In the culture of local church leadership, too many leaders have an understanding of vision casting as a thought or a series of thoughts communicated in the pulpit with inspiration and persuasion. When a Pastor or leader is engaged in vision casting, other leaders and members of the congregation are not able to get their arms around the vision due to communication that resembles a scrambled communiqué! A vision is more than a thought of great and exciting ideas communicated with Kingdom advancement and church growth in mind. With that in mind, it is a strategic workable plan that has a focused direction with an end in view that can be measured with verifiable results. It is a strategy that has been discussed, ideas exchanged and documented in writing. Also, people are in place to take the church or organization to the end result. It is a strategic plan that has people (leadership) in place along with his/her clearly defined role. Not only are the roles clear, but expectations are understood from both the leadership and volunteer. It is more than a thought dangling out in space that can drift in whatever way the wind is blowing.

Note, if one cannot get his/her arms around it, it’s not a workable vision with an end result in view. On the other hand, when the leaders and volunteers are fully engaged with the vision of the house, they can see clearly what the church will look like in three to five years. This engagement is due to the “strategic workable plan” that has a focused direction with an end in view where verifiable results can be measured.

Pastor and Casting Vision

Pastor says, “The vision burns in my heart and I want it to burn in your heart.”

Make the vision clear, crisp, and compelling!

Pastor as a Skilled Painter

A vision gives “focus to energy”.

It is imperative for the leaders to get their arms around the project.

“This is a “defining moment” in our church, in our staff and leadership’s life and in your family.”

As vision caster, the pastor is encouraged to give the congregation a picture of what the church will look like in 2 to 3 years from now.

Remember, a vision is a mental picture of what tomorrow could look like.

Leaders inspire a shared vision. They envision the future, and they enlist others in a common vision.

As Senior Pastor, imagine or pretend you are a professional artist with a paint brush in hand and you are sitting on a stool in front of a blank canvas about to paint what the church will look like in the next 2 to 3 years. Remember, you envision the future! As your mental picture of what tomorrow could look like is transferred to the canvas, it could be the very thing that causes a single mom with two children to drive her stakes down in your community of faith. Why, she feels it is a safe place and she zeroed in on the canvas and located where her two children fit in this community. In like manner, the senior couple in their 70’s is gazing back and forth across the canvas to see where they fit in this ministry. Is there a place for the single adult? What about the couple who is raising a teenage daughter? They didn’t have a daughter to practice on earlier in their marriage. Does the youth ministry occupy a large amount of space on the canvas? There are many constituencies in the church. Each one views the vision in a different perspective. The vision must be constructed and communicated to each group in order for each constituency to discover what the vision means to them. In other words, the vision must be communicated to numerous constituencies, many times and in many ways. It is imperative for each group to see where they are on the canvas which represents the church’s future. After all, it is their future! Make it plain!

Pastor and Casting Vision

Through out three plus decades of full time ministry, I have found it to be imperative for the Pastor to say, “This vision burns in my heart and I want it to burn in your heart.” If the Senior Pastor does not cast vision with this flame that burns for the future many times, in many different ways and to the various constituencies in the church, the vision will not get heart deep in the leadership and congregation. This presents the questions that many senior pastors have avoided, yet in reality want coaching and direction. What does vision casting look like? When should I cast vision? How often should I cast vision? Should I cast vision during the worship service or in small group settings? Is it ok to cast vision during the pastoral message? How do I train and equip the pastoral staff and key influencers to carry the vision to each one’s sphere of influence?

From a vision perspective, it is vitally important for the entire church to be cognizant of the indisputable fact, “This vision is about a “defining moment” in our church, in our staff and leadership’s life and in your family.”

As vision caster, give them a picture of what the church will look like in 2 to 3 years from now.

Remember, a vision is a mental picture of what tomorrow could look like.

A vision gives focus to energy.

Leaders inspire a shared vision. They envision the future, and they enlist others in a common vision.

It is imperative for the leaders to get their hands around the project.

The Big Picture of Vision Casting

In over thirty-five years of full-time ministry, I have heard and preached about the “Big Picture” in local church ministry including missionary and evangelistic outreach ministries. It sounds awesome and spiritual! After all, many of us have preached that Jesus was a “Big Thinker” with a “World Vision”. Yes, we were right then and we are right today. However, the difference in His model of connecting and many of today’s vision casters, “Jesus presented His vision in a manner in which His disciples could get their arms around what He was articulating. Along with His vision casting, it was accompanied with the impartation of His wisdom, knowledge and life experience. He spent time with His disciples building relational bridges by listening and affirming each one’s value”. This took place in small group settings, known as informal as well as in large crowds, known as more of a formal setting in ministry.

In following Jesus’ teaching in my personal devotion as well as years spent working on and completing my Masters of Divinity and my Doctorate of Ministry Degree, I was fully cognizant of the fact that Jesus did not talk about vision in terms of thoughts or in a series of ideas regarding the Kingdom being advanced through out the earth. As stated earlier in this work;