Are you praying for clarity of God’s direction for you Church? Have you began to search out how to do God’s will among your congregation and community? Or, are you winging it from week to week and month to month?
Every year in November, I have led a church-wide gathering we call a vision meeting. We pray and begin to discuss some goals and plans for the upcoming calendar year. We focus on sharing a vision and then moving on toward strategy. It helps me see gaps in our ministry and provides direction for what burdens God is laying on people hearts and minds.
To give some Scriptural background to praying and planning ahead, take a look at these Scriptures. If these are not enough, then a quick walk through the first few chapters of Nehemiah will highlight the importance of praying, planning, implementation, review, and reinforcement.
“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” Psalm 143:8
“Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Prov. 15:22
“Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Prov. 16:3
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Prov. 16:9
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Luke 14:28
In our vision meeting, we begin with prayer. I then present some items to give praise to God as we reflect over the past year. There are some calendar items that we carry over each year and major holidays. We share those dates and confirm timing. I then present some of the vision I feel God giving that we need to take seriously. Finally, we discuss and open the floor for others to share burdens for ministry, ideas, and ways to strengthen the church. It is an informal meeting. The biggest thing I see is it gets people on the same page, involved, and helps me see how God is working in people’s lives. The following sheet is used to guide the discussion. Black text is what I prepared and red text is what others brought up.
This year i brought in a new page, a master event planner. With it, we can see how ministries are working together and have a balance focus on what’s happening. Amazingly, I can also see gaps in ministry areas that need attention. The goal is not to fill every box, but to have balance for a better holistic ministry.
The following files are available for you own use.
Jeremy Kamer Ministries 