Video Transcript: Vision and Mission

But then the reality is, is when you come to the church, and you get called to the church, you're calling your vision, your mission is not at all what the church really wants. The church has a vision and mission, and it's really going in a different direction. And what they really wanted was it chaplain for someone who had come in there and preach good sermons, love the people, and maybe whatever that real vision and mission is, that's really what they want. And you're really not doing that. And what so often happens is, churches separate over that. 

Now, historically, there used to be like a denominational vision that many people have, where you sort of the church has a pastor, it's very clear, he's a, he's a chaplain of maybe an ethnic community. And he comes in, he preaches one or two sermons a week, he leaves the elders in the already existing ethnic vision that was already there. And that's it visits the sick, berries, the dead. Mary's baptizes. And that really is who he is. And but what happens in all the recent church growth stuff is what you'll have is you'll sort of have like conflict here, because you can go to seminars and go to read books, and the books are talking about growing a local church. And as a pastor, you're excited about that. So you come to a local church, and they're excited, because you're excited, what you say, they really wish that would be the preferred future, in their mind, at least on the, the calling committees mind and the reality is, as many people get on the calling committee are the most excited and most enthusiastic. So you get called to do that when you actually come. It doesn't happen that way. So what has often happened is that people have in plant churches in church plant, you're the first person there, and you can actually articulate a vision mission, you're calling vision mission, you can set that and people are interested in follow it. And you know, there's this phrase that that used to be said, you know, it's easier to have a baby than raise the dead. And a lot of times people laugh about that, because I mean, having a baby as plants, new church, raising the dead is evident church that's dead. 

The reality is the church is not dead, the church just has a different vision, a different mission than necessarily yours. And that's okay. And that's something that you have to look at. So when I, when a lot of times when when pastors or leaders talk about vision and mission, it almost sets up conflict in failure, either from the church's perspective or the pastor's perspective, because they're not self aware that there are different visions. And what's the real vision. So we're going to talk about today is probably for some of might be a little Utopian, that is like, it's a way, that's not where I'm at, I am a chaplain, the vision and mission discussion is going to frustrate me, because I know my reality is not that way. For others, you're going to maybe you have that place where you've been there long enough, where your vision and mission is starting to really gain traction. And these are self aware moments and discussions that are really important. So having said all that disclaimer stuff. 

Let's get right into it. I want to define a few terms. First term is calling. Calling is the call of God into your life. This includes your spiritual dream of the preferral voice of God in your life, calling you to ministry is very spiritual. It's, you since in that calling. The apostle Paul says in Philippians 3:14. I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So this is that that spiritual in your heart of hearts, you are called to be in ministry and that is who you are and you know it, you know I would say that sometimes pastors are in churches and they've lost that sense of urgency that calling and they're just, it's just a job now. And that's sad to me. And but that calling is that spark that you hear from God to minister to people? Vision, let's talk about that term, I would define vision as the calling of a community, by God, the inspiration of leaders utilizing their gifts resources to accomplish that calling. Now this goes back to that. 

What's the real calling of the organization if it's a church that's been around for 100 years, the real calling might be the beauty of the multi generational, some churches have like a cemetery right on the church grounds. And in parents of some of the people that go there have been buried there in great grandparents, and it's beautiful. Family generational, many generational genealogy, all these things are happening at that church, that's the recalling and been maybe the churches is decreasing and diminishing, it's a rural area and people have left. So it's good to know, as a pastor, what's the real vision, because if you can articulate the real vision, then whether it's to the calling committee, or whether it's to the leaders, where you're at, and you said, This is what our vision is, right now, is there a way that we can include more to some of these wonderful benefits, and then that comes to the issue of mission, we understand what our real vision is led by the leader who shares that vision. 

Now you put into specific plan, defining specific tangible, desired outcomes for the organization. So you know, in a sense, this would be like, Okay, so let's just say you're in this rural area, and the church is declining, you are called to serve there, see, you know, what the historical vision has been. So you might bring, okay, here's who I am, here's my calling, here's my personal vision, here's, is there a way that they can come together, and we can find out how to bring a mission that helps our church grow and become sustainable, and to be self aware about all of that all along the way. So that as a leader, prayerfully, pursuing your calling, you're passionate gets stabilities, resources, people money, all of that, coming together in unity is very, very powerful. 

Now, what I would do, and have done and do even know is that who I am as a person, my personal vision, the calling expressed two words, maybe this could be the calling of the personal vision, or whatever you want to call it, you know, I've written it out. And to me, having a written out is important. Mine is I Henry Ryan and called by God to lead my family and my church into a sustainable, vital walk with God, reaching more to be included in a walk. So I want more people to be impacted in a walk with God personally in my own life. Now, I'm also president of Christian leaders Institute, I work with training leaders like you. So my personal vision is I am also called to create a stage for others, to lead their families and churches into a vital sustainable walk with God ever reproducing, you know, the word represses how to be even more effective, how to talk about vision and mission, how to do pastoral care and reaching more for Christ. So to me, I understand this is who I am. So here's a little personal vision exercise you might do is write out your personal vision. And ask someone after you've written it out. Someone who knows you, if they think that vision truly reflects your life or you know, in sometimes you can write down a vision and you are not that person to your core, or not even that person at all, even slightly, that is a problem. So an exercise to do and I'm not going to test you on it, but to write your personal vision and share it with someone. So you have your personal vision. Now, that's, especially when you have cooperative elders and leaders and there's not this political division about who you are and what their real visions you come together with your planted church. You can do this. You take your personal vision and the organization vision and you match them. They ought to match, I love how the Apostle Paul says it. Yay. 

So I have strived to preach the gospel and that word Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation. I think he is so clear about his personal vision. He's a church planter. He is not going to help a church that's already there. He is going to keep planting a church and he talks about it in the movement of early Christianity. So your personal vision is clear. Now how does that personal mission translate into connection to your church? Now on the Eagle Rock website, I wrote this as sort of like who I am, people are the crown of God's creation, there is no greater joy than helping them walk with God and to see them utilize their gifts. I love the people part of ministry and see my role as pastor to create stages for other people to use their gifts, and make an impact in their family and in their community. Now, it actually is a restatement about the personal vision that you read about later, they wrote down, so So who's pastor Henry, this is who pastor Henry is. Put your organizational vision in the format of invitation, then see, a lot of times people will, will take their vision that they write down or whether it's organization or the pastor's message, and they'll put it in the background somewhere, never to be seen again. Instead, put it in your invitation. 

So your vision is what expectation you're leaving as to what you want, as you invite people, whether you put on your website, or whether whether you personally do this. So so this is what it says on our website ercc.org, to be invited to this god adventure, to go beyond the human struggle so with God, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly forever, you are invited to include those in your life, to connect to the god adventure. So the guy adventures that walk. So now I'm asking someone in a little bit of a different metaphor, but saying the same thing, you're invited to be in this walk to this guy adventure, to go beyond that struggle to soar with God daily, monthly, if you're home wins, the church wins, you're invited to be at the if your home wins, the church wins church. So come check us out with that is the vision that we're trying to do. Now tell you your personal vision, and your organization vision Are to match Yay! So I have strive to preach the gospel that match if there's too much disconnection, there will often be conflict or will happen is you know, you'll be a chaplain or and this by the way it really awesome is to say, you know, to serve a church into put your personal vision on the back shelf, to love people enough to do that is one of the most awesome services to Christ there could ever be. So as much as you know, ideally, you want everything to be nice and every story to come to a wonderful ending. Real Life real ministry often doesn't go that way. So there's that servant's heart and get there's that striving to be who you are called to be. And in some people can be just fine by being chaplains to a local church and other people like the apostle Paul will have the urgency and, and the has to match. But I will tell you this, do not divide a church over the personal vision of the pastor in Calling and a personal vision and mission of a local church, if they are different. Be a man of God, be a pastor who seeks another call, who just doesn't look at their personal finance with the golden handcuffs that you have to stay there no matter what. Bless your people, and what the vision is, it is and if they're not following you, they're not following you. Now, let's talk a little bit about mission. So I mean, vision is absolutely vital. But what what a mission is is specific ministries or things you do to accomplish that vision, like, Do you have a service? What ministries are you going to have? You know, I dig a Rock Church, you know, we have, we have our website, and it has many things that we do we have a concept that when you first attend you, you know, you can see what's going on. And this is the vision and the mission, we tried to make it as understandable as possible. In a lot of ways, your mission has to reflect that vision, or reflect the real vision but in an honest way, so that what you do reflects it. You know, I am so impressed with the story of X six. And here's a story where there's some disagreement with the Grecian widows and the Hebrew widows and the Apostles have to deal with this Whole thing and up to that point, they're serving the widows and in this really make a decision. Now the decision is to appoint more leaders so that the Apostles can do more ministry and reach more people. Now, the decision was a genius decision in that the mission, the activities of the local church reflected the vision to reach more people for Christ and His resurrection. So their organization was about more delegation, more use of gifts, and awesome people like Steven and Phillip were appointed, and the organization, the mission was to grow. And you can see that it was not about maintenance in the early church, it was about expanding ministry in tangible ways. I mean, they could have had this vision, we're gonna reach a lot of people, and then not deal with that very tangible issue, about the disagreements over the widows. Instead, their vision was to reach people and their mission was that the organization reflected what they were called by God to do. You know, this is an important subject and for many pastors, this can be so frustrating. But if you're self aware, in in see the vision and mission that God has called you to the calling, and to be honest, and talk with your new church, if you're considering a call, or if you're an existing church, or if you're planting a church, who you are, is vitally important to where the church is going to go and who the church is, is vitally important to where the church is going to go. But you need to know that and learn that and together come together, if possible with a unified vision, ideally, that they would be the same who you are in the church are on the same page. If they're not to be self aware, to you know, Chaplain them in their vision, or planted church, all of these issues are vital in the discussion of vision and mission as God builds His church. And you are part of that. It's an exciting topic. It's not something you run away from. A lot of people in ministers don't really want to talk about this because it brings up too much pain that there might be disagreement. Well, that could be true. But yet to not talk about it. You have like sort of this often a passive aggressive attitude parishioners to pastors and their different directions. You know, we're not called to be like that. We're called to be honest, sincere leaders, who express who we are, truthfully and lead for God's glory. So you are a pastor, you're called to be a pastor you're considering call you're calling to be a pastor. Have the vision and mission you're calling all these things honest before you and honest about your role within the organization that God calls you to help