Episode 155

Step 1: Create Alignment
– Clear Teaching on ministry philosophy
– Elevated Guests, Baptism, Serving (Create Cultural Symbols)
– Defined discipleship process
– Clarified our church values.

Step 2: Get Input
Email to the whole staff & Board
– What is working great?
– Are there any fires that need put out?
– 3 month, 1-year, 10-year expectations?

The Listening Experience:
– 4 groups, 70 people, staff as guides.
– Closed Business: Businesses close all the time, and so do Churches. Some Churches even stay open while being functionally closed because they’re no longer accomplishing their mission. If we were to close, why would that be?
– Field: Imagine we were starting all over again: what would we do? What would we do different?
– Outside a High School Football Game: If we were going to reach all these people what would we do? How would we reach all these people?
– Another Ministry: What would we do if we had unlimited resources? What would we do if we had no resources?

Step 3: Vision Group
Prep:
– Outlined the process
– Prepared a report from the listening experience focusing on: Issues that need addressed, the heart of our Church, and opportunities.

Starter Questions
– What was one of your most meaningful experiences in Church?
– What were some of your thoughts on the “heart of highland park” report?
– What should we not pursue, what should we be sure that we don’t accomplish if we didn’t have a vision? Titled: “Not This”
– What could we accomplish in 20 years? Titled: “This”

Groups of 3-4
– What 2-3 projects or focus points do you believe we should focus on over the next decade?
– Why? What is the result/outcome of these projects.

Solo Project: What do you think we must accomplish in 2-3 sentences?

Large Group
– What are we seeking to do?
– Why are we seeking to do it?
– How will we measure it?