Developing a Family Vision Statement
As a leader, I see the value and importance in not only having vision, but also in having a clear vision statement for the ministry I have been called to lead. One of the first things I did when I began leading the student ministry at First Baptist Watauga was to combine the heart and passion that I saw already existed in the student ministry with the direction that I sensed God wanted the student ministry to move. Then I put those things into a clear vision statement: Understanding that Jesus has made such a great difference in our lives, we want to Live the Difference, Share the Difference, and Make a Difference. These three tenets are displayed in my office, in our student ministry game room, and in the room where we hold our student ministry’s Wednesday night worship services.
After pondering the impact that a vision statement can have on the success of a business or ministry, I began to think about the impact that a vision statement could have for my own family. So, I asked my wife and children to begin praying about a vision statement for our family. Who did God want us to be? What direction did God want us to go? and How could we put this into words?
So, we spent a couple of weeks praying together during our family prayer times asking the Lord to direct us in developing a family vision statement. At the end of the two weeks we put our new vision statement into words. I’ll share that vision statement at the end of this blog.
But first, here are 3 things I believe a family vision statement can provide:
- A family vision statement can provide direction.
As you look at major companies, I believe a large part of their success is the vision statement they have for their company.
Amazon’s vision is “to be earth’s most customer-centric company; to build a place where people can come to find and discover anything they might want to buy online.”
Walmart’s vision is “to be THE destination for customers to save money, no matter how they want to shop.”
Chick-fil-A’s vision is “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”
These vision statements have no doubt been a driving force in the direction of each of these companies. As you read their statements and look at how these companies operate, it is clear that the vision and the reality of the company go hand in hand.
In the same way, I believe a family vision statement can provide direction for your family. Like a road map, it is something to point to and say, “This is where we are going.”
2. A family vision statement can provide unity.
Whether you are in a business or in a church, you will find yourself in a diverse group of people with different interests, hobbies, and passions. Not to mention all the different age groups and career paths people might be on. If you are in a place with people, you are also in a place where differences exist.
So, how do you get all of these different people with different thoughts to move in unity? Vision.
Now, don’t misunderstand me. In the context of the church, just any vision will not suffice. A local church’s vision must always be grounded firmly in Jesus and the scriptures. That being said, having a clear Biblical vision, in the context of the local church body, will provide unity.
For example, our lead pastor and I are very different people. He enjoys hunting, building fires, and manual labor. Picture Tim “the tool man” Taylor, but probably without all the mishaps. I, on the other hand, enjoy more of the creative side of things like filming and editing videos. I also like the warmth of my own couch while he is sitting in his cold deer blind.
But, even though we are different, for the last 10 years we have been able to work in unity together, because we are working towards the same vision. We are working to serve the Lord and the same church body, together.
In the same way, I believe a family vision statement will provide unity for your family. Although you, your spouse, and children may each have unique interests, you can be united as you move in the same direction, with the same vision.
3. A family vision statement can provide boundaries.
When was the last time you went bowling? The last time we went bowling as a family, the bowling alley made it very easy to program the bumpers to either be up or down for each player. My wife and children all chose to bowl with the bumpers up. I decided to be bold and to bowl without the bumpers. After all, I took a bowling class in college.
My college class didn’t pay off. I still bowled quite a few gutter balls. It may be silly that my family all bowled while using the bumpers, but not a single one bowled into the gutter. Not a single one bowled outside of the boundaries of the lane.
So, when you think of a vision statement for your family, think of it as choosing to bowl with bumpers. If one of my children is veering off course I am able to point to the vision statement and say, “No. That’s not who we are in this family. We need to get back on track.”
The vision statement will help encourage you and your family to stay faithful to your family’s course. And as a family of believers, we want to stay on the course of serving Jesus.
So, what is our family’s new vision statement?
As we developed our statement, we wanted to utilize the first initial of each of our names. So, here it is.
The Skinner Family will:
Serve Jesus Christ alone. | Joshua 24:15
Earnestly walk in obedience. | John 14:15
Eagerly share the good news. | Acts 1:8
through the
Knowledge of His Word. | 2 Timothy 3:16-17
As I share this vision statement with you, I encourage you and your family to develop one of your own. If you develop one, I’d love to hear it. If you already have a vision statement that you and your family live by, please share. I’d love to know.