Do you have a vision statement?

A vision statement is different than a mission statement, because it gives energy to the implementation of the mission.

To create one, gather your staff and ministry leaders for a brainstorming session. Ask these three questions:

1. Where do we want to go?
2. What do we want to accomplish?
3. Where are we now in this process?

Next identify and list the parish's

1. strengths
2. weaknesses
3. opportunities
4. obstacles

Then open a free-wheeling discussion on how to use each of the parish's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and obstacles to achieve where the parish should go and what the parish should accomplish, starting at where you are now in this process.

There are to be no responses to anyone's input. Every opinion counts. No one is "wrong". The pastor and core leaders will fine tune the input into a vision statement later. For now, people should feel free to say anything they believe is true, without criticism, correction, defense or offense. Have a scribe write everything on a poster or white board for all to see, and another scribe to record it all on paper for the core group's use.