On Vision...

You want to know how effective you are at casting vision? See if your core values make their way into the lives of those around you!

Here I am... trumpeting the call to multicultural ministry and racial reconciliation at Mosaic Community Church... Lead Pastor... Chief Dreamer & Visionary... I took my three boys out with me this evening to the store, and... as we were getting out of the minivan (which, I believe, is the 21st-century equivalent to the Brady Bunch station wagon)... I ran into a friend of mine, Chris Kim... who is Asian. As I was introducing Chris to my kids, Shawn... my middle son, who's 8... looks at him, and says, "ARE YOU JACKIE CHAN???" Ji-mi-neez!!!

Now, I know you're laughing (and it WAS funny... I'm glad Chris has a sense of humor, too), but it could've had disastrous results. Because I talk about it so much, I just assumed that my boys understood the importance of respecting people, regardless of race or skin color. Shawn didn't mean any harm, but... again... he could've done serious damage.

The same thing is true for us as leaders: a lot of times, we assume (there's that word again) that our people "get it", because we always talk about it! But casting vision and talking vision are not necessarily the same thing. We need to cast it often, cast it in different ways, and cast it well. Because there may come a time when you find out, embarassingly, that one of your key leaders hasn't "gotten it" and has caused others to not "get it."

And, then, it may not be so funny... and the damage will have been done.

Vision... don't leave your people without it.