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Vision is something that is so critical in the life of a church planter. Without it, things will fizzle out and chaos will ensue. However, is just having a vision from God the only thing it takes to plant a church? As important as getting the vision is having the ability to cast that vision. This is the struggle many within the ministry have. They get a vision, but they just can’t get other people to get behind it and be sold out to it like they are.

It’s easy to think that if God gives someone a vision to lead his church in a city, that God will also send people to them that will have a heart for the same vision. Sounds easy enough, but it just never works out that way. Sure, people will come together and new ministries will form, but ultimately it takes someone that can explain the vision and keep the direction of the new ministry moving in conjunction with the vision.

I’ve read several books on vision and vision casting and sat in on many seminars about it. However, through it all, the one thing I look back to when I need to reinforce vision within me is Habakkuk 2:2. Just as Prophets in the Old Testament were given a revelation from God for his people, I think we as church planters are given a revelation to connect people far from him in ways that are relevant and meaningful. The revelation will be for a certain people, in a certain city/community, and for a certain time. The revelation is the vision.

Then the LORD replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.

Above is the NIV translation of Habakkuk 2:2. As the most-popular Bible translation of today, this is how we generally see it. The Hebrew word for revelation really means vision. Habbakuk is being instructed by God to write the vision down and make it plain on tablets. Unfortunately, just doing a surface scan of this verse doesn’t give it the impact it should have upon us. The focus isn’t so much on the vision in this verse. Instead, it is on what is done with the vision that matters here. For that, let me give a clearer understanding by referencing the Amplified Bible translation of Hab 2:2:

And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by.

Is it starting to get a little clearer now? Habakkuk not only must write the vision down, but that vision must be written plainly on tablets so that everyone passing by may be able to read it and easily and quickly understand what it means.

It’s not just getting the vision, but it’s being able to make that vision so real and so plain that others can understand it and be impacted by it as if God gave it to them directly.

Whether it’s church planting or youth ministry or small group function or outreach event, if you feel God has expressed a vision for a ministry to you, can you take and write it out on a paper napkin and share it with others at the table in such a way that they get it and want to get behind it? Remember, the vision isn’t for us, it is for others and we are just the agents to share the vision with others and to see it carried out in God’s intended way. We are just the messengers as we in ministry already know Christ. Instead, we have been appointed to find a way for others to come to know Christ.

I have to admit that I’ve been out of my element for quite awhile. I’m bewildered, frustrated, contemplative, hesitant, timid, uncertain, rebellious, and several other adjectives that aren’t generally used to describe me. What’s been causing this you may ask? Well, if you’ve followed this blog lately you’ll know that I am struggling with my role in ministry and what lies ahead for me. For the first time in my 4 year journey as a church planter in training I am questioning whether this is what God is intending for me. Specifically, my heart for church planting is there and my passion lies in seeing God transform the lives of those that were deemed to be unchangable. It’s other factors in my home life that have caused me to question this as I truly believe my wife and I were called as a team to plant together. That God would connect her gifts with my gifts (which are quite different) for the glory of God.

However, as I pray–sometimes fasting and praying–and waiting on God’s voice, I find that there is no response. I feel distant from God. Thus I am not acting within my comfort zone as I feel like I’ve lost the assurance I was working under previously. I do not want to go ahead of God or act in such a way that I am not seeking his will and following the path he has directed me to. Hence, the timidness, confusion, etc.

I was praying and meditating and something has been getting my attention this week. It seems that everyone God is connecting me to in ministry lately seems to be Asian-American. I’ve engaged in conversation and debate with several new friends in Asian-American ministry and without exception they all feel that there is a need to develop such ministry in the future, but I have been fighting that trend believing that God wanted me to reach out to all people, regardless of ethnicity or color, and help unite them in Christ. Now, I am questioning that…a lot! Why would God connect me with these people? Is it to keep me convicted in the vision I believe he gave me, or is it his way of speaking to me and answering my prayers for direction through these discussions?

All roads seems to be leading me to explore what my role could be in an Asian-American ministry could be, yet I hesitate and resist. Then, another incident compounded this. My senior pastor tells me last night in our bible study that he saw a comment from Dave Gibbons on my Facebook profile and that he went to seminary with, and served alongside in a church with him. Pastor Gibbons has been getting a lot of attention with what God has been doing through Newsong church and was someone that many had mentioned to me as somebody to look at as an example of multi-cultural ministry within the context of being Asian-American.

So, when all roads seem to lead to the same place, but I still feel I want to resist going in that direction, I need to stop and pause, give praise to God, and start looking into this for real and as a possible way that God is speaking to me through others. Unfortunately, I can’t jump into this belieiving it is the direction I’ve been waiting for, but I pray that this will be an important aspect of the discernment process and that this will cause some things to begin to take shape in my marriage to help us be more unified. Please pray for me in this time of listening and discernment, and please pray for my wife and I to come together and experience ministry in harmony and in love and in ways that God can use us to help see other lives transformed by the power of his gospel.

Found what seems to be a huge blessing via twitter today. I’m now following @jasonsalamun and linked through to his blog about an awesome ministry: projectchurch.net. Just as Tony Morgan posts about Perryisms, I’m totally digging on some Jasonisms. Jason Salamun posted a list titled “101 Nuggets for Church Planters” and it’s very awesome! All 101 are necessary, but here are some that really made me say “Ah ha! Someone else gets church planting!” or “Wow! I definitely need to work on this!” I’ll let you decide which is which for me

2. If you are called, you have permission.

4. Don’t just plant a church; start a movement.

6. Don’t make the church your idol.  It’s easier than you think.

14. There’s a lot of wisdom in the words of dead guys.

22. Don’t talk about church all the time to your wife.  Pace yourself.

26. You should be able to explain the vision on the back of a napkin.

29. You’ll get criticized for things you never even said or implied. Get used to it.

40. Start a church where it’s okay to be a dude.

66. Typical is boring.

74. Be intentional.

77. Prepare- but understand that you’ll never been prepared enough.

79. Stand up for the ones who can’t stand up at all.

80. Time alone with a notebook, a pen, and a Bible often lead to something special.

81. Authentic people are led by authentic leaders.

87. It will be messy.

88. When was the last time you went to a bar or sat in the smoking section of a restaurant?

92. Repeat after me, “I heart simplicity.”

100. Church all boils down to relationships.

Rock on Jason! Praise God for putting the desire to be passionate for the Lord and minister to people and open enough to help other ministers stay on-track and to share in your victories!

Taking on the leadership at my home church for a season as a final learning step before being sent to plant a missional church has been very challenging. I came with so many ideas, yet many of them don’t seem to relate to the immediate congregation. Trying to take a group of people that are accustomed to maybe one missions trip per year and no other real form of group outreach and try to instill a passion for sacrificing our time and resources to go make a difference in our local community has been slow in connecting with them. It’s not their fault, but at times I wonder if it is mine.

Am I being prepared for the future move to a new ministry that will start off as missional in its dna, or am I being asked to lead the current group of people that God has put me before while meeting them where they are at? It’s tough sometimes, but I’m trying to move a little slower and exhibit patience while trying not to be discouraged.

Note to self: Gotta quit giving attention to Satan’s voice during my idle times!

I believe with all my heart that we are called to be the church, rather than just simply go to church. We are to bring Christ to the world and show others how he is the same yesterday, today and forever. We are the body and therefore we need to go out and be active in the community or we will sit around and get fat and lazy.

Lord, cause me to continually seek the wisdom and patience that you require me to have in order to lead your people in your timing and not my own. Continue to call me to be an example (through my actions) and not just a voice. Keep reminding me that it is for your glory and not my agenda that I have been called into service for. You grow the kingdom, I don’t. Search my heart and know that it is my desire to be obedient to your will and to be in service to the kingdom of heaven as long as you ask me, it is my honor and I am not worthy, but you are and that is where I will put my faith.

I feel as if God spoke to me through a blog today. Sounds crazy, right? However, think about this. If God created everything and gave us the ability to utilize tremendous resources in the 21st century, why wouldn’t God use the internet to communicate to his people?

I follow several blogs that help challenge and stretch me as a leader. Today it was a post in Dave Ferguson’s blog that helped me regain a little more focus. Dave’s post was titled, “5 Leadership Lessons it Took A Long Time to Learn.” What do I want to take away from a blog post like that? Simple! I want to learn from Dave today before we even have our official launch service for Revolution Church Sacramento rather than learn way down the road after making unnecessary mistakes.

While sorting through some things in prayer last week, one of the things that weighed heavy on my mind was the issue of finances and how we are behind schedule in raising financial support for our church plant. I was trying to determine what negative impact this would have on our start. However, Dave clarified this for me in lesson #2 from his blog post, which is “Money Always Follows Vision.” As I feel pretty confident that God wants to do a new thing here in Sacramento that gets Christians (and non-Christians) into the community to display Christ’s love for those that need it I believe that God will make a way to fund this vision and I should just be faithful to the vision and not put my faith in money.

As a leader I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert. As much experience as I have in secular, corporate leadership I cannot claim leading a church of thousands on my resume as Pastor Dave Ferguson has done with Community Christian Church. Therefore, I choose to humble myself when possible to learn from experienced lead pastors like Dave Ferguson and seek God to find out how and when those lessons and principles can be applied into the ministry here in Sacramento. So, a big thanks to God for giving us the internet and thanks to Dave Ferguson and other pastors like him that take the time to share their valuable insight on their blogs in the hopes that it helps others like me avoid some of their mistakes

Wow…wow…wow! I am speechless. What a humbling experience One Prayer has been. What a life-changing event One Prayer has been. To have a vision given to Craig Groeschel that required few words to convey, yet resonated so loudly and clearly to all those that became connected was definitely God showing His face for the world to see. I can’t to write out my reflections on our final One Prayer service today. Oh man, what a day it has been!

When we connected at www.oneprayer.com about 1 1/2 months ago, we were part of 50 churches and 35,000 individuals. In about 6 weeks this has grown to over 1,600 churches and almost 1 million people and there are many churches just starting and continuing this through the month of July. I am in awe of God’s providence and the way He works. I am amazed at how quickly and smoothly this was orchestrated and coordinated with little advance notice. Unbelievable, yet so believable because God is even bigger than One Prayer.

What a blessing and honor to have been a part of this. Dialog has been started, partnerships have developed and relationships are continuing grow all because we felt God calling us to start our tiny little church plant a couple of months early to be a part of this global project.

Praise God & thank you Craig Groeschel! This has touched many lives and was (and will continue to be) a vehicle to share God’s love and His salvation unto some who may not have ever been touched had Pastor Craig not followed through with this. Wow…wow…wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!