Renewing vision to the church.

by Eric Holter

La 2:9 Her gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations; The law is no more. Also, her prophets find No vision from the LORD.

 

Pr 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish

Mission vs. vision, a clarification.
In the attempt to clarify the vision God has for we can easily fail to communicate with each other due to confusion in terms. To help us to effectively communicate, it will be helpful to define some key terms. Two terms that are sometimes used interchangeably in our discussion of this topic are "mission" and "vision." To avoid confusion I would suggest that we try to come to a common meaning and distinction between these two words.

To my mind one of the aspects that distinguishes "mission" from "vision" is that "mission" is much more fundamental or foundational than "vision." The "mission" of the church is single, universal, and non-negotiable. Jesus laid out our mission in Matthew 28; go to all peoples, making disciples, and teaching them everything Christ commands, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Every church in every place at every time has been charged to fulfill this mission. It is to be fulfilled first locally, then extra locally, and ultimately to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:9). Mission in this sense is something we look backward to, to remind us what we're to be doing. It does not change.

"Vision," in contrast, is more forward looking than "mission." We look backward to our mission, to remind us what we are to do. Our vision looks forward, answering the question, "where are we headed?" The phrase "to have a vision" carries the meaning of seeing into the future. Vision looks ahead, mission looks behind. Both are important aspects to a church on the move. For an army to succeed it has to know what it's fighting for, and where it needs to attack. The mission is to win the war; the vision is to advance, taking enemy territory.

'Mission' is static, 'vision' is changing
The overall mission of the church cannot be replaced or exchanged. It is set by the command of Christ. Vision is not as static as mission. While vision is not foundational like mission (God has a different vision for every church), vision is still a strong guiding principle for each church and individual. Vision can often be life-long. When God reveals His vision for a church and for an individual it is a long-term guiding principle for their lives. It is not unheard of for a church to sense God changing their vision. More often however, God will clarify a church's vision over time rather than changing it altogether. Because a vision from God is often a long-term vision, we should not be quick to rethink or redefine it. If we do not have a vision from God we should seek Him for it. If we have become unclear about our vision, we should seek diligently for God to clarify it for us, bringing it back into focus.

Strategy and tactics
In the same way that we can easily confuse mission and vision, we can also confuse vision with strategy, and strategy with tactics. Mission is static, it does not change. Vision is relatively static in that it does not change often or quickly. Strategy and tactics, while also God-given, do change more regularly. Vision is our long-range, long-term view of where we are headed. Strategy can be thought of as the path we take to get there. Strategy deals with the path we take to get from point A, where we are today, to point B, the next stage in our vision to accomplish the overall mission. Whereas vision should be a long-term guiding principle, strategy should be reviewed frequently, and evaluated according to its effectiveness in making progress toward the established vision.

One area where we may have confused vision with strategy is in our use of the term "vision statement" for the relatively short-term statements of goals we set (or should be setting) on an annual or biannual basis. Whereas we ought to revisit and evaluate our strategy every so often, we should not necessarily revisit our vision so frequently. When something is open to review and can change easily, it loses something of its strength as a guiding principle. While our "vision statements" ought to be based on our overall vision, and the overall vision should be stated as a part of the 'statement', the actual vision part of a "vision statement" should be relatively static, and not open to casual and frequent review. The strategy part of a vision statement however, should be reviewed and adjusted regularly, to make sure we are still making progress toward our vision. Perhaps changing the name of our "vision statements" to "strategy statements" would be useful in reminding us of the difference between strategy and vision.

Example from II Samuel 5
In II Samuel 5 David attacks the Philistines in the valley of Rephaim. The first day David inquires of the Lord if he should go out against them. David goes out and defeats them. The Philistines came once more and David inquires of the Lord again. This time God gives specific instructions about how he is to attack the Philistines. He tells him to circle around and wait until he heard the sound of marching in the tops of the trees.

What are the mission, vision, strategy, and tactics in this story? The mission is the same mission God had for the nation of Israel from the beginning, to be a nation belonging to God to show his glory to the nations. The vision of David was the same vision Israel had been pursuing for a long time, to capture the promised land and defeat the enemies of God's people. David's specific strategy was to attack and defeat the Philistines. The tactics for the first attack were general (go up against them), the tactics for the second attack were very specific (circle around and wait until you hear marching).

David knew the mission of Israel. I doubt that he even gave a passing thought as to why he should attack the Philistines. Similarly, David had been tasked with the specific vision of fighting against the Philistines since his youth when God helped him defeat the giant. David did give some thought as to strategy. Should he go out against them in Rephaim, at this moment in time? Was this the best path to take? He inquired of the Lord, and God said yes, go out against them. The second time David checks in with God again, should he go out once more (he didn't assume that just because this strategy worked before, that it would necessarily still be God's will). God did say yes, but also gave specific tactics for going about the attack.

If David stopped to rethink the mission of Israel he would have been defeated before he began and dishonored God in the process. He also didn't need to rethink the vision of defeating the Philistines; this had been engrained in him from his youth. He did stop to consider strategy and tactics; he did this by consistently inquiring of God.

We need to have our mission firmly implanted in our minds and hearts. We should not have to stop and ponder our mission. Jesus gave it to us. It's not done. We need to be going out, doing his bidding. We also need to have a firm understanding of our vision. Once we have it, we need to let it be firmly implanted in us, it should be a part of who we are. We don't need to constantly check it, or change it. We may need to seek clarity of more definition and focus, but it is counterproductive for us to rework or revise it on a regular basis.

We need to review our strategy. We cannot assume that just because God said "go out" one day and granted us success, that we can keep going out in the same way assuming the results will be the same. We should seek God for his direction for our strategy and tactics regularly. Perhaps we should review our strategy every six months. We may need to adjust our tactics every month, or maybe every day.

What happens when we have no vision from God?
"Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18), or as another translation puts it "Where there is no vision, people cast off restraint." Visions restrain us. When we have a specific vision it, by definition, limits our actions to those who will bring about its fulfillment. This narrows our focus, and rules out actions and efforts that do not move us toward the vision's fulfillment. Human nature does not like restraint. We like freedom, independence, and autonomy. We like to make our own way and make our own decisions. We don't like other people telling us what to do. There is no question that a strong, well-stated vision will restrain us. That's the purpose of a vision. Visions are put in place to guide a group of people toward a single purpose. They require unity of mind, and unity of purpose. They need to be specific, clearly stated and they need to be strong. Visions are like boundary lines that define a field of play. Without a vision we will run all over, expending lots of energy, but not make progress toward a goal. Perhaps a modern expression of Proverbs 29:18 might be "Where there is no vision, the people burn-out."

Vision will restrain us. But ironically, this restraint can also bring peace and contentment. We all know we can't do everything. God does not call each disciple to fulfill all of His purposes. God mercifully assigns each church and each disciple a field in which to labor. Knowing confidently which field we are assigned to allows us to concentrate on the work we are given, rather than worrying about all the other possible work there is to do. God gives his gifts, assigns us roles, and directs us to the work He has called us to. We are responsible for that work, not the work he assigns to someone else. If we can be content like David when he said, "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places" in Psalms 16:6, then along with restraint will come peace. "Where there is no vision, the people wander aimlessly."

Vision not only directs and constrains the field of play, it also encourages and strengthens. Jesus never said our following him would be easy, but he did say that He would provide us with the grace to do it. One of the means of grace God has given to us for our perseverance is vision. One of the means by which the Apostle Paul was encouraged to "finish the race" was that he knew the task God had assigned him. He could even measure his level of completion.

Acts 20:24 - But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul knew what his specific race was about. He received a clear ministry from God. Knowing God's purpose for his life, he was able to set his sights on the finish line. Knowing God's purpose helped him to die to himself, and run his race with joy.

Even the Apostle Paul struggled with discouragement and frustration. Having been faithful and successful in his ministry in Thessalonica and Berea, he was rewarded for his effort by being chased out by the Jews of those cities. He continued to preach in Athens, and finally in Corinth. By the time he reached Corinth Paul must have been exhausted. He preached only on the Sabbath, and worked a regular job during the rest of the week. Not until Timothy and Silas arrived did he begin to preach again full-time. When he started aggressively preaching again he continued to conflict with the Jews, ultimately expressing his frustration and disgust "Your blood be upon your own heads…from now on I'll go to the Gentiles " (Acts 18:6). How did God encourage Paul and reinvigorate him to press on?

Acts 18:9-11 - Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."

Again when facing certain persecution and imprisonment in Jerusalem God again encouraged him with a vision…

Acts 23:11 - But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome."

God's grace came to Paul in these moments, giving him clarity about God's purpose and direction. They encouraged him to persevere. These were specific instances where God gave him very specific directions and encouragements. But God did not only give Paul little clues and directions along the way, he also had given him a view toward his life's purpose so that by the end of his life he was comforted that he had run his race well and completed his task.

God knows that we need purpose to help us persevere. If I don't have any idea of that "for which also I was laid hold of…" (Phil 3:12), I may think that I wasn't laid hold for any particular purpose. In that case anything I choose to do is just as relevant as another. However, if I know that I was laid hold of "for the proclaim of the gospel to the Gentiles" for example, as Paul was, I know I need to press on toward that goal until it's accomplished or God brings me home. "Where there is no vision, the people will become discouraged."

Where does our vision come from?
Vision is not something we just come up with. It is something that is given to us by God. If it is given to us from God, how do we find out what it is? Jesus is Lord and head of the church. He gives gifts to his people and he assigns vision to his church. He has given us our overall mission in Matthew 28, and he also gives us our vision. Jesus gives gifts to the body. Each part fits in just has he has designed and directed. Some of the gifts he gives come in the form of gifted people (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - Eph. 4:11). Vision often comes through one of those given as a gift to the church. Paul was given the Macedonian vision in a dream, and the other apostles recognized (concluded) that it was God's vision for them (Acts 16: 9-10). The Philippian church was one church that seemed to have maintained a clear vision (Phil. 2:2), this vision was clearly received or inherited from Paul. Vision then is often inherited from the apostle or apostles that originally planted the church. Ephesians 2:20 speaks of the church being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

It seems that apostles also had an ongoing role in the life of the churches they planted, a role of reminding and exhorting the church to remain faithful to the vision they gave. We need to believe in God's sovereignty if we are to trust that the specific vision for the church, that the apostles originally established when the church was planted, can actually be our God-given vision. If God delivers a vision through an apostle, it may not be within the purview of the church to change that vision. Certainly churches were faithful to discern, test, and approve of the things they received from apostles (i.e. the Berean church which "examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true). Again it's important to remember the distinction between vision and strategy. The church will always need to seek God and wrestle through how it will fulfill its vision. If God is the one who gives us our vision, we have no authority to change it. Apostles then are never the source of authority for establishing vision, but rather often the vessels through which God, in his sovereignty, delivers his vision to us.

Have we received a vision from God (an example from East Providence Fellowship of House Churches)?
Our mission is a rock solid foundation that we share with every other church, to make disciples of all nations. Our vision, however, is distinct. I would suggest that God has delivered a vision to us. It began over thirty years ago with Harold Burchett and passed through Dick Scoggins to us. The vision is for planting churches that reproduce disciples, leaders, and ultimately other churches. God has further refined that vision over the past 15 years by guiding us toward house churches. He has put a passion is us (that has ebbed and flowed over the years) to further this vision. He has revealed principles from his Word that correspond with this vision. He has brought us into relationship with others who share this vision and worked to further it among the unreached peoples of the world.

Perhaps we do not need to ask God for his vision for us. Perhaps we need to seek him to revive the vision he has already given in our hearts. Maybe we need to ask for more focus and clarity in our understanding of our vision. We certainly need to evaluate our strategy and tactics and ask the Lord how and when we ought to "go out against them."

Further questions for regaining our focus on our vision and establishing a clear strategy.

1. Do we all agree on our vision? Do we have one mind about it? Can we each state it in a way that would sound the same as anothers?

2. Is the "house church" part of our vision as strong as the reproductive part, or is it more akin to strategy to be adapted as needed?

3. If house church is central to our vision, are we committed to it because of pragmatic reasons, or theological ones?

4. Do we have a consistent theological view of our ecclesiology? Should we? Would it help to strengthen our foundation and the foundation of each member of the church?

5. If house church is central to our vision, and we have a clearly expressed house church theology, how do we ensure that the distinctiveness of this vision/theology does not result in any negative relational dynamics with other non-house churches in our association?

6. Are we passionate and excited about our vision in a way that others can see? If we are not excited, is it because we feel disappointed or burned out? Could the burn-out stem from losing sight of the vision?

7. Finally, how do we need to adjust our strategies and tactics to see our local region impacted through reproducing house churches?