Episode 203 - Five Types of Vision That Don't Make Disciples and One That Will

The episode begins with the hosts, Jeremy and Vic, catching up after some time apart. Jeremy shares about his recent travels working with Global Methodist churches, highlighting the growth of the reawakening initiative, which has now activated over 200 churches in less than three years. The conversation sets the stage by emphasizing the importance of leadership, vision, and strategic movement in church growth and disciple making.

The main topic of the episode revolves around how to lead a church movement effectively. The hosts introduce the 'movement-ready framework' which includes three critical components: spiritual renewal, disciple making culture, and organizational clarity. Jeremy emphasizes that without organizational clarity, even passionate efforts and spiritual renewal will stall. The discussion underscores the need for clarity in telling the church’s story and activating growth.

Jeremy discusses five common vision failures that prevent churches from multiplying disciples. These are solo vision, spectator vision, scattered vision, silo vision, and stolen vision. Each type represents a different misconception or misapplication of vision—ranging from individual-centric, unshared, disorganized, divisive, or imported ideas—that hinder a church’s ability to be effective in disciple making. He explains how these visions create barriers to growth and shared ownership.

The hosts introduce the 'Vision Plan' as a practical tool for organizational clarity. It consists of three levels: motivation (why we do what we do), method (how we do it), and map (where we are headed). Jeremy shares how starting with a clear motivation that aligns with biblical foundations (such as Matthew 28 and Acts 1) helps churches develop cohesive and multiplying visions. The approach encourages clarity and focus across all church leadership levels.

The conversation emphasizes the importance of controlling the vision's core components—motivations, methods, and goals—tailored to the size and capacity of the church. Jeremy and Vic discuss how churches often focus too much on methods and maps, neglecting motivation, which leads to burnout and demotivation. The episode concludes with encouragement to use tools like the 'vision assessment' to diagnose one’s church and to look forward to future episodes that will explore developing mission statements and other foundational elements.