Years ago, my grandmother gave me some advice I never have forgotten. Among her bits of wisdom was the simple platitude, “Make sure you have goals in your life; otherwise, you will never arrive where you want to go.” I’ve thought about those words many times since and have found them to be true in every facet of my life, including ministry. Goals are important, as is vision. Without a vision of where we want our ministries to go, we can’t get there.
Vision is the willingness and the ability to articulate the goals for which we are striving. Vision is about outcomes and the big picture. Vision is important in youth ministry and serves as a road map for the future.
Consider your ministry this week and the goals you and your team are striving to reach. What are your goals? What are the steps that need to be taken? Who, what, when, where and how? These ideas will shape your vision and put action into your steps. The vision you shape for your ministry hopefully will be larger than yourself. It likely will involve a host of other people and resources needed to help you accomplish the ultimate goals. The larger the vision, the more dynamic and expansive your steps and goals will need to be.
Many times, our ministries flounder—or they plateau, stagnate and become self-serving—because we don’t have a vision for the new thing, the next thing. Keep the vision before your ministry team. Write it down, carry it with you; and then move forward month-by-month, year-by-year to achieve your goals. Remember: God’s wisdom and strength is always behind you. This is not about you but about the movement and shape God will give to your ministry.
