Three Elements of a Church Vision

What would it look like if God’s will was done in your community by members of your church as it is in heaven?  That may sound pretty presumptuous, but isn’t that what Jesus told his followers to pray for? And if we are to pray for it, doesn’t it follow that we should also do something to make it happen?

Leading with vision requires developing a picture of God’s preferred future that inspires people to act to make it happen.  And yet it is so easy for churches to simply keep doing what they have been doing without fully considering where we are headed. Developing a vision for a church can be a challenging and too often neglected task.

That is why churches need to continually keep developing a vision to guide their congregations. As I have studies several resources on vision and church health, there are three elements that stand out to me that describe an effective vision.

1. It is inspired by God.

This may seem obvious, but if it is to be a vision of God’s preferred future, then it must grow out of a relationship with God and an intentional effort to listen for God’s direction. Reading the Bible, prayer, observations of the world around us and our relationships with other people can all help us discern God’s vision. Seeking God’s will and not our own is the way of Jesus.

2. It is outward focused.

The Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he sent Jesus. Followers of Jesus must also love the world and seek to serve others.  This is seen in God’s call of Abraham that he would be blessed to be a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2). A church that is only trying to preserve itself will not endure.  Jesus said that it is in losing our lives for the sake of others that we truly find our life (Matthew 16:25).

3. It empowers people to act.

A vision from God to transform the world will call people to follow. This is what we see in Jesus calling his disciples to continue his kingdom work. Followers of Jesus today should still hear Jesus saying to them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21).

Visions of a world without malaria or a community where all children can read are examples of visions that meet these elements. A church is on the path to developing a vision when that ask the question, “What it God asking of us now?” When that vision is inspired by God, is outward focused and empowers people to act, then it will help to transform the world. That will be an answer to Jesus’ prayer.