Your Organization's One Sentence Job Description

In March of this year, we rolled out the new Vision Statement for Next Level Church.

“Creating a Place that People Love, so they can Experience a Loving God…”

I am so excited about this Vision Statement, not because it’s new, but because it isn’t new. We have been living this vision for a long time, but its only been in the last year that we, as a leadership team, made a conscious decision to nail it down, write it down and publicize it, so that everyone within our organization can run with it.

Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Write the vision. Make it plain on tablets so he may run who reads it.” (ESV)

That’s the power of a clear and concise, one sentence, Vision Statement for your organization or department. Its like having a one sentence job description for your entire organization or department.

A Clear and Accurate Vision Statement does 3 things:

1. Its a Target to Aim at.

When your Vision Statement is clear and accurate, everyone within your organization knows the ultimate goal.

• For example, the goal for every Connection Group Leader at NLC is the same… Create a Place for a small group of people that they love, so they can experience a loving God.
• Every Kids Ministry worker knows the goal is: Create a place kids love…
• Our hospitality team… Create a place people love when they walk in the door…
• Our worship department knows… create a place people love…

That’s the target we are aiming for each and every time.

2. Its a Filter for Decision Making.

The power of a clear and accurate vision statement is it simplifies decision making. What you choose to do and not do, how you spend money, decisions on the people you hire all get put through the filter of your vision statement. For us every decision now gets put through the question, “Does this decision help us… create a place people love so they can experience a loving God?” If yes, then proceed, if not, then stop.

Too many organizations lack clarity in their Vision Statement and consequently end up paying a price in their decision making. Staying streamlined in our decisions requires a clear Vision Statement.

3. Its a Gauge to know when You’re Winning.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of a clear and accurate Vision Statement is it helps everyone in your organization know when you’re winning! When its time to review an event, a season in the life of your organization, a product launch or even someone’s job performance, your vision statement gives a clear gauge to how well we “won” at whatever we were attempting to do.

For example, after a weekend at Next Level Church, every leader in every department can sit down and ask the question, “How well did we create a place that people loved?”

• Were there crying babies in the auditorium while adults were trying to listen to the message?
• Was the parking lot chaotic?
• Was the kids ministry clean, safe and inviting?
• Was the message clear and applicable to people’s everyday lives?

If so, then we created a place people loved so they could experience a loving God a little bit more. If not, then we instantly know where we need to course correct and improve.

Now… Before you click off this article, take 90 seconds and reflect on this 1 question:

? Do we have a 1 sentence Vision Statement? ? If not, what would ours be?

There’s your homework…

Footnote: * Perhaps you noticed that I used the phrase “clear and accurate” to describe a Vision Statement. That’s intentional because a vision statement can be “clear” but not “accurate.” There are aspirational vision statements that are not accurate. In other words, aspirational is something you want to be, but aren’t actually in reality. Accurate is who you really are and what you really are about. Credibility erodes for a leader when his/her team knows that the Vision Statement on the wall (or on the chip clip, in our case!) doesn’t actually match the ultimate goal of the organization. Leaders, make sure your vision statement is actually true, not just wishful thinking.