Vision Night

Once a year we hold a Vision Night for the leadership of Grace. It’s an opportunity for me to share where we’ve been in the past year and where I believe God is calling us in the year to come. It’s also a chance to engage in dialogue with our wider leadership community. My favorite part of the evening is time spent in Q&A.

Vision Night 2009 is this Sunday and in preparation I received a great question:

“Why should we sign on for your vision of the future?”

The “asker” went on to express concerns about attendance and certain leadership decisions. I responded to those and will share my response with everyone Sunday evening.

But the question is a great one and so I thought I should also post my answer.

“Why should we sign on for your vision of the future?”

First of all because we have been blessed with leaders of great wisdom and high integrity.

Grace is a Presbyterian church. That simply means that our lay leaders (elders) work in partnership with staff leadership (this model of government is what attracts me to the Presbyterian Church). I am continually humbled by God’s gift of the women and men that He calls into leadership here. Not only are they bright and creative thinkers they are leaders who demonstrate the upmost integrity in all that they do.

The bottom line is that I trust them.

I trust them to ask the hard questions.
I trust them to debate difficult issues.
I trust them to seek what is God’s best – to lead in ways that please God not people.
I trust them to pray for God’s guidance.

I’d only sign on for a vision of the future with leaders I trust and I trust our leaders.

Secondly, and most importantly, it’s not my vision and really it’s not our leadership’s vision, it’s God’s vision for the future.

Last Friday the Grace staff spent a “retreat day” committing to practicing what the Lord requires of us:

“To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)

I can’t promise increased attendance or giving and I can’t guarantee programs and services that please everyone – the New Testament would actually warn that trying to please anyone other that God is dangerous.

I can promise that we will faithfully and humbly seek to do justice and demonstrate kindness as we follow Jesus’ command to love the Lord our God with all that we have and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I am confident in His promise that if we will get these things right the rest will fall into place.

I would encourage anyone that wants to be a part of a vision to introduce west Houston to Jesus Christ in word and in deed to sign on to what promises to be a great adventure.

To the glory of God!

Doug