There is a verse in Habakkuk 2 where God tells Habakkuk to write the vision down. His use of the word vision was along the lines of the word revelation. God was essentially telling Habakkuk the prophet to write down what he was showing him for the benefit of others. The phrase “write the vision down” was akin to Jesus turning to a disciple and saying; “write this down for the benefit of others.”
I asked Facebook friends recently what are their churches vision statements. Most were three-word phrases which outlined the specific intent and purpose of that particular church. Most were evangelical and were very general. All good, nice things and fit well into what the New Testament shows that a Christian is to be doing. Church leadership consultants have taught for several years recently that churches need to have simple to follow vision statements posted all over the place for the people to see and memorize so people know why they gather, or why that specific church exists. But I think this trend is very ill advised and is a sign most evangelicals even in leadership, actually have no idea why the church exists.
Three Reasons Churches Should NOT Have Vision Statements
1) A church is not a organization that is led by man. A church as designed by Jesus Christ, is a non-heirarchical flat community of believers that is led by Jesus himself through the Holy life-giving Spirit of God. He; is the only vision of a church. Expressing him, seeing him, declaring him, hearing him and proclaiming him. Unique and distinct vision statements blur that fact and makes the church something of the particular man or group in charge.
2) Vision statements help one man or one sub group within a church decide what the specific vision is for a specific community. One man dominating the vision for a group of Gods people causes them take the place of asserting their vison over God himself. One or a few men imposing and enforcing visions for the whole very often set up a law that the leaders judge others by, interpret God by, and judge themselves by.
3) Vision statements imply that the purpose of a church is up for debate, that it varies, is optional, or is not fixed. It implies that it is specific to what those people want or what those in charge want. This is just not how things are in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is fixed, it is established, its foundation is set in stone, Jesus Christ himself being that foundation’s cornerstone. The vision of the church, the ecclesia, the kingdom of God on earth is set, its not negotiable. The only thing that changes are the names, cultures and locations on the earth. Expressions of that ecclesia in each town are still to be just expressions of the ONE who they emerge from.
One church says their vision is to make friends, another church says their vision is the change the world, another to reach the lost. Another to teach using a specific type of bible study. Another to study the bible, another to get people saved.
The vision of the church is to live by the life of Jesus Christ in community with other Christians. All those details that we think are specific vision statements, particular to certain churches are things this community will naturally do if Jesus Christ is allowed to be Lord and king among his people. There is no need to major on any one of them becuase the Lord may lead that group into times and seasons where nothing on the vision statement is happening. So then what is the vision of the church? it is no more and no less than Jesus Christ, knowing him, living by him, expressing him, declaring him. Everything falls within this life of Jesus Christ.
