C00E5873-F245-4406-BD27-09AF8AB1A40BPeople give to visions, so how is your vision?  Bill Hybels correctly nailed it a few years back when he said, “Vision leaks!”  He meant that people tended to forget the vision that was cast just months ago.  In the day to day struggle of life other issues would crowd out that vision statement and they would often be clueless as to what their church was about.

Vision casting can not be one Sunday a year or even the Sunday of launching a campaign or stewardship initiative.  Since vision leaks we must repeatedly remind our members where we believe God has us going and how they can get on board.  Vision when it comes to stewardship is the main driver of why people give.  Vision is what keeps me giving even when the economy is down.  So if your vision pot is leaking you can be assured that the offering plate will have holes in it as well.

Never will vision be more important than in stressful economic times.  Several years ago I coined this truth:

Good Vision Trumps Bad Economy!

When I was younger we played the card game of Spades.  I was never particularly good at Spades which might be why I no longer play.  I never seemed to get the hang of it in terms of strategy or just the sheer luck of the draw of a winning hand.  One thing I do remember vividly about Spades is that you always wanted to have spades in your hand.  You could be playing the ace of hearts and think you were going to win the hand and someone else could throw in the deuce of spades and beat you.  Playing a spade was a trump card that beat all other cards in play.  In stewardship vision is the trump card that affects your ability to raise funds.

Developing your Vision

There are scores of books on vision and how to develop one.  In my opinion we have made vision development overly complicated.  Most vision statements that I see are either trying to be too cute or too broad to ever be effective.  If we were honest most people in our pews don’t know truly what our vision is nor do they really care.  I think this is again due to the fact that we have made it overly complicated.

What is in your heart?

Two Old Testament figures come to mind of how to establish a vision.  First David is a prime example of someone that was driven by a vision that in turned drove Israel to accomplish more than they ever dreamed of.  While his son Solomon is known for building the temple it really was David’s dream and vision that began the process.  As we know God would not let him build it since he was a man of war.  However listen to what he tells the leaders of Israel in I Chronicles 28:2, “King David rose to his feet and said: “Listen to me, my brothers and my people.  I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark…”  He then laid out his dream and vision.  In chapter 29 he leads the people to give willingly to fund the new temple.  The offering that was given in chapter 29 was a result of a vision David had in his heart and communicated in chapter 28.

Nehemiah is another example of someone that God placed a burden in his heart.  In chapter one after he hears of the disgrace of the broken walls of Jerusalem he, “mourned and fasted and prayed before God.”  In chapter two he is given permission and aide from the King to rebuild the walls.  He begins by inspecting the walls.  Nehemiah 2:12 says, “I set out during the night with a few men.  I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.”  What was in his heart ultimately led to the walls being rebuilt in fifty two days!

What is in your heart?  What do you get excited about when you dream about the future of your church or ministry?  What keeps you up at night?  Those are the things that are the basis for your vision.  Start there.   Show people what is in your heart not some catchy phrase or acrostic.  People respond to vision.   Money follows vision!

The Three C’s of Vision

While I am not a huge fan of catchy vision statements I do readily admit that how you communicate your vision is crucial.  Down through the years I have counseled on what I call the three C’s of vision.  Evaluate your vision on the basis of these three C’s.

Make it Clear – Above all else do your members clearly understand what it is you are attempting to do?

Keep it Concise –  Donors have basically two questions, does this make sense and can you pull it off?  Answer those questions and you will get their dollars.  Remember the old KISS acrostic?  It stands for Keep It Simple Somehow.  KISS is a good advice for communicating your vision.

Cast it Compellingly – The most important thing of all is to make your vision matter in the hearts of your members.  You have to realize that they have multiple opportunities of where to spend their money including other ministries that are after their charitable gift.  A compelling vision that motivates the heart will even in the worst of economic times cause dollars to come to your ministry.  Show your donors how their gift will make a difference and they will rise up to support it financially.  Fail to communicate your vision in a compelling and passionate way and you will struggle through this economically challenging time.

So, how is your vision?

Mark Brooks- The Stewardship Coach

Founder and President, The Charis Group and Charis Giving Solutions