Need versus Vision

We hear it all the time in church...we NEED people to serve; we NEED people to lead; we NEED money to do this or that - and the list goes on and on.
It's not that the need isn't real. It is, or we wouldn't be asking, right?

But I was reminded recently about the importance of a clear, concise and passionate vision in leading in the ministry.

Someone once said, "People don't respond to a need - they respond to a vision." Perhaps what we should be saying to people is we have an opportunity instead of a need.

In ministry, we will always be looking for ways to get people involved in service to God. And I'm just as guilty as the next person. I've used the 'need' word a lot more than I really should have. But I've never really thought much about it until now. And if your church is growing, even the littlest bit, you'll have opportunity for people to get connected to serving God somewhere.

Ah, but when there's a vision connected to the opportunity, there's a spark. I've recently been using this approach in getting folks to step into places of service, be it small or large - and it has an amazing impact on the response.

We are in the process of building the budget for the next ministry year. An 'update' to the look, flow and functionality of this 'form' was long overdue, so I cast a little vision to some people who have experience with this kind of thing. Nothing fancy. A goal, how to get there, what it needed to do and how to get it done. A unanimous yes from all four people, and with some excitement and joy! WOW!!! We begin the work this next week and it will be a blast!

Here's the deal: I had a vision, a plan that I shared, in detail, with people who had the skills that were necessary to fulfill that vision. Genius? No. Listening to God for the wisdom and vision and then acting on it - yes.

That's how we need to daily lead our teams. Clear vision, clear objectives, clear outcomes - all bathed in prayer. How else will we know it's God's leading, right?

Do you have a vision for the ministry you've been called to lead? Do people on your team know what it is? Are they working toward that? Are there people in your church with skills, abilities and gifts that are just 'begging' to be matched to a vision?

Step back. Change the perception of need to opportunity. Match the people to the opp' and see what God does. And be ready to have your socks blown off!!!!!