Widening the Vision

How do we get others to embrace, energetically support, or even vote or pay for our vision? Needless to say, it’s slow and important work that needs to be done with love and patience.

There are specific and strategic ways to communicate this vision for your church. Once you have a clear picture, consider these effective steps toward a definable vision. (I used these exact steps to totally update two constitutions, plan seven building programs at two churches, and, in a less formal way, to start new ministries several times):

1. Appoint a leader to serve as a spokesperson for the vision. This is a person with a strong background and influence in the area of change. In a building program, this is someone known for expertise and experience in finance or construction.
2. Recruit a core group of people to provide input and “ownership.” These people help to formulate the plan and spell it out in workshops, “town meetings” in homes, and committee meetings.
3. Widen the circle of people “in the know.” People hate change and surprises. To avoid this, utilize smaller gatherings of leaders or committees or workshops to inform. We want people to help “let it leak” and get the word out.
4. Communicate clearly and often. When this is done properly, people will be ready to vote or give or participate. From the pulpit, on paper, in emails, and through the “community” groups in the church, spell out why the church is moving in this direction.

These are some of the strategic ways to spread a vision that involves change. The opposite strategy is to act alone and surprise people with your plans, often with unhappy or disastrous results.

What valuable lesson did you gain through your experience in implementing a vision?