It’s easy to go on feel in the church. We just call it “The Spirit” and move on while everyone else is like “Well, he says The Spirit told him to, so I guess that is what we are supposed to do …” Well maybe, but I think The Spirit gets some credit for some bad ideas that were not His. I am not saying the Holy Spirit doesn’t move in mighty ways or that He can’t put things in the hearts of people to guide them—He certainly can and does. My contention here is that He does it in the way that is consistent with God’s unique call on your church body. There is only one way to know if it is consistent with that call. That is to actually have one that was prayed through and documented. That document is your filter.
Everybody needs one. It catches all the bad stuff and lets only what is supposed to come out on the other side of it. You have one in your car for your oil. You have one in your coffee pot. You have one on your mouth (or you don’t and wish you did). You should have one at your church … it is the Vision, Mission, and core values.
These things are the filter for every big decision. If you are trying to add another service or figure out the next hire, it has to be run through this filter. It is the only way to ensure that you are sticking to the unique call God has for your particular church body. It is critical to take the time to write out your Vision, Mission and Values so that everyone on the team knows the plan.
It’s easy to go on feel in the church. We just call it “The Spirit” and move on while everyone else is like “Well, he says The Spirit told him to, so I guess that is what we are supposed to do …” Well maybe, but I think The Spirit gets some credit for some bad ideas that were not His. I am not saying the Holy Spirit doesn’t move in mighty ways or that He can’t put things in the hearts of people to guide them—He certainly can and does. My contention here is that He does it in the way that is consistent with God’s unique call on your church body. There is only one way to know if it is consistent with that call. That is to actually have one that was prayed through and documented. That document is your filter.
These things need to be on paper before big decisions are made. Making your outcome fit your plan is much more difficult than planning for the proper outcome. The people you lead deserve clear direction as they follow you following Christ. Make sure that filter is in place.
If you want to see what life looks like without a filter, just leave it out of the coffee pot tomorrow morning. Sure, you’ll get some good stuff and you can say The Spirit told you to do it that way, but you likely won’t have too many following your example.
Does your church have this filter document—your vision, mission and values? What are your church’s filters? How do you implement them?
