- Vision is a clear mental picture of what could be, fueled by the conviction that it should be.
- Vision is a preferred future. A destination.
- Vision always stands in contrast to the world as it is.
- Vision demands change. It implies movement. But a vision requires someone to champion the cause.
- For a vision to become a reality, someone must put his or her neck on the line. Vision requires visionaries, people who have allowed their minds and hearts to wander outside the artificial boundaries imposed by the world as it is. A vision requires an individual who has the courage to act on an idea.
- Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic Ocean
- Henry Ford built the first car and took us from wagons to wheels
- John F. Kennedy & Martin Luther King Jr. both had daring Dreams that changed the nations course
- Thomas Edison invented the light bulb and the motion picture camera that was a huge success but failed at over 1000 other inventions.
In the PCG, it is time that we realize that Vision DEMANDS Change. Someone has to be willing to Champion the Cause. Leaders have to be willing to put their neck on the line for what they believe in. I have committed myself that i will NOT be put in a box of doing what we have always done and getting only what we have always had. I REFUSE TO ALLOW MINISTRY TO BE THIS WAY.
i am not sure if anybody else on this blog spot has made that decision or not. I believe there is some people who have and it is time that we challenge this movement and it's leaders to put their neck on the line for what we believe in.
So what is it that we believe in??? I believe in the Jesus Movement. The 3 1/2 years of the life of Jesus was the most radical time in church history. It was a movement that upset the standard of traditional religious thoughts that the Pharisees bled for. Everytime Jesus rubbed shoulders with the degenerates of His society, the Pharisee were ticked off. They questioned His motives and said He was a radical.
It was a 30 year old man with a group of 12 followers who were all younger than He was that blazed a trail as radicals to see the world changed. It is time that we become radicals. I will NOT be influenced by those who sit in their religious state of mind while allowing people to "GO TO HELL".
It is funny to me that in the PCG, Jesus along with all the disciples were not old enough to be a District Bishop much less a General Executive, but was the most radical world changer that ever lived.
If we are truly the leaders that we claim to be in the PCG and have Vision from God then let us put our neck on the line and be willing to die for the cause.
Thank you for your challenge. I believe in the importance of "putting your neck on the line" or more specifically "reformation." However, as was stated, there must be a cause. There must be a divine assignment given by the divine dreamer that moves you outside of the box. The world has seen enough change for change sake that involves a "keep up with the Jones (no pun intended)" philosophy. The world needs to see a holy boldness that has been birthed by the Champion of our faith and that is unwilling to compromise by crying out in the wilderness and tossing chairs in the Temple when necessary.
ReplyDeleteI fully agree. The assignment is to bring people into the kingdom of God. If we are not seeing the Assignment fulfilled, people being being saved, then it is to do "what it takes" to see that happen. So sometimes that means stepping out and doing something we have never done before. The gauge of this can be determined by how many people are accepting Christ in our churches.
ReplyDeleteYes. We do not guage the fruitfulness of churches by the number of new converts who are connecting and becoming discipled enough. That must become a primary indicator for whether we are fulfilling our Kingdom assignment.
ReplyDeleteMost of us who have pastored for any length of time have had people who approached us after a few weeks of attending the church with advice on how to fix all of our church problems (the way they see it of course). In some of these meetings ,as a young pastor, I felt that I was being corrected. It's what I call "pastoring the pastor". Because of my youth, I was intimidated by such men and women, and tried to please them. Since those early days, I've discovered that the biblical pattern for correction is that it flows from leadership, rather than to leadership. As I read today's blog, I wondered if I was reading a challenge or rebuke. I trust that it's the former.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm not certain that "putting your neck on the line" is always the wise thing to do. Yes, sometimes, a leader must do exactly that. It seems that our denominational history shows that many leaders who have put their necks on the line lived to see their head (or headship) cut off. Change is a process; and good leaders navigate through the icey waters of change with caution. It's more important that we take people with us in the journey than make a bold statement about our radical leadership style.
I appreciate the vision that our National leadership team provides for us. I'm proud of the changes in recent months and years. I am thankful for the connections and relatiosnhips provided. I value their decision to turn the corner with one eye in the rear view mirror. I honor them for the sacrifices made every day so that we can have healthy churches, ministries, and families.
Vision is about a preferred future. My preferences will dramatically differ from that of my peers. Even when they are similar, the way I approach implementing change, and the way I get from here to there, would be just as dramatic. One thing is for sure: To get from here to there, it will require that the whole body goes together - including from the neck up.
Without a doubt the blog is a challenge. This challenge is intended for all npn leaders not only those in Joplin. The challenge is to not forget the Assignment given "Great Commission". With this challenge we as npn leaders must be the first to step to the plate and be willing to put it all on the line for what we believe in. And as i said in today's blog, what i believe in is the "Life Saving Power of Jesus". We must do whatever it takes to see everyone we can come to that knowledge
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