness), and evaluation.11. Plans for how to keep the Vision fresh and visible in

constant discussion.

Dreamers vs VisionariesDreamers dream about things being different –

Dreamers think about how nice it would be for

something to be done.

Visionaries envision them-selves making a difference.

Visionaries look for an opportunity to do

something.

(Church location & Date)“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Prov. 29:18

Documents

Visioning Workshop