What they are really saying is…

“We want more of the same thing the same way.”

Or to spell it out a little more…

“We want more of the same thing (people in attendance) the same way (with our existing worship and program offerings).”

Let’s unpack what this means even further. When a leader tells me that they want more people, they are usually NOT saying two things.

First they are typically NOT asking for a different result. The result they were looking for yesterday was more attendance. The result they are looking for today is more attendance. And without intervention, the result they will be looking for tomorrow is more attendance. That’s the first way the hidden default switch works. We don’t naturally look for fundamentally new, different or better results, but more of the same of what we commonly measure.

Second the leader is typically NOT asking for a different strategy or revised ministry model. They already have worship offerings and some arrangement of additional classes, groups and events. The second way the hidden default switch works is by reinforcing the assumption that the same results will come in the same way. That is, the leader is not really exploring or imagining a fundamentally new or different or better model.

So the hidden vision switch reveals two default mindsets in most conversations about church vision:

Default Mindset #1: More attendance is our primary desired result.

Default Mindset #2: Our ministry model doesn’t need to change.

So what’s at stake for you?

KEEP READING (part 3 of 3)

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