Vision Leaks

Is it just me or does it seem like Community has been in a state of perpetual transition. We have experienced incredible growth; we've seen people come and go; we've endured a very difficult loss in our eldership; we have been renovating our facilities for over a year; and planning for, or in the process of hiring, a new associate minister for almost a year. That makes my head spin. Part of the fall out is that in such times we lose track of God and what he is doing - or wants to do - among us.

Andy Stanley, in an article titled: "Vision Leaks" identifies three things that distract a church from their vision. The first distraction he identifies is success.

"Success means your options multiply. Size increases complexity, and complexity can confuse vision. Our church was at its most efficient when there were just six of us sitting around the table. Everybody knew and understood everything. It was as smart and efficient as the organization has ever been. This efficiency leads to success, and success gives birth to complexity, the enemy of efficiency and vision. Many churches become successful organizations where everyone is busy, but they've lost connection with the vision."

Things sure have gotten more complex around here in the last couple of years. I'm sure I'll get back to doing the job I was hired for, as soon as I remember what it was. The good news is that stability is returning to many parts of our congregation. A new leadership is in place, new staff members hired, and an opportunity for continued spiritual development is before us.

God's call is for each of us to lay aside the distractions and rekindle His purposes for our lives and reignite His vision for our church family. May the Spirit empower us to "show God's love in such a way that people would exchange ordinary living for an extraordinary life through the transforming power of Jesus Christ."