Ripe for Harvest

98 • R IPE FOR H ARVEST

Seeing the Big Picture: Defining Values/Vision Team Exercise

I. What are values? A. Issues that drive the formation of the church B. Things most important to invest time and energy in C. Convictions, assumptions, expectations II. Why are they important? A. Clarify, test assumptions (Abilene Paradox). B. Raise issues of expectations.

C. If not on the same page, will have tearing effect on the team D. The more successful the launch, the longer it takes for differing values to surface E. Later, a second round of testing the values/expectations likely (“I thought we said . . .”)

III. How many should you have? 3-5; otherwise they cease being values, lose their impact, and become methods.

IV. What do I do with them once they are done? A. Keep in forefront of discussions. B. Use to deal with conflict (stay on the big picture). C. Develop vision statement from them.

V. Vision statements A. Who, what, when, where, and how B. Customized, detailed, distinctive

C. Distinguishes you from others who are doing the same thing D. Identifies the target audience (e.g., ethnicity, geographic, economic, personality) E. Emphasizes aggressive, futuristic action F. Quantitative G. Should not change after a year or two H. Has a focused “main thing” (planting a church) I. Limited to 2-3 sentences J. Has longer than two-year horizon

Context Values/Vision Prepare Launch Assemble Nurture Transition Schedule/Charter