Here on this blog, I sometimes reference Will Mancini's Church Unique and Vision Frame. These are really helpful tools - in fact, my go-to tools - that guide church leaders in gaining and giving clarity.
Sometimes, leaders struggle a bit with understanding how the vision frame works. Other times, they struggle with how Biblical it might or might not be.
Below is an exercise designed to help you gain a better understanding of the vision frame and its Biblical nature.
Developing a Vision Frame for the Church on Crete
To help you understand the concept of
Vision Frame better, we want encourage you to play the role of the young New
Testament leader, Titus, leader of the 1st Century church on the
island of Crete.
You’ve just received a letter from your
mentor, Paul. It’s a relatively short epistle. But you feel the need to
summarize and synthesize the truths laid out in the letter. Someone has told
you about a tool called the Vision Frame. You’re thinking it would be a good
idea to use Paul’s letter to create a unique Vision Frame to help you stay
focused on God’s mission for the church of Crete.
Take some time to survey the letter Paul
wrote to Titus. As you read it, think about the various components of the Vision
Frame. Start crafting and jotting down succinct words and phrases that will
help to guide and focus your efforts as a church leader. You are going to
design a vision frame for the church of Crete.
(This is not a right or wrong/pass-fail
exercise. It’s simply a way to help you interact with the concepts connected to
the Vision Frame. After you develop your version of Titus’ Vision Frame, we’ll
give you a look at a “Church of Crete” vision frame put together by an Auxano
Lead Navigator.)
Remember that according to Mancini, the
basic elements of a vision frame consist of 1) a mission statement, 2) values,
3) strategy, and 4) measures (or marks/profile of a disciple).
·
Mission
is a “clear and concise statement that defines what the church is ultimately
supposed to be doing.”
·
Values
are “the shared convictions that guide the actions and reveal the strengths of
the church.”
·
Strategy
is “the process or picture that demonstrates how the church will accomplish its
mandate on the broadest level.”
·
Measures
are a set of attributes in an individual’s life that define or reflect the
accomplishment of a church’s mission.” (Church Unique by Will Mancini, pp. 120, 129, 137, 152.)
Another way to understand the frame is
think about "Joe." The mission is "what Joe does." The
values are "what Joe experiences." The strategy is "where
Joe goes." The measures are "who Joe becomes."
Mission:
Using Titus 2:11-13 and/or Titus 3:5-6 as
your guiding scriptures, craft a succinct and, hopefully, memorable statement
that you think summarizes the mission of the church on Crete. Make sure the
statement is not too long, too generic, or too technical. Write your statement
on the right side of the Vision Frame.
Values:
As you quickly scan the book of Titus,
what values do you see? Many values are mentioned in Paul’s letter to Titus.
You might want to consider Titus 1:5-9 and Titus 2:1-6 as passages that express
values. What are the top 4-6 strengths, passions, and convictions of the church
on Crete? Write these values on the left side of the Vision Frame.
Strategy:
Now that you are more familiar with the
letter to Titus, how would you describe the strategy of the church? If you
wanted to show a new person on Crete the way to grow spiritually what 3-5 steps
would you recommend? You might want to consider Titus 1:3, Titus 1:9, and Titus
2:7-8 as you develop steps or the rhythms you hope people will take to grow at
your church. Write the strategic steps on the bottom of the Vision Frame.
Measures:
Based on the overall letter to Titus, what
would a fully devoted disciple look like on Crete? What would be the top 4-6
characteristics or marks you would hope to see in someone who has gone through
the process of spiritual formation at the church of Crete? On Crete, what is
the profile of a disciple? Consider characteristics found in Titus 1;4, 1:9,
1:15, 2:14, 3:1, 3:7, 3:9-11 as you develop your marks of a disciple. Write the
measures on the top of the frame.
Naming the church:
Just for fun, as you reflect on what
you’ve learned about the church on Crete, what might be a name you would give
to this church?
***
Now, explore how I as an Auxano Lead Navigator
with Auxano created a Vision Frame using the epistle of Titus. You can access
this Vision Frame by clicking on the link here.
What did you like best about my Titus
Vision Frame? Why?
What would you change? Why?
How does your frame differ from mine?
What have you learned about the importance
of the Vision Frame by going through this exercise?
How might this learning experience help
you train and encourage a church leader or a church planter better as he wrestles with his vision
frame?
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