4 Steps To Regain Your Vision For Ministry

No matter the size of your church or organization, it is essential to have a clear vision for what you do. Often it is not lack of personnel, resources, or ideas that hold a church back from achieving its full potential; it is the absence of vision. Vision is the long-term ambition that drives a church ministry forward. This includes what the church is about and why that is significant. Vision is a guiding light that keeps churches focused, allowing them to make the most of their opportunities and avoid the distractions that lie around.

Every pastor starts out with a vision for the church. Over time, however, dealing with the “here and now” rather than “what could be", will dwindle and diminish a once awe-inspiring vision to a mere catchphrase on a web page. If you can hold on to your vision or even expand it, you will be able to see through the fog of the day-to-day, so that you recognize what is important and what isn’t.

If you feel you’ve lost your vision for your ministry, there are steps you can take to regain it. Use these points below to get started.

1. Get away.

Take a prayerful gaze at your church and what God wants from it. Disconnect from the everyday and connect to the Giver of vision. Does your original dream still excite you? Or, over time, have you moved away from it? If so, recognize that fact and acknowledge your position to God. Force yourself to ask the hard questions.  

God will begin to encourage you toward that primary vision or prompt you to shift. Spend time looking at the future of your church. If you never look up from the day-to-day, how will you ever have a vision beyond that realm, let alone do anything about it?  

2. Energize yourself as a person.

Start by taking a look at how you’re living life, then find ways to de-stress and reinvigorate yourself – physically and mentally. Start exercising and working up a sweat! With a clear mind and increased energy, you will be better equipped for God to speak to you and use you. Focused, high-energy alone time with God is a tremendous breeding ground of new ideas and momentum.

[FREE DOWNLOAD: The Secret Weapon Every Great Leader Uses]

3. Find a mentor.  

Meet with peers, friends, or past supervisors who have successfully rediscovered their vision. In the hectic schedule of ministry, we’re often too close to our situation to see what’s obvious to others. An outside perspective from someone with the right experience can give you the much-needed clarity you need. Great value lies in wise counsel.

Seek out someone in your network or area of ministry who is fruitful and strong in leadership. If you can’t meet with them in person, begin to read their stories and learn from them. A new perspective will help regain your vision and get your church back on track.   

4. Believe in your call to ministry.

Find the courage to do something differently, even if that involves getting out of your comfort zone. There may be times when you get things wrong and make mistakes, but that too can be a positive experience if you learn from it and move on. 

As you regain your vision, you’ll begin to see a more positive future for your ministry and start to feel again what it’s like for God-sized dreams to be achieved.  

What are some strategies you've used to regain your vision for ministry?