How to Get Vision For Your Season of Lifegroup
Vision is a tool God uses to guide and strengthen leaders as well as to shepherd His people. God gave Abraham a vision to step out of Ur into a new future. God gave Moses a vision of a future freedom and land flowing with milk and honey. God gave John a vision of a new heaven and new earth. God uses vision to strengthen leaders and shepherd His people.
In each season, you and your Lifegroup need fresh vision.
Why?
Vision ignites passion. With vision, leaders and people are inspired to run. Without vision people throw off restraint and are overcome with apathy or ungodly desires that lead to death. (Proverbs 29.18, Habakkuk 2.2)
Vision gives guidance. Paul had a godly vision and it motivated him and guided him like a compass in the race the Lord called him to. (1 Cor 9.19-27)
Vision unites people. Vision mobilizes people to partner together for a shared purpose. Nehemiah’s vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem led the people to rise up and build together (Nehemiah 2.17-18)
Vision gives strength. When the enemies mocked the wall builders, Nehemiah reminded them of their purpose (Nehemiah 4.13-14)
Vision leaks quickly. While Moses was slow coming down the mountain, what had been clear direction from God, (that He was leading them to the Promised Land), leaked out of their hearts when their circumstances became uncertain. They forgot God's promises and defaulted to old patterns of idolatry. (Exodus 32)
How does God give a leader or team vision?
God uses a variety of means to stir vision in a leader or a leadership team. Here are four of the primary ways God gives vision:
Scripture: In 2 Kings 22, King Josiah read the Scriptures and developed a vision to turn himself and his nation to the Lord with all of their heart, soul and strength. Scripture is one of the primary places God gives leaders vision. At the start of each season, meditate on Acts 2.42-47 as well as other Scriptures God gives you for your Lifegroup to develop fresh vision for the season.
Prayer: In Daniel 9-14, God gives Daniel fresh vision from the place of prayer and fasting. God loves to meet His people and breathe renewed vision in the place of prayer. At the start of each season, take extended time to pray and if you feel led, fast and ask God to breathe renewed vision for your Lifegroup.
Needs: In Matthew 9.36, Jesus saw the needs of the people and gave vision for His disciples to pray for shepherds to be sent out. At the start of each season, what needs do you notice in your group, in your church and in your city? How might God be speaking through these needs?
Wise Counsel: In Exodus 18, Moses receives counsel from Jethro and vision is birthed to raise up leadership teams to serve the people of God. At the start of each season, meet with your section leader or Zone Pastor to talk about vision for the upcoming season. What does God want to speak through that relationship?
Fresh Vision Process
Habakkuk 2.2 provides a simple process for vision: “And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”
And the Lord answered me- Habakkuk needed a God given vision and we do too. This is the first step: seek the Lord and listen to Him.
Write the vision down: Habakkuk needed to seek the Lord for vision and write it down. This is the second step: seeking the Lord and writing down vision.
Make it plain: Habakkuk needed to share the vision in a plain and easy to understand way. This is the third step in vision: sharing it in plain and easy to understand ways.
So he may run who reads it: The next step was putting the vision into action. This is the fourth step in the vision process: taking action so that the vision becomes visible.
1. Seek the Lord: Take time to seek the Lord for fresh vision for your Lifegroup in this next season.
Meditate on Acts 2.42-47. What is the Holy Spirit highlighting for your group from this passage?
Practice listening prayer. As you listen what do you sense the Spirit speaking for your group?
Look at the needs: What needs do you see in your group, in the church, in the city and in the nations?
Meet with your Zone Pastor or Section Leader: What is the church focusing on as a whole? What do they see in store for your group?
2. Write The Vision Down: Take time to seek the Lord and write down what you and your team are sensing the Lord giving y’all for vision for your Lifegroup for the next season. Use the list of ways God gives vision to help you listen to Him well. Writing it down will help you remember and stay on track in the season ahead.
Writing down the vision always includes three things:
Where do we believe the Lord is leading us?
Why does it matter?
What's my part?
Example: The Lord has given us a vision to be an Acts 2.42-47 community in Woodway. When we were praying about the Fall, we sensed the Holy Spirit wanting us to grow in being devoted to prayer and that He is wanting to give us remarkable answers to prayer in this upcoming season. We know a number of our group members have been believing the Lord for breakthroughs with family members. So we want each person in our group to make a list of family members who need breakthrough and specific prayer requests they have. Then each week this Fall we are going to take time to pray for family members and believe for breakthroughs!
3. Make It Plain: Share the vision with your group members in a simple and easy to understand way.
Example: Have everyone in the group over for dinner to start the semester and take time to share a 10 minute version of the vision about where your leadership team senses the Lord leading your group in the upcoming season.
Throughout the semester share this in a bite sized 1-2 minute versions of the vision regularly to remind and inspire your group members.
4. So He Who Reads It May Run:
Ask people to buy in. Give people specific parts to play. Share progress and testimonies along the way to help your group run together.