Posting from LEAD: Bill Hybels

Today, Tomorrow, and Saturday a.m. I'll be blogging live or semi-live from Granger Community Church where we have a group of 20 folks from SJ attending the Willow Creek LEAD Conference.
Bill Hybels just finished speaking on "Vision to Die For"
Here are a couple of bullet points from his presentation.
· At the end of the day smart leaders know that the success of a vision is determined by how well the vision is owned by others.
· Vision: The painting of a picture that produces passion within people.
· Jesus said that ownership matters when it comes to the way a shepherd will protect their sheep. Vision is the same way.
· Examples:
o Person willing to take DVD’s into countries resistant to Jesus
o The civil rights leaders of the 60’s who walked into the hatred and violence of others (crossing the bridge into Selma and so many others)
· PROCESS
· When people aren’t included in the discernment of vision and the development of the vision they feel devalued and expendable.
o Vision Formation
§ TEAM approach: “What does God want our Church to look like 5 years from now?”
· God: not me or you or the person down the street
· (People don’t always have to have their way, they just have to have their way considered)
§ First Draft Approach: take the initial leadings and take it to folks and ask things like, “What excites you about this?” and “What makes you scared about this?”
§ Make sure the leaders have a chance to hear and refine the presentation of the Vision.
§ VISION LEAKS
· Use everything and anything (within reason) to reaffirm vision
§ Celebrate milestones and success stories along the way
§ ACTS 21 Paul going back to Jerusalem knowing that he will likely die
§ Those who are lead are looking to see how deep the leaders own the vision that they proclaim. Are the leaders willing to sacrifice to see the vision lived out? Are the leaders willing to put the vision and God’s dreams before their own comfort and success?
§ The leader has to decide: “Am I a hireling or am I an owner in God’s Vision”

This was a cut and paste so sorry for the strange markings. The next one will be better and maybe later I can come back and clean things up.