Drew Boswell

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“Where Are We Going?” Vision and the Leader (Part Two)

III.            Characteristics of a Vision

A.            It is Clear

People cannot respond to a vision if they do not understand it.  The language that we use and the picture that we portray must be clear and capable of being understood.  When Nehemiah had a vision he communicated it in a clear fashion.  When he told it to his followers they could see walls being built in their heads.  Nehemiah 2:18 says “They replied, ‘Let us start building.’ So they began this good work.”

How do you know if it is clear?  The vision is clear when other people other than the leader can explain and actually do explain the vision to others in their own words.

B.            It is Challenging

When a vision is presented and it does not challenge people, the leader will not see God’s power working. A challenging vision pulls people from where they are and pushes them to places they never imagined they could go.  It is not daydreaming or reaching for impossible tasks.  Vision requires great depth of understanding, a detailed knowledge of facts and an eye for potential.

C.            It is a Picture

A vision is a mental picture that you give the congregation that they carry around in the wallet of their mind.  Then from time to time the leader encourages them to look at the picture.  And just like the picture that you carry around of your kids, when they see it, it brings to their mind certain emotions, feelings, and word pictures that have been presented.

In Deuteronomy 32:48 it says, “On that same day the Lord told Moses, “Go up into the Abrim Range to Mount Nebo in Moab, across from Jericho, and view Canaan, the land I am giving the Israelites as their own possession. “  In God’s mercy he allowed Moses to see the real thing, the fulfillment of the picture that he had carried around in his mind all those years.  His dream was about to become a reality.  So the question that leaders must ask is “do the people see the picture that I see?”

The picture that we portray is the desired future and direction that the ministry will go.  God is working through us to create the future.

D.            It is Motivational

The vision from God has the potential in a ministry to turn a maintenance mentality into a ministry mentality.  In Nehemiah’s life, God gave him the vision to rebuild the walls.  It so affected his life that when Nehemiah communicated the vision to others, God used his intensity to motivate others.  Vision gives the organization energy to move in a new direction, or to move at all.

George Barna says “Vision becomes a bold reason for living.  It is a badge of purpose that the bearer wears proudly and courageously.”  There is an excitement about the potential of what God is going to do through those who are apart of this vision.

E.            It Means Change

Vision deals with what is preferable, which always means change.  Why do you need a vision to maintain the stats quo?  So vision is required even if the church is vibrant and healthy because we must constantly seek improvement.  Vision is a means of describing the activity and development of the ministry, the way in which the ministry will become more significant in the lives of people.

F.            It is Imparted by God

Vision for ministry is a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through the leader to build His Kingdom.  God conveys His view of a future to the leader. If you as a leader do not know or have a vision for your organization, then you are operating on a maintenance level, where eventually there will be decline.  When people’s hearts are not engaged, their level of dedication will wane as other life concerns begin to crowd into their lives.

G.            It is Imparted to a Specific Person (The Leader)

It is the responsibility of the leader to learn from God the direction in which He desires to take the church.  God does not give out more than one vision to multiple people in the church.

H.            It Reveals a Promising Future

Visions are people centered and oriented.  Because of this, research reveals that people in America want to make a difference in the world.  We want our lives to count for something.  We want to leave something of lasting value.  A vision tells a story of people who are reaching their community and the world for Christ; which is the most lasting and precious thing a person can do with their life.  The vision paints a very specific picture of how your church is going to do this.

* This is part two of a three part series.

Click here to read part one.

Click here to read part three.

“Where Are We Going?” Vision and the Leader (Part One)

I.         Defining Vision

A vision is a picture of the future of how the purpose or mission of the church is lived out in a particular community.  It is grounded in deep insight into people, the church, and God’s Word.

There is a difference between a vision and goals and objectives.  Goals and objectives are cold, abstract things that do not warm the heart.  Vision, however, is warm and has the potential to melt and motivate the heart. People are able to see how they play apart in the vision.

There is a difference between mission and vision.  A mission is what all churches or organizations are supposed to be doing, whereas a vision is a snapshot or picture of a specific church’s future. The mission comes from the head, the vision comes form the heart. A vision must be God’s vision and it is gleaned from Scripture.

So for our purposes, let’s define vision as “a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God to His chosen servants and is based upon an accurate understanding of God, self and circumstances.”

II.         How Vision Affects the Leader and the Church

David Goetz writes, “In Leadership’s study, pastors indicated that conflicting visions for the church was their greatest source of tension and the top reason they were terminated or forced to resign.” If there are competing visions for where the church or organization “should” be headed, there will inevitably be conflict. Again, vision involves the heart, and people are personally invested in the church.

A.            Vision Encourages Unity

When a ministry has a shared vision it changes how people relate to each other.  The language that people use goes from being “their” church to “our” church. It acts as a signal of where the ministry is going.  It effectively says that if you want to go where we are going then “get on board.”

1 Corinthians 12:20-22 “As it is, there are many parts, but one body.  The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,. . .”

Ephesians 4:15-16 “Instead speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Another form of unity that vision fosters is recruitment and retention in various ministries.  A ministry can present its’ clear vision and direction to potential volunteers and the people can then make up in their own minds if this vision matches their own understanding, gifts, and talents.

Also if a vision is shared with new people or guests of a church they can determine if this is something they would like to be apart of or not and make an informed decision.

In a ministry it is best if you have a wide variety of personalities and gifting that may be different for the leader.  In order for the ministry to be efficient and effective with all of these differences among individuals, all must hold a common vision.  Each person can appreciate and value the differences in others while working together toward the vision.

B.            Vision Encourages Forward Movement

Vision gets people moving.  Many times people get caught up in the business of their daily lives.  The mundane becomes the priority.  Nehemiah 1:3 “They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the providence and are in great trouble and disgrace.  The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” God gave Nehemiah a vision of rebuilding the walls and it drove him to action.  Vision, that is felt by the heart, drives people to take action which moves the church forward.

C.            Vision Gives Purpose to Ministry

People begin to understand that they are apart of something great that God is doing through their church and through them.  They begin to see their ministry as important and as having an impact on the community and even the world. It is the difference between the response of a person when asked “What do you do?” and they respond “I am just a teacher,” with “What do you do?” and they respond “I am changing the life course of children who will accomplish great things for Christ.”

D.            Vision Fosters Risk Taking

When the pastor casts a vision everyone knows what needs to be done.  Ministry then becomes an adventure because often times we know what needs to be done but we are not sure how it will be done.  Different methods are tried out and experimented with, people are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones to accomplish things greater than themselves or things that they never thought possible before.

Sometimes these things work and sometimes they don’t but the vision drives ministries toward the common goal.  People take risks in groups because the vision is worth the risk, and must be accomplished.

E.            Vision Encourages People to Follow

The leader, by casting a vision, is giving the people a glimpse into the future and how their lives can be changed and how others lives will changed by their being apart of this vision. People want to follow people who know the way, and they want their lives to be of significance. They want to follow people who can see where they are going.

Kouzes and Posner explain this as a driver driving in a fog bank.  When we drive into fog we slow down because we can’t see where we are going.  A vision then allows people to see what is up ahead, or down the road. The vision enables the organization to navigate through very treacherous terrain.

Everyone sees the mist but the leader can see the turns in the road and the town that is ahead.  In Nehemiah 2:5 King Artaxerxes heard Nehemiah’s vision and wanted to help him rebuild the walls by providing the various needs of the project.  The lost world will even listen to a godly leader who shows vision.

F.            Vision Improves Ministry Performance

As the leader paints a picture of the future, people begin to see themselves in the portrait.  In order for the vision to be accomplished or lived out people have to evaluate where they are now as far as ministry accomplishments, quality, and effectiveness.  The person also has to plan what the next step might be for the ministry to step into this vision.  Vision encourages people to evaluate their ministry and to seek improvement.

Whatever an organization does must constantly be evaluated through the lens of its vision.  They have to ask themselves “Why are we doing, what we are doing?”  Vision answers this question.

*this is part one of a three part series.

Click here to read part two.

Click here to read part three.

Supernatural: Angels

So, is there life after death? The Bible is clear in that the soul is eternal, and that it will spend eternity in one of two places. One is to have eternal life, or heaven. The other is to be eternally separated from God in hell. What does the Bible say about ghosts, angels, demons, witches, and spirits? Listen and find out.

Background Checks and Security in the Church; Part Three

Checking References

When you call the references the person gives you (yes, really call them), ask “Would you hire or allow this person to work with your children?”  Ask the person to give you two more other people that they would suggest who knows or has worked with this person.  Is there anything that I need to know about this person with regard to ministry or children?

Personal Interview

Once you have done a background check and called the references, now it is time to sit down with the person for a personal interview. You can discuss such topics as;

  • History of discipline in their home
  • Their attitudes about discipline
  • Any incidences of abuse or molestation they might have experienced themselves

Your legal counsel or insurance agent should be able to help you know the kinds of questions you can legally ask and how to ask them.  Standard interview questions (questions that you ask every applicant) should be developed and used in personal interviews with volunteer or employee applicants, after reviewing the application, and checking all references.

This paperwork is your proof or evidence that you have implemented the security process.  The interview sheet should be kept on file as well as notes from the reference check, background approval and worker application form.  These records should be kept confidential and locked in a cabinet or closet.

Only one person needs to see and have access to these records – the one conducting the interview.  Keep a log of what volunteers have worked with what children at all times and maintain these records over a long period of time.  The statute of limitations of child abuse lasts until two years after the child reaches the age of 18.

Some sources suggest that workers should be fingerprinted and photographed and those records should be kept on file as well.  If a person indicates that they have been a victim of child abuse or you discover that this person has been alleged to have perpetrated child abuse they should not be allowed to work with children at all.

Each new worker should be given the legal definition of child abuse in writing, as well as the policy of the church on the reporting of child abuse before they begin service. This can be given to everyone (not jus the person) as a way of orienting them to your ministry.

In the screening process a Background and Information Release Form should be signed.  This allows the church to perform a criminal background check.  The form also releases the church from liability in releasing information if a church in the future inquires about the applicant’s involvement with your church.

An additional form should be considered, the Department of Human Resources’ (Child Welfare Department) Child Abuse Inquiry form.  These forms can be obtained from your state Child Welfare Department.  This will allow social services to disclose any accusation of child abuse reported to the agency.

If the applicant is hired or brought in as a volunteer, the church’s safety policy should be singed.  The worker/volunteer should have an extra copy to keep for review/reference purposes.

This process is time intensive, and takes resources away from programming, but remember that the barriers you set up is protecting you as the leader, the children you seek to minister to, the church, and the children in the future that you will reach. If there is a lawsuit, or an actual incident, it will cripple the church in it’s ability to reach even more children for Christ and its’ reputation in the community.

Background Checks and Security in the Church; Part Two

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be self controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

This passage directs us to be “self controlled” and “alert.” Both of these terms carries the idea of vigilance. Believers are to stay alert and vigilant because Satan seeks to destroy their faith. The devil “roars” to induce fear within them. In the early church it was persecution, and Christians were tortured to persuade them to deny Christ.

So if we understand that Satan seeks to make Christians fearful, let’s not do so with this topic of security in the church. We are to live by faith, and not in fear. We must take measures to protect our children, but not to create within the church (or the children) a sense of fear or dread.  So I encourage you to understand this topic in terms of “being alert” to the dangers and taking precautionary actions against it.

We have to be alert to the dangers around us.  We must also understand that predators are prowling around looking for a child that they may devour.  How can we then resist him?  How can we defend ourselves against predators?

Christian Ministry Resources, which specializes in legal and risk management for churches reported that in 2000, one in 100 churches across the country contended with allegations of sexual misconduct involving children. The organization found in its surveys of more than 1,100 congregations that the number of incidents jumped to 1 in 25 for fellowship with more than 1,000 members.  There is not one “test” that will identify a molester.  A predator can wait months, even years as he/she befriends parents, children, and the church.  Once he/she is trusted, the slow seduction begins.

There are two types of molesters; the “pedophile,” who prefers children sexually and the adult who has had a sexual encounter with a child or children because of availability or a close relationship that develops.  In any case, the relationship is criminal, immoral, and harmful to the child.

False accusations are as real a threat to churches as actual victimization.  In either case the church is liable for damages if it is proven that common sense preventive measures were not in place.  In civil court, victimization does not have to be proven, only the opportunity.  Often, civil suits are filed 20 to 30 years after the alleged incident, costing churches millions of dollars, when it is proven that church leaders did nothing.

Example: A child’s family comes forward to say a church worker touched him/her inappropriately.  There is not enough evidence to prosecute or at trial the worker was found not guilty.  The child’s family sues the church in civil court.  The pastor or church leader is placed on the witness stand.  He is simply asked if the church had any safety plans in place for workers to follow.  If the answer is no, the church can very well be out of millions.

Civil court will look at whether the abuse could have happened. It just takes one accusation to lead to the complete destruction of a church. Not having a prevention program in place leaves the church open for financial ruin, and it leaves its most precious treasure, the children, vulnerable to the devastation of emotional, physical, and spiritual wounds from which they may never recover.

The following are some steps or layers that a church can implement in order to keep predators away. Remember one of the main reasons police decorate their cars the way they do is to prevent crime by their presence. Simply having these “hoops” that predators have to jump through may keep them away.

A. Background Checks:

Reasons for Having Background Checks

  1. To prevent predators from infiltrating our ministries.
  2. To prevent false allegations and lawsuits from having grounds or weight.  We will never be able to prevent allegations.
  3. Protects the children, the workers, and the Church

The Church Law & Tax Report of May/June 1992 states “churches currently provide between one-third and one-half of all childcare,” and that parents of preschoolers “prefer church-provided child care” (p.2).

Benefits of Having a Screening

  1. Insurance rates are often lower;
  2. Workers feel chosen and trusted; there is a bar that is established.  “We don’t allow just anyone to work with our children.”
  3. Parents feel more confident about leaving their children with workers who have been screened.
  4. No screening process can guarantee that no accusations will occur or that no questionable person will be allowed to work with children.  Such a process can, however, reduce the risk.

How Do We Screen Volunteers?

The screening process should include four steps: 1) Worker Application, 2) Background check, 3) Checking References and 4) a Personal Interview.

Necessary paperwork:

  1. Worker Application Form, a document asking basic informationBackground Check Form,
  2. Criminal Release of Information Form, (if it is not included in the Worker Application Or Background Checks
  3. Worker Interview Form

All information obtained during the screening should be treated as confidential.  The only exception would be if disclosure is believed to be necessary to protect a child from potential harm.  Different levels of background checks can be done.  Your legal counsel and insurance agent should be able to help you determine the kind of background check that you need to conduct. You can also contact Background Check companies to see what they suggest.

Several local agencies and other service agencies around the country conduct background checks for a fee.  You will be able to find these services offered online over the internet. To locate them do a search for “background checks.”[1] This will also give you a good idea of the kinds of background checks that can be done and how much they cost.  Not all churches can afford or feel comfortable running background checks.  If this is the case, then every effort should b made to contact previous churches and employers.  A consent form should be signed to allow previous associations to release personal information about the worker.

Some questions to asks are, “Are you covered by their insurance if they make a mistake?”,  “What if someone gets by?” There have been instances where a company would accept the payment fee and send back a report showing that the person was cleared – when they really never checked.

Jim Wideman of Church On The Move, sends names he knows have criminal backgrounds to check the company to make sure they don’t make it through the system. State background checks are a waste of money because most predators move frequently.

What if I have a friend who works for the police department?  If they gather information and then give you this information it was gathered illegally and can not be used in court.

Check alias’ ,Check more than one Social security number.  (using dead people’s ss #)  How do they know that a person is not using another person’s social security number?

Has this person ever been accused?  If they have been they should not be allowed to work with children.  What if they were cleared of charges? If there is ever another incident, the judge will ask you, “What did you do to keep this from happening?” and “Did you have any prior knowledge?” You, at this point, would have known that there were concerns, but you let them continue to work with kids anyway.

What about the costs?

Which is cheaper? Lawsuit or background checks? What is a child’s innocence worth?  Run them on everyone, but if you can’t do all the men, then the ladies.

*this is part two of a three part article series.

[1] Accufax is an example of a company that does background checks.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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