Vision 2010

'Vision' is a great word. It can motivate when it touches a concern, it can intimidate when it makes one feel that we are not doing enough. But I still like the word. When I was younger I loved to cast a vision and set a path to achieving that vision. Now that I am older the cynical side of me squelches such thinking before the spark even has a chance to fan a flame. That is too bad.

And then I came across the vision statement of "Christ for the City" - a ministry based in Costa Rica and desiring to impact the Spanish-speaking world. It's vision is simple...
__No place without testimony
__No church without vision
__No person without hope

The cynical response is - no church or ministry can achieve that. And I agree. But what a great vision to work at. So I have decided to write my personal vision statement of what I will ask God to let me work at in this coming year (or years). It will be a vision of God building a missions program at Bethel Seminary that will be accessible from any part of the world and taking students to every part of the world. It will be adaptive to the needs of the individual student in terms of personal growth and equipping for ministry. It will be small in terms of full-time faculty but huge in terms of the practical experience contributed by faculty working in their field. It will throw off the caste-system of academic institutions which sets forth a hierarchy of status and in its place will be the status of being the priesthood of believers and the community of fellow pilgrims. It will...

I think I am tired already! Great words, but can we really do it? That's when I realized what the essential ingredient of vision is. It is asking - "What will I ask God to do in the next year or five years that only God can do?" So when he does enable us to reach that goal then he alone gets the glory. Yes! That is what vision is all about. It is getting us into the adventure zone of faith in what God can do and what brings him glory! (I'm feeling young again.)