What I mean by saying they can be too linear is that sometimes they sound like this: We do A to achieve B in order that C will happen. e.g. we reach people, to restore people and then we release people to reach people... and on it goes.
The classic Australian youth ministry model is a bit like this, we bring them in, build them up and send them out.
My feeling is that in reality sometimes B happens then A and C happen together or any number of other possibilities, not to mention those unforeseen ones. That is sometimes we bring them in and send them out at the same time and then build them up later or whatever might happen.
I've never quite figured out how to work out a statement that is fluid enough and complex enough to better reflect the realities of life, yet is simple enough to encapsulate what your organisation or ministry is trying to do.
When I was studying public policy we talked about normative and descriptive policy making descriptions or theories. That is someone would say public policy is made like this, first A happens then B then C. This was usually called a normative theory because it didn't really reflect reality, but rather what should happen in an ideal world. Others would have more complex descriptive models which tried to describe what actually happened in every day life.
I believe our vision statements have to be normative, in that they describe what our organisation should be like, but that they should be robust enough and big enough to also be somewhat descriptive, in that they describe or represent the realities of life and ministry.
I'm thinking out loud here...
Does anyone else feel my uneasiness? Or even understand what I'm trying to say here?
I'm with you, Chris. I would probably be OK, though, with descriptive vision or mission statements. Sometimes we go on as if we know exactly what God wants us to do but you and I both know that this is only kind of true. We know that God wants his Kingdom to be spread (like yeast through dough). We know the Great Commission and the Great Commandments. But really where we find God working is often surprising and usually has little to do, at least for me, with the direction I set out in.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we have vision statements that reflect that ambiguity? The Spirit kind of does what the Spirit wants and, when we're lucky, we notice and join in.
"We exist to seek the heart of Jesus, to be transformed by His love and into His Kingdom, and to invite others to do the same."
Hey Joey
ReplyDeleteI think that we probably need something that is less about identifying us by what we do but by who we are. Having said that, who we are is determined in some part by what we do. So it needs have a bit of both. Kinda like your last statement in your comment.
I remember a wise former boss of ours telling me that visions had to paint pictures of what the community would be like. I guess I'm trying to work out how to be abstract but not so much that it's too open for confusion or something...