Monica (my daughter), Isaac (Construction foreman), Erin (team member) and Ronnie (Construction worker)
Last week we looked at the Watoto Church I visited in Uganda, and the church’s discerned vision which provides a focus to their ministry. This week, we look at:
This vision is clearly communicated with the church members and with us as visitors.
Everyone who hosted us took a few minutes to talk about the church’s vision, their role in it. Like layers of an onion, it took on greater depth and meaning for me each time I heard from a different person with a different vantage point. Especially moving for me was the pastor of the village where we built a classroom. He talked about their goal of providing not just shelter and food for these orphans, but education and spiritual nurture, such that the whole person: body, mind, and soul is cared for. Therefore, Watoto’s Bbira village had a pastor, like himself, who worked with others to create worship and Christian formation for the children.
The Watoto Church worship was another occasion where I could see the philosophy of clearly communicating the vision at every turn. The worship felt much like that at any other large, Pentecostal church in the U.S.– in terms of lively worship complete with a band, and extensive use of high-tech/multi-media. (A whiplash experience when one leaves the sanctuary to encounter the inadequate plumbing and lack of toilet paper in the bathrooms! That part felt more classically “third-world”.) Interesting to me was the use of two DVDs in the service: 1) one conveying the church’s discerned calling of caring for widows/orphans, and inviting the worshippers to support this ministry through the monthly financial support of one child and 2) a DVD conveying the church’s vision and core values. I asked our guide, Andrew, how often they showed these two DVDs, the answer–every week. I said, “you gotta be kidding?! That’s so repetitive. Doesn’t anybody complain? Get sick of it?” He said not that he knew of. So the church has decided to err on the side of being a broken record, rather than not clearly communicating their vision.
As many churches do, the sermon was part of a series on their revised vision statement, in which they were adding core values: Christ, Word, Character, Community, Worship, Excellence and Unity. The sermon we heard was the last in the series, on Unity, but the preacher started the sermon explaining each of the core values in brief. Then the “Unity” value was expounded using Pauline theology of the body of Christ, and the unity in one Lord despite a variety of gifts. He went on to relate this to their vision of being a cell-based church. Though these cells meet all over Kampala, and the church has 4 worship centers, their unity doesn’t come from all knowing each other, or worshiping in the same place, but their unity comes from their common calling in the Spirit.
As I mentioned last week, interesting to take this trip in the middle of reading and coding the 51 interviews of clergy/staff for my Doctor of Ministry thesis. One theme that has emerged is the emphasis on leadership which creates process by which God’s vision can be discerned. The Spirit (or God) is credited as leading the church in discerning this vision, the leader creates the environment or process for this to happen. Then the focus is on how to communicate the vision, and equip people to live into the vision. At times in these interviews, it’s almost like a broken record, hearing staff person after staff person reflect on how their work contributes their discerned vision for the church. Watoto church reminded me of the “broken record” philosophy of communicating vision.
Does your church ascribe to the “broken record” philosophy of communicating vision?
What is the right balance for your church between boring repetition and/or inspiring, clear communication of vision?
Next week: This vision is implemented with careful and thoughtful management.
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