Once each year we have a special night at our church called “Vision Night.” This is usually New Year’s Eve or the first Sunday of a new year (as it is this year), and it is one of my favorite church services of the year. It is the time when we cast fresh vision to the church family. We share goals, express plans, and hand out materials to energize and rally our church family around a new twelve months of ministry. We hand out ministry goals, share PowerPoint presentations and visuals, and preach God’s Word.
When God lays a vision upon your heart, you must define it, picture it, and then stand before people and inspire them to love and trust God enough to own it and see it take place. There are few moments more exciting in a church’s life than when God brings to reality what was once embraced by a spiritual leader and church family only by faith. These moments are simply awesome! They exalt God. They turn faith into sight. They energize a church to press forward. They literally catapult a church into a new era of ministry.
The casting of your biblical vision should be something you do strategically. Here are some thoughts:
Connect the vision to the church purpose. The church should already understand your biblical purpose, so any new vision should relate in some way to fulfilling that purpose on a new level.
Prepare quality visual materials. In the early days of our church, I used charts and signs. When we were buying our original twenty acres of land, we had a map of the acres, and we colored in each acre as we paid for it. This sign was displayed before the church family for many months.
Use every tool within your power to help people visualize and understand the vision. Over the years we have used thermometer charts, large signs, banners, videos, projection, PowerPoint, maps, printed brochures, budget plans, models, artist renderings, lapel pins, sticky-note pads, and a host of other gifts and memorabilia to communicate and cast vision.
Emphasize biblical purpose over budget. When you cast a vision by faith, you may not always know how the vision will be financed. Be sure to follow your vision and trust God with the budget. If you are 100% sure of His vision, He will provide in time.
I’m looking forward to Vision Night on Sunday and am anticipating a great year of ministry!
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).
