This is not message to every pastor, just to the ones who confuse vision with entitlement.
Pastors, a vision is not a program, an ideology or a philosophy. It’s not a statement.
A vision is the ability to see what could be if the investment of prayer, hard work and resources (time, people, etc.) are applied.
Vision is not concocted in a board room or on a retreat.
Vision is looking at the people of your congregation and seeing who they could become not what glory they can bring to you in terms of the size your church might grow.
Vision is looking at the kid in your children’s church or youth group and saying,
You’re going to be on my board some day
You’re going to lead many to Christ some day
You’re going to be a leader in this church some day
And then is is your job to make some day happen soon rather than later.
But because this kind of vision requires hard work, changing programs and personal discipleship, that vision never comes about.
A vision is a glimpse of what could be, what might be if the person with that vision will stay the course and not run after trends and fads.
A vision doesn’t just happen, they are prayed for, fought for and trained for like an Olympic athlete seeking a gold medal.
Pastor, where would your church be now if this was the kind of vision you not only began with but stuck with, long term?