As church leaders worked to hammer out our first vision statement, one influential leader said, "I'm uncomfortable with this process. It seems like we're following secular business principles instead of being willing to follow the Spirit's leading. We're setting our agenda for the future rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us. Surely God will accomplish what he wants if we simply preach the Word and exercise faithfulness."

An awkward silence enveloped the room as we pondered the question: Does vision-casting work against the leading of the Holy Spirit?

The pastor thanked the leader for his concerns and admitted that it is possible to push God out of the picture when creating a vision. But the pastor quickly added that Christians serve a God who plans (Eph. 1:3-14). He said, "God's Spirit can lead us beforehand in the planning stage as definitely as he can lead us at the spur of the moment. In fact, casting a vision requires as much faith as responding to momentary promptings of the Spirit."

Another leader spoke up, saying he viewed the church vision statement and master plan as a list of prayer requests. "By God's grace, this is what we want to accomplish for him," he said. "We certainly need to be willing to modify our plans if God shows us they are not appropriate."

The leader with doubts accepted the challenge to view the vision statement and master plan as a prayer guide. Within a couple of years, he recognized that the vision statement forced us to be more sensitive to the leading of the Spirit than before we wrote it.

— Steven D. Mathewson

1. Where in Scripture do we find examples of sound planning?
2. How can we know if our vision comes from God's Spirit or from our selfish desires?
3. What should visionary leaders do to remain sensitive to the Spirit's leading?