Leadership 2: Vision

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson and work with your area, you will focus on developing the vision for your ministry. The desired outcome is for you to be:

A leader that has a God-planted vision (MAP) of what their ministry currently looks like, could look like, and will look like including movement toward the next kid. This leader gathers and equips a called community to join them in the mission and works with this community to set goals to help them reach the next kid.

Scripture: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Evidence of staff demonstrating this objective looks like:
As a mission leader over a given geography…living and leading others in this:
  • Has a vision MAP that is regularly prayed over and shared with others.
  • Is led by a missionary mindset of urgency to go and reach the next place, the next kid, and all kinds of kids in your area.
  • Understands and leads the ministry as a volunteer movement.
  • Can articulate the big dream (vision) for their area that only God can do.
  • Analyzes ministry well to see the needs, opportunities, threats, and strengths to help with strategic planning and follow-through to move from a dream, to plan, to reality.
  • Sets goals with their team to move them forward in reaching their big vision.
TEACHING PRINCIPLE- THE WHY

As Holy Spirit-led leaders we are to have visions that are God-led and God-sized. The below teaches about having God-sized visions. Watch these videos to learn about God-sized dreams.

When we know where we are, and where we want to be, the next step is always to plan the path of how to get there. We’re all thankful for our map apps on our phones that do this for us. In ministry we need to plot the path, together with our team, to get from where we are into the vision God is calling us towards.

  1. Our first step in this is to assess where we are now. We need to invite our key team members and invested adults into this discussion as they have different perspectives that can help us see a bigger picture of all that is happening in our ministry and in the community. We will use a tool commonly called a SWOT Analysis. The first two questions look internally, within the ministry, the second two questions look externally, outside of the ministry.

Internal questions​ – thinking about what is happening within your ministry:

  • STRENGTHS: What do you see are current strengths within your ministry?
  • WEAKNESSES: What are the weaknesses within your ministry?

External questions​ – thinking about what is happening outside of our ministry but within our community:

  • OPPORTUNITIES: What opportunities are around within the community, churches, schools or with other organizations? What opportunities for partnerships, grants, places for ministry events…
  • THREATS: What threats are we facing from outside of our ministry that affect us?

Once we have a better picture of what is happening in and around our ministry and team, we want to create a plan to begin working towards our vision. Our plan should include goals that are specific and help us see our actual progress. One way to write goals is to use the acronym FASTER. Each goal we write should follow the guidelines below. Begin thinking about 3-5 ministry team goals that could help you and your team work towards your vision.

F –Frequent​ Don’t forget about it and keep talking with others about it (team, supervisor, mentor)

A –Ambitious​ don’t just be realistic, challenge yourself

S –Specific​ and measurable identify exactly what you want to accomplish & build in criteria to your goal that can be measured for success, what evidence will prove you are making progress (also bound by time at the end – when will it be accomplished by?)

T –Transparent​ Who else needs to be involved in planning this goal or seeing it come to fruition? Area Director? Team? (If we have a goal of knowing 75 kids by name by January 1 for our team, I should discuss this with my team… a lot!)

E –Electric!​ choose a goal that inspires/motivates/compels you to action, something that gives energy to you. This goal should remind us of the God sized vision that we’re working towards!

R –Relevant​ choose a goal that aligns with your core values/who you want to become

  • Poor Example: Leaders will do more contact work.
  • Smarter Example: Each volunteer will do 2 hours of contact work weekly and learn one new kid’s name each month.

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

Let's build some accountability into using the MAP. The below statements are a progression of how you use your MAP meaning that they build on each other. The statements flow from HAVE to ACTIVE to SHARED to GROWING. Consider how you use your MAP and where in the progression you are.

  1. Your club has a shared map that fits within the area or country map. (HAVE)
  2. The dream Map reflects the God-sized future dream to which you feel called. (ACTIVE)
  3. You and your Area Director (supervisor) can name the clubs being developed now to be fully established over the next 12 months. ​ (i.e. there is a clear plan and hopes for the next six months to a year). (SHARED)
  4. You as a leader feel responsible for this vision and have and action plan with specific goals to move the ministry forward. (GROWING)

Reflect on where you are in using your MAP. Be prepared to share this in your training time and how you want to move forward in using your vision MAP

Your trainer will follow up with you on how you are using the tool attached to this lesson using the above accountability questions

ACTION STEPS
  1. Meet with your supervisor and discuss what you have learned. Share where you felt encouraged and where you felt challenged.
  2. Using the guide provided, pray and spend time with the Lord. Ask Him to reveal to you His vision for your ministry. (attached as PDF - see below). Be prepared to share about your time in prayer in your training meeting
  3. Practice your 2-minute and 10-minute vision explanation with your supervisor and your 1st branch. Get feedback from them.
  4. Meet with your ministry team to discuss where you are now SWOT Analysis, and create specific goals to help you move towards your vision. Discuss these with your supervisor.
  5. Discuss with your supervisor 3-5 FASTER ministry goals for the year that help you and your team move towards your vision.

Use their Map to understand their community and its needs, and from that cast vision and set goals​ with their team. ( in line with any area strategic plans)

Prayer Guide
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