6. Communicate the vision and plan every way you possibly can to your key leaders and staff! This is where you take what you’ve done so far and give it away. Casting vision is hard work and cannot be accomplished with just one method or part time. Speak it, put it in a brochure, make banners, and show pictures that explain it. Use video, interviews, and take every opportunity to communicate and explain your vision as well as your plan. This includes meetings! Spend time with the level of leaders directly under you and help them make your vision their own. This is an important step because they will impart your vision to others and you will not be alone in the vision casting process. This is something you must develop as a life habit and must become a part of your life-style. Read More »
6. Communicate the vision and plan every way you possibly can to your key leaders and staff! This is where you take what you’ve done so far and give it away. Casting vision is hard work and cannot be accomplished with just one method or part time. Speak it, put it in a brochure, make banners, and show pictures that explain it. Use video, interviews, and take every opportunity to communicate and explain your vision as well as your plan. This includes meetings! Spend time with the level of leaders directly under you and help them make your vision their own. This is an important step because they will impart your vision to others and you will not be alone in the vision casting process. This is something you must develop as a life habit and must become a part of your life-style.
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4. Create a plan to bring your vision to pass. Planning must always go before action. You’ve started with the end now go to the beginning. Determine exactly where you are. Now begin to think in small manageable steps or short-term goals. Focus on each step in the process being careful not to move too quickly or to skip a step. Read More »
4. Create a plan to bring your vision to pass. Planning must always go before action. You’ve started with the end now go to the beginning. Determine exactly where you are. Now begin to think in small manageable steps or short-term goals. Focus on each step in the process being careful not to move too quickly or to skip a step.
3. Simplify it. That verse in Habakkuk not only tells me to write the vision down but to also make it plain. I try to put it into a single sentence if possible. Read More »
3. Simplify it. That verse in Habakkuk not only tells me to write the vision down but to also make it plain. I try to put it into a single sentence if possible.
So how do you successfully cast your vision in a way that others grasp it and own it? I’m glad you asked, let’s look at seven steps. 1. Start with discovering your vision. Pray, dream and hear from God firsthand what he wants for the children’s ministry you lead. I love to be still before the Lord and imagine the possibilities and His desires for my ministry. Ask and you shall find. When I draw close to Him, He always draws close to me. Ask him for a picture of the end result. Read More »
So how do you successfully cast your vision in a way that others grasp it and own it? I’m glad you asked, let’s look at seven steps.
1. Start with discovering your vision. Pray, dream and hear from God firsthand what he wants for the children’s ministry you lead. I love to be still before the Lord and imagine the possibilities and His desires for my ministry. Ask and you shall find. When I draw close to Him, He always draws close to me. Ask him for a picture of the end result.
You’ve heard me say this over and over again. “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time!” I believe you’ll never see your dreams and vision come to pass without a clear understand of where you are going, why you want to go there and how are you to get there. Vision is important. Every Christian leader knows by heart “Where there s no vision people perish.” I like to say it this way, “Where there is vision people flourish. I think in every list I have ever come up with in one of my leadership club lessons it’s started with… “Start with your vision.” Read More »
You’ve heard me say this over and over again. “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time!” I believe you’ll never see your dreams and vision come to pass without a clear understand of where you are going, why you want to go there and how are you to get there.
Vision is important. Every Christian leader knows by heart “Where there s no vision people perish.” I like to say it this way, “Where there is vision people flourish. I think in every list I have ever come up with in one of my leadership club lessons it’s started with… “Start with your vision.”
10. Get a leadership coach or hire a consultant to hold you accountable and to make you learn. A view from another perspective can give you a huge advantage. If you interested in coaching be sure and checkout infuse at www.jimwideman.com/infuse.html Read More »
8. Network, surround yourself with peers you respect. Identify the ministry models available and find out what they are presently thinking now. Just because you heard them once doesn’t mean you know what they are thinking and saying today. I want to know what any other person who has my position is doing and why. Some time know what not to do is just as important as knowing what to do. Always be on the lookout to find others who will discuss with you what they are learning. Seek to understand different thinking than your own.Be a fly on the wall and listen to others as they discuss and network. A few years ago I had the opportunity to have dinner with Sue Miller and Craig Jutilia. It was a wonderful time of learning and growing for me. As we were discussing our ministries I was so proud of all the other children’s pastors who attend that event that had pulled up a chair and were just listening and learning as well. Read More »
6. Visit other churches. I love to tour churches where ever I go and when I do I take lots of pictures. There are several churches I’ve visited more than once and every time I’ve gone I’ve pick up different ideas. I love to visit churches with multiple locations and see what changes they made when they had a chance to redo their children’s space. It’s very eye opening to see what others do firsthand. Get outside your church and take a road trip to visit churches with creative and unique children’s ministries and see what you can learn. Read More »
6. Visit other churches. I love to tour churches where ever I go and when I do I take lots of pictures. There are several churches I’ve visited more than once and every time I’ve gone I’ve pick up different ideas. I love to visit churches with multiple locations and see what changes they made when they had a chance to redo their children’s space. It’s very eye opening to see what others do firsthand. Get outside your church and take a road trip to visit churches with creative and unique children’s ministries and see what you can learn.
4. Develop a relationship with people you esteem. Years ago when I started in ministry, finding other children’s pastors was not an easy task. There weren’t many of us out there, when I heard of another I gave them a call. I f I read an article that intrigues me I contact them. I still email and call children’s pastors and introduce myself and try to develop a relationship with those I want to know. When I see a hunger in other children’s pastors it gets my attention and causes me to draw close to them. Watch out for relationships that don’t sharpen you. I am so thankful for the friendships I have both new and old that God uses to cause me to keep thinking and growing. Read More »
2. Listen to teaching. We live in a wonderful time. There are so many teachings available to us from mp3’s, podcasts and CD. A great habit to cause you to learn is to regularly feed on information. I love my iphone because I can keep teachings with me at all times. (For over 14 years now I have been producing audio leadership teachings for children’s ministers through the children’s ministers’ leadership club. I make these available free of charge for leaders under 30 for those over 30 they can be purchased through a low annual membership which allows me to give the teaching away to young leaders. For more information go to http://www.jimwideman.com/the-club.html Another plus about listening to teaching is I find myself re-listening to teachings more than re-reading which seems to help me process and learn the audio information faster. Read More »