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VisionVision

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GeneralGeneral

SpecificSpecific

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• ‘The art or faculty of seeing.’

• ‘Foresight, an appreciation of what the future may hold.’

• ‘Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.’ (Bill Hybels)

WHAT IS VISION?

MH p.5

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• ‘A clear mental picture of a better tomorrow given by God which moves a person to believe that it not only could be done but should be done.’ John C Maxwell

• ‘Vision is what enables leaders to “see” the possible future further and more clearly than others, to be better than others at identifying opportunities and possibilities, and knowing how to respond to forthcoming events or likely situations. Vision is an essential hallmark of all the great leaders; it marks out a Moses or a Joshua, a Samuel or a David or a Nehemiah.’ Tom Marshall (from Understanding Leadership)

WHAT IS VISION? (2)

MH p.5

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Nehemiah’s picture of how things should be

GRIEF… PRAYER… VISION… CALL… PLAN

NEHEMIAH’S VISION

MH p.4

The news from the returned exiles

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MIND THE GAP

What the world is called to be

What the world is like now

MH p.4

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• Shared direction

• Faith and passion

• Energy towards the same goals

• The continuous involvement of new people

• Effective sharing of tasks and responsibilities

• Sacrificing short-term convenience for long term gains

• Common reference point for resolving conflict

WHERE THERE IS VISION

MH p.6

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• Helps you say NO

• Helps change

• Determines focus of all activities

• Keeps the main thing, the main thing

WHERE THERE IS VISION

MH p.6

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• Ministry is likely to be reactive and short-term

• There will be conflicts of expectation and direction

• Co-operative work is difficult

• Everyone does there own thing

WHERE THERE IS NO VISION

Where there is no vision the people perish

Proverbs 29.18 (AV)

Plastic LogicMH p.6

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How How vision vision

developsdevelops

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Listen

GET VISIONSHARE

VISION

Define

DiscernConfirm

Own

Cast

From God to the world

GETTING & SHARING VISION

MH p.16

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WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

The workplace

The family

Wider society

The church

MH p.8

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1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate

2. Clarify what Christian vision is

HOW DOES VISION GROW

& DEVELOP?

MH p.9

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• The responsibility of the church is not simply to generate ideas (although there is a place for human creativity) nor to invent something, but discover the vision which God has for the church as a whole and for a particular local congregation. That vision will be a mixture of what we are called to be and what we are called to do.

• Steve Croft, Transforming Communities.

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Prayer

Pra

yerP

rayer

Prayer

Is the vision a Christian vision?

Where is the horizon (church or kingdom)?

Does the vision belong to God?

Does it look below the surface?

Is there a gospel perspective?

Is there a rhythm of fruitfulness and rest?

MH p.10

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3. Listen to the context and nurture the picture

HOW DOES VISION GROW

& DEVELOP?

1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate

2. Clarify what Christian vision is

MH p.13

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A Christian Vision?

Listen to the Context

Nurture the Picture

VISION

Prayer

Pra

yerP

rayer

PrayerMH p.13

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VISION EMERGES FROM...

MH p.10

VISION

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• Reflection with others• Scripture• Dreams or specific visions from God• Rebellion• Facing the truth about what is not working• Difficulty• Words of wisdom, knowledge or prophecy• Through other Christian leaders, books etc• Through circumstances working together• Through requests for help

HOW DO WE CATCH THE VISION?

MH p.13

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1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate

2. Clarify what Christian vision is

3. Listen to the context and nurture the picture

HOW DOES VISION GROW

& DEVELOP?

4. Test, weigh & refine the vision

MH p.14

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• With those you hope to serve

• With those you hope will serve with you

• With those in authority

• “The vision may die and be reborn”(Sue Hope)

TEST, WEIGH & REFINE

MH p.14

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1. Prayer… it’s the whole surrounding climate

2. Clarify what Christian vision is

3. Listen to the context and nurture the picture

4. Test, weigh & refine the vision

HOW DOES VISION GROW

& DEVELOP?

5. Communicate the vision clearly

MH p.15

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By knowing and loving GodBy knowing and loving Godand each other,and each other,

we seek to enable non church peoplewe seek to enable non church peopleto develop a real and relevantto develop a real and relevant

relationship with Jesus.relationship with Jesus.

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1. It needs to be memorable and simple

2. It needs to make sense- realistic but faith stretching

3. Lived by the leader(s)

4. Cast it convincinglyDefine the problem

Offer a solution

Present a reason. Why now and here

5. Sticky.

MH p.15

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Danger of 3 primary obstacles for visionDanger of 3 primary obstacles for vision

•successsuccess•failurefailure

•everything in betweeneverything in between

Andy Stanley; Making Vision Stick

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You are responsible for this!!

• Repeat it regularly- vision leaks

• Celebrate it at every opportunity

• Embrace it personally

• Be careful of the new

• Listen carefully to requests, stories & complaints

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Tim Keel. Intuitive LeadershipTim Keel. Intuitive Leadership

• Not just search for answers & solutions

• Particulars of your context. Interpretation and experimentation

• The option to do nothing

• “Ministry is the by product of our pursuit of God (John 15)

• How are we to be the people of God-here & now

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Where to position ourselves to have a good chance of catching God at work among us

1. Learning –from answers to questions

2. Vulnerability-from the head to the heart

3. Availability- from spoken words to living words

4. Stillness-from preparation to meditation

5. Surrender- from control to chaos

6. Cultivation- from programmes to environment

7. Trust- from defensiveness to creativity

8. Joy- from work to play

9. Dependence- Resolution to tension and back again

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• Where is your vision on the following scale?

• Where do you need to develop it further?

• What is the next practical step?

WHERE ARE YOU?

MH p.15

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