Vision + Values = Organizational Strength

Vision without a clearly established set of values will hinder an organization from achieving it’s maximum impact.  One of the key competencies we teach church planters at LAUNCH is “Evaluate your core values and integrate them into the DNA of your church”.  Church planters are some of the most optimistic, enthusiastic, visionary leaders on our planet.  I see it all the time, God captures a young energetic leader and burns a vision into his heart and he becomes virtually unstoppable.  But sometimes those very same leaders become discouraged or disillusioned when their God given vision doesn’t seem to be getting traction.

Leaders love to think, dream and inspire people to pursue a better future.  While this type of visioning is essential for organizational direction, if the leader doesn’t provide a clear set of values it may be difficult to achieve the desired outcomes. Having a clear vision doesn’t ensure the necessary behaviors to achieve that vision. That’s why the church planter must invest as enthusiastically in values as he does in the vision of his church.  Values are not cute “statements” that you post in the hallway of your office.  Values are the core behaviors that define the very fabric of who you are.  Values describe how you will behave on a day-to-day basis.  In fact, personally I’ve stopped using the word values and have substituted it with “core behaviors”.

You may have a great vision but if the people in your organization don’t operate according to a unified set of core behaviors you will find yourselves unable to move forward in an aligned and productive way.

What are the essential core behaviors (values) for your church?  How well are those demonstrated in the attitudes and actions of the leaders in your organization?  What adjustments need to be made to ensure that all leaders are living out those core behaviors?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mac Lake

Mac Lake

Mac is a pioneering influence in the church planting movement. In 1997, he planted Carolina Forest Community Church (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina). In 2004, he began serving as Leadership Development Pastor at Seacoast Church (Charleston, South Carolina) where he served for over six years. In July 2010, Mac Lake joined with West Ridge Church to become the Visionary Architect for the LAUNCH Network. In 2015 Mac begin working with Will Mancini and Auxano to develop the Leadership Pipeline process. He joined Auxano full time in 2018. Mac and his wife, Cindy, live in Charleston, South Carolina and have three children, Brandon, Jordan and Brianna.

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comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for this information. I'm going to use this article to improve my work with the Lord.
 
— Abel Singbeh
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you Ed for sharing your insights into the Church Growth Movement. I have my reservations with Church Growth models because it has done more damage than good in the Body of Christ. Over the years, western churches are more focused on results, formulas and processes with little or no emphasis on membership and church discipline. Pastors and vocational leaders are burnt out because they're overworked. I do believe that the Church Growth model is a catalyst to two destructive groups: The New Apostolic Reformation and the Emerging Church. Both groups overlap and have a very loose definition. They're both focus on contemporary worship, expansion of church brand (franchising), and mobilizing volunteering members as 'leaders' to grow their ministry. Little focus on biblical study, apologetics and genuine missional work with no agenda besides preaching of the gospel.
 
— Dave
 
comment_post_ID); ?> Thank you for sharing such a good article. It is a great lesson I learned from this article. I am one of the leaders in Emmanuel united church of Ethiopia (A denomination with more-than 780 local churches through out the country). I am preparing a presentation on succession planning for local church leaders. It will help me for preparation If you send me more resources and recommend me books to read on the topic. I hope we may collaborate in advancing leadership capacity of our church. God Bless You and Your Ministry.
 
— Argaw Alemu
 

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