Step 1. Refine Your Vision/Dream/Goal
Every church needs a clear vision for disciple-making. Your vision needs to be articulated and shared.
What’s your vision/dream/goal for making disciples in your church?
God gives us His vision as we spend time with Him and His Word. Wise leaders plan times to be alone with the Lord. When was the last time you had your own personal retreat where God spoke to you about His vision for your life and your church, a time where you caught a glimpse of the future?
George Barna’s definition of vision in his book, The Power of Vision says, “A clear mental image of a preferable future, imparted by God to His chosen servants…based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances.”
Step 2. Develop a Plan
A plan is a strategic set of action steps that can turn a vision into reality. Imagine a stair case going up to the next room. Each step represents an action taken to move your church forward toward your goal.
A great question to ask is, “What is our next step?” You can’t take steps two, three, or four without taking the first one. One law of physics states that things in motion tend to stay in motion and things at rest tend to stay at rest. The first step usually takes the most energy to get a church moving in making disciples.
Remember that a strategic plan links and connects vision and reality and serves as a road map to get you to where your vision says you should be.
“A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” (Harvey Mackay)
Step 3. Implement your plan
Now start implementing your action steps.
“VISION is not enough; it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps. We must step up the stairs.” – Vaclav Havel
The Bible says… “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.” (Eccl 11:4) NIV
The NLT translation reads like this, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”
Don’t wait for perfect conditions before starting your discipleship strategy because that will never happen. Prepare to do your best but by all means…start!
Step 4. Evaluate & redirect
After a period of time evaluate how things are going and what can be improved in your strategy.
Did it live up to our expectations? Were the right people involved?
Was it planned thoroughly? Were the plans carried out correctly? Were people’s lives changed?
What could or should we have done differently?
Of these four steps, which one are you presently on as you seek to obey Christ and “make disciples.”
Keep the Son in your eyes,
Mike James
I think that it was important Peter deneid Jesus not only once but three times. This failure drove Peter’s passion to spread the word of Jesus. Without the failure and I am not sure if Peter would have succeeded. I often have same issues, when I fail or let someone down, my drive is much greater to make it right.