3 Steps Towards a Refreshed Church Vision

“When the how of the vision trumps the why, you will find yourself in the maintenance phase.”

Over the last few years, you’ve probably heard us talk about the church lifecycle:

However, there is one phase that can be more complex than the others. It slips up on you, can be triggered by a variety of challenges, and is much more confusing than the other stages in the cycle:

The Maintenance Phase

Churches are often in this phase for months, and possibly years, before they are aware of it. They might have an established vision and mission, have strong leadership, strong giving and implemented strategies to support their ministry.

While everything looks healthy on the surface, there are some subtle characteristics that suggest a church could be entering the maintenance phase. One common indicator?

Stale vision.

Every church needs a vision. It is crucial for developing your ministry, making church decisions and deciding where you are headed next. As your church grows and changes, the vision also needs to be refreshed. When the how of the vision trumps the why, you will find yourself in the maintenance phase.

“When the how of the vision trumps the why, you will find yourself in the maintenance phase.”

Chances are that you have experienced this at some point between the launch of your church and now. But, the good news? Churches don’t have to live in the maintenance phase.

Yes—making changes is difficult, but with healthy leadership and a clear ministry strategy, you can lead your church back to health.

So, where do we start?

#1: Understand the difference between a mission and a vision.

A mission statement defines why the organization exists. The mission rarely changes throughout the existence of the church. A vision clarifies where the organization is going in the future. The vision should be refreshed every few years based on the direction of your ministry.

#2: Work with a team.

This needs to be a collaborative process with your leadership team. You want (and also need) your team to be on board with pursuing God’s vision for your church.

From there, engage other leaders within your church. While you need a small group of leaders to develop and refresh your vision, incorporating other leaders within your church will put everything into motion.  

#3: Be bold about your changes.

Something we often tell churches is that vision attracts and repels. Your vision may upset people, and may even cause some people to leave your church. However, it will cause others to buy-in to what you’re doing even more.

Uncomfortable change is often necessary for your church to become the church God designed it to be.

The maintenance season is tough. However, refreshing your vision will drive the necessary changes that need to be made to help revive your church and move back toward sustained health.