People in ministry leadership roles hear a lot about visioning, the process of discerning the God-given vision and their responsibility in constantly holding it before those with whom they work so it may be fulfilled. What makes it a challenge is finding the right combination of thinking forward and thinking backward. To properly respond to such questions, the leader must keep focused on that future picture, constantly communicating the vision in ways that help people understand it. Countless studies have shown that people will work longer and harder when they see themselves as a necessary part of something worthwhile. Part of our ability to reach our vision is to know where we are today, and today was born out of all our yesterdays.
Leaders have a challenge here, too.
They must understand the past with all its successes and its failures, yet not succumb to the temptation to live in that past. I believe many leaders fail to understand that what is treasured from the past is more about feelings and relationships than it is about form. Yet many get these two confused and think the form of a program or activity within the church must be forever perpetuated to maintain the feelings. People may be more willing to let go of a particular ministry or an activity if they know the good feelings engendered in that ministry will be present in something new. As I said earlier, visioning is not an easy task.