It is often said that things rise and fall upon vision.

While many things can affect the success of a vision, the above statement carries a significant truth. A leader can only take a group to a place they can see!

The SCOPE of vision is a LID

In the unity space, I wonder if a limited vision or ‘sight’ of where we could go is our lid.

‘Coffee unity‘ takes time. It’s a necessary foundation! Pastors change often in some churches. Some of those arriving will have personalities and peculiarities too. Someone needs to take initiative, to know the pastors of a place, to invite them, to stay connected with them and to encourage them. They will remain otherwise detached from the Church their congregation is a subset of in the city/town. This work is important!

‘Prayer unity‘ is the next ‘level’ – and it takes leadership. Pastors won’t shift from coffee unity to prayer unity by accident and more than a church small group will. Someone will need to lead the group to a place of shared heart – sufficient to begin to enjoy praying together around a common vision. A combined prayer gathering might result  – or exist instead prayerful unity among the pastors. These are foundations.

However, functional unity is the goal. Beyond the comparative comfort of ‘in house’ meetings, God wants his people to step out and do something. As we unite with a common heart and mind, a common vision can develop – enabling us to then do something sensible together that we could never do apart.

Here is the ‘gap’.

• If we cannot see what might come next, we won’t miss it.
• If we cannot see what might come next, we won’t lament its absence.
• If we cannot see what might come next, we won’t know what the current hindrances and ‘gaps’ to address amongst us are – because we are ‘without sight’!

Here’s the heart-wrenching question: What if there really is more that God has for us – through our unity, than we’re yet seeing or considering?

• I’m not talking about more busyness.
• I’m definitely not talking about more programmes.
• I’m talking about different thinking that could change the way we each engage/lead, and therefore change our possibilities.

What if our whole paradigm were a bit limited – like the difference between a  programme driven church and a purpose driven one?

This ‘vision’ explains why some are so passionate about functional unity.

• There are things we can do together that we cannot do apart.
• How will people know of Christ if someone doesn’t tell them? (Romans 10:14-17)
• Functional unity – if humanly possible – is God’s plan for us!

To illustrate

To illustrate regarding local pastoral and discipleship work – early in ministry I saw a ministry work involving giving devotions, talks, studies, sermons and programmes – in the context of knowing and loving people. The possibilities excited me.

• With time I saw a wire scope of team building and Christian education topics that could expand the discipleship content.
• In the mix I couldn’t avoid having to grow in managerial abilities to juggle a growing scope of initiatives (including finances, ministries, organisations, programmes, events).
• I was busy. But all the above was still in the ‘programme driven’ category – even though it included leadership development and deployment.  

Then, a few years later, my SIGHT changed – and with it my measure and goal changed. I began to measure things by longer-term RESULTS. I then saw what I’d call the paradigm of ‘INTENTIONAL DISCIPLE-MAKING’ – and realised that my prior approach in ministry didn’t cut it. By 15 years into ministry I was thinking and engaging very differently to when I started. I became highly intentional, because I realised it was possible to both desiring and see MEASURABLE growth in most members each year – through clear goals and the ‘deployment’ of simple and sensible leadership habits / approaches that could quite broadly catalyse those results. Far more testimonies resulted due to the development of a more healthy and intentional discipleship culture. It was principally about the CULTURE established through thinking, habits and practices.

To illustrate regarding outreach, where my starting point as one desiring to see more people coming to know Christ had been (a) speaking in various places myself to communicate about Christ while (b) running events people were invited to… …as a pastor I eventually pursued a CULTURE of outreach in the members – pursuing fruit that required nothing of my own efforts. With a combination of my efforts and also the context I was in in the picture (both were factors), a CULTURE came about over a 5 year period that delivered results for a fraction of the effort involved in all prior experiences.

Even without larger events, small groups naturally had their own socialising – and because outreach had become a natural part of who they were, they grew. So we were entirely capable of growth without any special programmes.

The above illustrates how two different ‘modes’ of operation can deliver very different results.

The challenge is, we can only lead what we can ‘see’!

I am suggesting we are in a similar space regarding unity across NZ. There are things we are not SEEING.

Toward a summary

You might know the leadership statement, “For addition, train members; for multiplication, train leaders.” A different approach can yield a different result.

The same principle applies to the unity space. Different thinking could lead to different perception and behaviour – and different results.

As a vision statement

National change can and is being catalysed in various ways amongst us as the NZ Church nationally.

(Do you see that?)

Unity in the NZ Church could yet go to places it has never been – including to places we haven’ t read about. The question is, ‘where to’?

Until we can see what that different destination might look like, we cannot even engage in a sensible convection about the steps or values necessary to get there. And there-in, I suggest, lies our challenge.

A pathway?

I believe alternative practices, that could begin to build a pathway for a different destination. already sit before us.

That path is through the augmenting of the culture and thinking within and amongst us.

I therefore conclude that most pastors’ groups are about 20 (or 50?) intentional conversations away from being positioned to SEE how things could be different.

The pathway is intentional discussion

The question is, conversation and discussion about what?

A contribution:

For my part, this is maybe why I’ve written almost an article per months on unity and pastors’ groups this past 18 months.

• These articles dig into the ‘thinking’ that sits within and amongst us.
• I am motivated to write only because I see a ‘gap’.
  • I think we’re living short of what God has for us in the unity space – and the result is a greater weakness in our gospel engagement than is necessary. This is the root of my own motivation here.
• It is also my perception that thoughts within these articles will ‘grate’ against some – feeling uncomfortable. (Please tell me if I’m wrong!)
• And I believe this is their purpose – alongside the thoughts of others God might raise up to speak in a given season, calling us to a more intentional and intelligent gospel engagement – and to unity as God’s Church (singular) in each town, city and this nation.

Intentional conversations are the pathway, because through these discussions our thinking might be changed – beyond which we might SEE a different vision, enabling different practice that might enable a different set of results.

Let’s keep the conversation going – and if any have reflections on unity in NZ, its DNA, dynamics and future etc., I’m truly interested to hear!

By Gods grace, I believe we can see even greater things yet.