What you need to know about Casting Vision

Planning for Success in Ministry

Casting vision is key to creating dynamic, purposeful ministry. Vision casting is simply communicating the vision God has given you for your ministry so that others can discern if they feel called to be a part of it; and then join you in that calling if and when they do!

The Bible reminds us that, “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.”( Proverbs 29:18 ESV) In our experience, this has proven to be true time and time again!

Before we dive into our recommendations on how to go about casting vision in your ministry, we suggest that you revisit the five components to creating a great vision statement that we outlined in a recent blog post. As a reminder, we recommend that your vision statement be clear, concise, compelling, catalytic, and contextual. If your vision has those five components, we believe that the vision God has given you will leak into every area of your ministry.

As you prepare for and dream of your next ministry year, it’s important to communicate the vision to your team of volunteers and/or staff. Start by writing it down. If it’s clear and concise, the core of your vision will be easy to communicate because what is most important about your vision will be easy to spot. Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”

Create a plan with achievable goals for your next ministry year with your vision statement. Next, share it with your team. A compelling vision statement and ministry plan will be exciting to both say (from you) and share (to your team)! Sharing the most motivating and engaging purpose of your ministry and vision will be key to engaging the hearts and minds of your ministry partners.

Once you’ve communicated your vision and the ministry plan to your team and you have partners on board to fully participate with you, remind your team of what they signed up for, and why! Share the vision with your team repeatedly. Repeat it at regular weekly or monthly meetings, even to the point of asking your team to memorize key points. Think of your ministry’s vision statement as a bag with a hole — you need to keep refilling the bag to keep it full. If the team remembers and owns that vision for the ministry, they will work to achieve the goals you have set out for each other. However, we all need reminders when life gets in the way. By continually communicating your dreams and goals for your ministry, your team will stay engaged and excited.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to correct course if the ministry isn’t aligning with the vision God has given you and your team. Revisit ministry successes and failures. Is the ministry still acting in a way that is catalytic, that encourages and celebrates movement? Does the vision continue to be contextual (for your specific people, time and place). Ask yourselves the hard questions that we recommended when building your mission statement: Who is being served? What do they need? How does Christ offer relief to their situation?

We believe that communicating vision, creating a plan, sharing that vision and plan with your team repeatedly, and correcting course where needed are key to casting vision in your ministry. Your vision statement can become a driving force to seeing your ministry purpose come into reality.

WellConnected is an initiative of OneHope, and is a gathering place for children and youth ministers to access resources, research, and content to raise up the next generation. It’s a collaborative platform to equip leaders and influencers to effectively reach the kids in their communities. We invite churches and ministers to join one another in coming up with innovative solutions for today’s realities. We are continually learning and growing from each other — sharing knowledge, insight, and best practices.