Have you ever experienced vision whiplash? You’re part of a church or a faith community and the focus seems to shift every 6 to 12 months. For a season, the church is “all about small groups.” Then, without warning or explanation, you begin hearing that the church is “all about discipleship”– each ministry of the church is highlighting how it contributes to discipleship. Then a year down the road, the church is suddenly “all about being missional.”
You get the idea. And you can even find yourself in agreement with all of these visions. They’re all good; they’re all biblical. But just when you feel yourself starting to get your mind wrapped around one central pillar, it’s gone. The center has changed. It may have changed to something good, but it has changed.
We all grow and change over time, exploring new areas of our faith and stretching ourselves in new ways. But when we as church leaders try to take everyone else on that same journey with us, we are often just wearing them out. Think back over the last ten years of your ministry. How has the vision changed? How often has it changed? When have you seen people wearing out and dropping off? Look back and be sure you’re not giving them vision whiplash.