Vision Raising

Last night at council I introduced the idea of Vision Raising and gave credit to my friend, Wendy Berthelsen who wrote

God is not calling just pastors, missionaries and professional church workers. God is calling EVERYONE and, more importantly, God is calling YOU! God has custom designed you for your call, and your unique call will form and shape your life -- your work, family, church, neighborhood, community and world.

Vision Raising is a way of helping individual Christian believers use their time and energy in ways that are effective and joyful. I'm thinking about preaching on the concept of "Call" and then, soon after, have three vision raising events, one focused on Discipleship (making disciples and living as disciples of Jesus), the second on Outreach (world & local) and a third on Leadership & Support (to help give success to the activities, projects and events that people are called to do).
At each vision raising event we will gather for scriptural teaching on the designated focus, prayers, an offering of ideas (such as in a brainstorming session) and finally, the asking of an important question "How would you like to be involved in making one or more of these ideas a reality." Those attending the event would then indicate their own specific desires and those desires would then be recorded. Some people will want to continue in the ways they are currently involved. Others will want to switch to another existing activity or to something new.

At a vision raising event (quoting Wendy's book The Custom Designed Church):

What is done or not done is based upon people's calls and desire to make something happen. It is critical that no pressure be applied for people to do something. If no one feels inspired to do a certain thing, then an idea is dropped and not pursued now. If one idea becomes a real vision, then the process has been a success.

Please bring questions or comments about this plan to my attention.

Thanks!

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As of September 22, you can begin participating in Vision Raising. Please read Made for Work and follow the links.