Vision Casting

Wineskins Contributor・01/09/20

Vision: “The goals that an organization would like to achieve oraccomplish in the future.” Vision is intended to serve as a clear guide forboth current and future courses of action. 

A vision’s effectiveness, whether good or bad, depends on how itis brought together and executed. It is almost, if not completely, impossiblefor one person to cast a vision for a group. Above all, it must be under therule of God!  

A vision generalized on the front end can become very specific asit develops. Several years ago I attended a workshop on evangelism in Florence,AL. During one of the sessions Marvin Phillips, a minister from Tulsa,OK,  together with his elders publicly asked God for a vision. Theyprayed, “God, please do a work through us that is bigger than we are!” GarnettRoad Church of Christ, where Marvin preached, numbered 125 in attendance at thetime. They subsequently grew to over 1500 souls over the next couple ofdecades. A serendipity of their vision was the beginning of the annual TulsaSoul-Winning Workshop which numbered 10,000 at peak attendance.  Theirvision lined up with God’s vision to “seek and save the lost.”

Some years earlier, I served with a church in the Midwest withmany opportunities to share Jesus but only limited resources. After praying forGod’s direction, the congregation  considered possible ways to share theirresources. By congregational vote, each possibility was prioritized; thosereceiving the most votes were funded to the best of the church’s ability. Thisresulted in unified support in the church family, and a budget that wasexceeded for the first time in years. The congregation grew from 180 inattendance to over 300 in two years with 100 baptisms per year. 

The rural congregation I now worship with had dwindled to lessthan 50 people in early 2000. They considered shutting the doors and scatteringto other congregations.  In the words of one of the members, Dr KarenJones, “We had gotten so legalistic that it made everybody sick. We believedour friends were going to hell, but we were not doing anything about it.” (Atwo-page article on this church is in the August, 2007, ChristianChronicle.)  The members decided they could either shut the church doorsor do something to free themselves from the cold, hard legalism binding them.

A vision was cast! They committed to focus on the hurting, thedisenfranchised, the unchurched! Dr. Lou Butterfield, the lead evangelist atthe time, decided to emphasize serving others in his sermons. Several womenapproached the church leaders about beginning a Sunday night class on relevanttopics such as sex, marriage, drugs,and debt management. They wanted thesesessions to be led in a non-threatening, non-judgmental manner that might leadfolks to inquire about the organizers’ faith. They met in a near-by CommunityCenter building rather than the church building.  That number soon grew towell over 100 each Sunday night.

To further fulfill their vision the church made summer camp forchildren a priority.  “Any child who lives in our county can go to summercamp for free!” That action became the leading evangelistic tool for a time.One summer they invested $24,000 in these children. Entire families embracedChrist as a result of the summer camp experience.

Because these Christians saw the need to try and combat therampant drug problem, they began to pray that God would grant them wisdom andguidance in addressing it.  A recovering addict, Shane Goings, started theJackson County Recovery ministry at the church in 2006. Four years later Godused Shane to start Anchor Pointe Recovery Center, a 501-c-3 rehab. It wasrecorded as a non-profit in 2011 (27-1404321). In 2013 Shane left and AnchorPointe Recovery resumed as the John 3:17 Ministry for Women. This year-longdiscipleship program has graduated over 100 women and has 45 ladies inresidence today. 

Psalm 118:5 is stenciled on the front wall of the worship centerfor all to see: “In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by settingme free.”

Across the auditorium is another sign that states, “OUR MISSION:To nurture and equip the saved while reaching the lost, as we honor God, shareJesus and are led by the Holy Spirit.”