Vision means...to progress

If the church doesn't move forward it gets left behind
Water that isn't moving loses its freshness and becomes stale. In the same way, if the church is not moving then it gets into a rut.
Many churches from the Welsh Revival are now redundant, empty, converted into homes etc. What works today may not necessarily work in a year's time.
We need to be in tune not only with the Holy Spirit but also with the changing society around us.
Don't be frightened of change, unless we do we will die spiritually.
We can't live on past blessings. Be a pioneer not a settler.

Change has to be implemented sensitively
Q. How many Baptists (insert group of your choice!) to change a light bulb? A. Change!
There is an-built comfort zone in all of us and we need to take that into account. That's why vision isn't about turning things upside down for the sake of it, but rather considering situations carefully.
Natural growth is hardly noticeable. You see your children every day and you don't see growth, but those who haven't seen them for a couple of years often comment on how they have come on. That's the sort of development we want in church.

We should avoid change for the sake of it
Sometimes football teams, as the transfer window approaches, buy players that they wouldn't necessarily go for under normal circumstances. Panic buying.
In fact some things don't change. a) The message we preach. b) Our attitude to Scripture as God's Word. c) Our commitment to meet together etc.
Having vision and being progressive doesn't mean that we are doing something new all the while. Sometimes we have to be improving what we are already doing.

Stewart Bloor

www.sicm.org