“What do you want to do today?”
“I don’t know, what do you want to do today?”
“I don’t know.”
(repeat)
This may sound like a familiar conversation, but it’s an example of what happens when there is no vision.
Vision determines where we want to go and what we want to do (Habakkuk 2:2).
Once you decide that, then it’s a matter of getting there, which is what we call “strategy.”
If you lead men’s ministry, casting vision is your primary job. Not setting up chairs, or picking the Bible study, or texting the guys to find out why they didn’t show up last night.
It’s casting vision.
Why is casting vision so important?
1. Casting vision gives us something to dream about.
Think about this: “What if every man in our church loved Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength?” (Mark 12:30).
That’s a vision that causes you to dream!
We begin to think about the actual men in our church and what it would mean for them to live out their lives in this way. The dream starts to evoke emotion, and that inspires passion, and that inspires ideas, and that inspires action. Vision moves and conscripts people to buy into something bigger than themselves.
2. Casting vision keeps us moving forward when we inevitably get stuck.
Getting stuck at times is a forgone conclusion. Everyone gets stuck. Every ministry plateaus. It’s often because there are so many possible things we can do, and we get sidetracked. Strategies can run their course, and what worked three years ago may not work today. Months and years go by, and we’re doing the same thing over and over again.
Vision will pull us out of this cycle and put us back on a course toward forward momentum. Vision transcends styles and methods and keeps us focused on the big picture for the long haul.
3. Casting vision helps get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus.
The reality is that not everyone wants to go where the leader is going. Once you set a direction, you’ll find that some good people will no longer go with you. This is why leaders often fail to set a clear vision; they know they’ll lose some people. So, they work hard to appease everyone.
But vision doesn’t appease everyone. It calls people to lay down their preferences for the sake of the vision. Casting a clear vision will pull people in who align with the direction. They will see where you want to go and contribute to that work.
4. Casting vision changes lives.
Nothing incredible has ever been accomplished without a vision first being set. Olympic athletes envision the gold medal. Business owners envision the end results. Authors see the whole book before the first word is written.
If you want to change the lives of men and their families, you need to cast vision. Don’t just run a program. Don’t just lead a Bible study. Cast vision that will transform the lives of the men in your church.
I like to use the term “CEO” – “Chief Envisioning Officer.” If you don’t cast a vision for what a life in Christ could look like, who will? If you don’t envision hundreds of guys coming to know Jesus in your community, who will? If your vision is just “show up and lead a Bible study on Wednesday,” then you’re missing out on the joy of the transformative work that happens when someone begins to buy into the vision alongside you.
Suddenly, your vision becomes their vision, and on and on it goes.
Transformation starts with a picture of what could be, fueled by a passion that it should be. The rest is history.
So—what is the vision for your men’s ministry?
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