Clarity is the secret weapon of ministry leaders who are skilled at helping everyone on the team pull on the oars together.
When you have organizational clarity and a clear ministry direction, everyone on your team knows what to do and what to stop doing. We have lots of good things in our “bucket of possibilities,” but not all of those good things will help you get where you want to go. Clarity will help you maximize your energy and your resources.
[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]Clarity is the secret weapon of ministry leaders who are skilled at helping everyone on the team pull on the oars together.[/tweet_box]
Some youth leaders (not you, of course) actually relish a lack of clarity in their ministry. Why? Well, if you don’t know where you’re going, it’s easy to move the target wherever your arrow lands and just call that success. I serve at a church that prioritizes organizational clarity. We know who we are, and we have a system that helps us filter everything we do so we all know what’s most important. This filter looks like a picture frame with five main parts.
The four sides to our vision frame include: Mission, Values, Strategy, and Measures. At the Center (where you’d put a photograph) is the vision itself.
If our Mission is clear, everyone knows What we are doing.
If our Values are clear, everyone knows Why we are doing it.
If our Strategy is clear, those we are leading will know How we are doing it.
If we have clear Measures in place, everyone will know When we are being successful.
If we have a clear Vision, everyone will know Where we are heading.
To understand the Vision Frame that fuels our momentum, read this short post by Will Mancini, founder of Auxano.
The primary fruit of our vision frame is a steep reduction in organizational confusion. When you and your team know exactly what/why/how/when/where you’re headed, it’s easier to make rapid and effective decisions. Not only does clarity help align your team, but it also helps your leaders take action when you’re not present. Clarity also…
- builds trust with your team, and
- builds confidence in you to release your leaders into significant responsibilities.
If your church and youth ministry do not have clarity, it won’t help to complain or be critical. Instead, create clarity when and where you have the authority to do it. As you work to “define your wins,” create a framework that will align with the overall direction of your church.
If you’re interested in learning more beyond about this approach, beyond Will Mancini’s “Vision Frame” post, read Church Unique or God Dreams.
Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash