This is the 4th post from the ‘Cowtown to Urban Hipster’ series chronicling our transition from small college town campus ministry to large metro area with multiple campuses and 100k students. Feel free to engage in the comments, your collaboration is wanted!
The battle for clarity and simplicity is raging. Stepping into the metro ministry form a traditional campus environment instantly means an increase in complexity. Multiple campuses, volunteers and an abundance of ministry opportunities and partnerships. Half the battle we’re facing right now is knowing when to say no.
The strategy of our ministry is being developed, but we’re still in the birthing stages. I want to be open to where God is leading, but I fear getting bogged down with things that blur our focus and keep us from engaging students with the message of Christ. The result of this complexity pushes me toward crystallizing what I would like our ministry to be about then blowing that horn loudly and as often as possible. So what’s our DNA you ask?
Campus Crusade for Christ in Portland Oregon is about winning students to Christ, building them up in their faith and sending them into the world to live a life of impact for the King. In other words we’re about Spiritual Multiplication. We want to see Christ change students lives and see those students turn around and be used by God to help change others lives. That’s it. That’s the vision we think will help change the world. That’s how we discern what to say yes to.
So the methods and strategy might be in flux, but the vision and DNA of our ministry remain. In fact our team is probably crazy enough to try just about anything, as long as it moves us toward that vision of Win, Build, Send and Spiritual Multiplication.
I want your help! What are your best tips for keeping clarity in your ministry’s vision, but being open to new possibilities?
Photo courtesy of Jimee
Other LTI posts kinda like this one:
I wouldn't say it is a tip…but mentors in my life have drilled in the belief that a movement is built a leader at a time.
One leader at a time going the same direction.
Aligning people, deepening the convictions of the DNA, and clarifying the DNA will set the trajectory for innovation to take place. If your student leaders, staff, and volunteers are really clear on what a successful spiritual movement will look like when it is mature and convinced about the basic few steps there can be a lot of freedom to be creative.
Without absolute clarity on those two things, freedom and creativity seems to bring lack of focus and shifty DNA.
Yes, the right leaders, going in the same direction. Not taking advantage of an opportunity until the right leader is in place.
I think the question this raises in my mind is how do you paint a picture of a "successful spiritual movement" for people if they've never seen it? I've got some ideas but what are the best ways to do that?
Um… this is probably not the answer anyone wants to hear, but here goes:
Fasting and prayer.
That's it. Works like a charm. Only God knows His own strategies, and if we don't have them, we're spinning our wheels. Fasting and praying for His vision and strategies, combined with faith that He speaks clearly, it's unstoppable.
May the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God flood you now!
I think that brining everything back to the ministry's vision initially will help make that clear with the starting staff, volunteers, and students. And as that is solidified over the initial phases of forming the ministry, they will be able to communicate to people who enter in to the ministry later.
If you can keep asking the question, "Is this aligned with out ministry's vision?"