If you run in leadership circles at all you hear the word "vision" a lot! And as used up a word as it may be, we can never escape it's importance. The truth is, we die without vision (Don't believe me? Read this.). Vision matters!I used to think vision was slippery, hard to get a handle on, but lately I've come to see vision in a very practical way. Vision is simply something God places in your heart to do. That's it, that's vision! (Don't believe me again? Read this.)
Here's some of the vision God has given us... We believe God has called us to launch a church that is super solid theologically. God wrote a book, it's called the Bible, it's our manual. At the same time, we believe God has called us to connect with culture. This means speaking a language people understand, designing worship services and worship space so that people who aren't used to church will feel at home and in the process encounter a real God. We believe it's possible to have a solid Christian church that is simple, understandable, and relevant all at the same time. (Remember that old line where they would say, "It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No. It’s Superman!” I think people are going to say, “It’s a concert! It’s a worship service! No. It’s Jesus!”)
We want to create a church where it is crystal clear what it means to find Jesus, pursue Jesus, and live for Him (Helping people find, pursue, and live for Jesus.). We believe people want to connect with God they just don't know how - we want to change that. We want to break the rules, the kinds of rules that say 20% of the people do 80% of the work. We want to break the kinds of rules that say you can't go deep (depth of teaching) and wide (reach the unchurched) at the same time. We want to be simple... and effective.
We believe it's possible (and would be God honoring) to launch with 200+ people. We believe it's possible (and would be God honoring) to launch with multiple staff (or the closest thing to it). And we believe it is fully possible (and would be incredibly God honoring) to spin off another church within two years. We believe it's possible to see lives changed daily and people regularly coming to Christ. We believe we (God) can change a community... and a city.
...But, I guess this is all just stuff God has placed in our hearts to do so who knows if it'll actually happen. Oh, wait. That's what vision is, it's stuff that God places in your heart to do. And if it's something God has placed in your heart to do, then I guess you'd better get ready.