If you are a church leader, you know very well what it’s like to feel pulled in a thousand directions. Especially in a smaller church, you are often the go-to person for your staff and your congregation. It can be exhausting.
In the same way, have you ever considered the fact that your church’s vision can get pulled in a thousand directions as well? Whenever new opportunities arise, it can be easy to say “yes” to everything if you’re not careful. When your vision lacks clarity, the urgent becomes the priority, things get chaotic, and the vision is forgotten.
I’ve recently been reading through Essentialism by Greg McKeown (It’s all about decluttering your life – I highly recommend it). In one chapter, Greg discusses the importance of trade-offs in order to do anything well. Sometimes we have to be willing to say “no” to one thing so we can do something else better. He makes this statement: “Instead of asking, ‘What do I have to give up?” [we should] ask, ‘What do I want to go big on?’”
That’s the question I want to ask you: what does your church want to go big on?
That’s really what makes up a mission and vision.
What’s the Big Deal?
Many small churches we work with struggle to define who they are. Why is that important? Well, when churches don’t have clarity around their mission and vision, it’s difficult to empower others to lead ministry efforts because there’s a lack of understanding on what exactly the church hopes to accomplish.
Creating clarity on this level is one of the best ways to unify your church on one mission. When success is defined, an effective ministry strategy can be developed and progress can be made. That means more people hear about Jesus. And that’s what our churches are all about.
So take the time to consider what makes your church unique. What sets you apart? Who are you called to reach? What are the defining factors of what you hope to accomplish?
The clarity will be a game-changer.
