I. Speak about the vision with passion
1. Who will follow a person who doesn’t resonate with intensity?
2. Dispassionate people may have “bowel movements,” but not “people movements.”
II. Make the vision plain (Habakkuk 2:2)
1. Growing churches are the “simple” ones; stagnant churches are those filled with a lot of programs, agendas, and meetings. (Read Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples by Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger.)
III. Make the vision practical
1. People aren’t stupid; if the vision isn’t accompanied by practical step-by-step goals and a budget; mature people will not follow.
IV. Present it as a corporate vision
1. Practically show how you need a team of people and/or a congregation of people to fulfill the vision.
2. Practically show what part people in the church or organization must play in order to see the vision come to pass.
3. Make room for the giftings of those around you to fulfill the vision.
4. Allow your leaders and congregation to give you their input.
V. Share the vision first with your inner circle or main influencers
1. The more of a leadership mantle or influence a person has, the more you have to flesh out your ideas with them in private before going public. So many pastors and CEOs make a mistake in this area because they make major decisions by themselves and then wonder why they lose core leadership.
VI. Annually and honestly assess the progress of your vision
1. Do this first with your inner circle, maybe by going away on an annual retreat, or setting aside a half a day every six months.
2. Then, do this with the whole congregation. People are encouraged by progress and discouraged by inactivity or mere talk.
VII. Consistently bathe the vision in corporate prayer so God can breathe life into it
1. Do this first and foremost (and frequently) with your top leaders.
2. Do this consistently with the congregation or organization as a whole.
VIII. Be consumed with your vision as part of your identity
1. Be like Abraham, who had his name changed as a constant reminder of the vision.
2. Those who compartmentalize and only think of the vision on Sunday morning or during organizational meetings will never see it come to pass.
IX. Get people to fund the vision
1. Those who invest in the vision are committed to the vision.
X. Hold people accountable to the vision
1. Every department or ministry of your church or organization should continually point to the general vision of the church or organization, or else you will have multiple agendas and visions within your vision, which is division.
2. Continually tweak every department to ensure the leaders and teams understand both the vision and the goals of the vision.
3. Make sure every individual leader is focused on and prioritizing the vision.
