For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
If the first step of replanting is to surrender to being the soil for a new harvest, then the second question is, “What kind of harvest?” This is the question of vision.
In Part 1, we introduced the replanting journey of Heritage Green. We will talk a lot more about this congregation later on. But what was different about Heritage Green than for other congregations is that we came to the church with a fully formed vision: To replant the church with an emphasis on family ministry. In fact, the replanting vision for the church was refined to “an unapologetically family-focused church where families come to life in Jesus Christ.”
Now, the fact is, most churches will not begin the replanting journey with a laser-focused vision already in hand. In fact, a big part of replanting is the process of discerning a vision. Note that we didn’t say “developing” or “creating” a vision. Discerning is a very special word.
Discernment is “the intentional, prayerful seeking of God’s guidance” (Tim Archibald). It is a practice of listening for God’s leading and direction, through Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Discernment is beginning with the premise that God has a plan and a direction for us, and that He wants us to know that plan and follow His will and perfect path for us.
The replanting journey goes hand in hand with the process of discernment. Which makes perfect sense. Because if we believe that Jesus has placed our church in exactly that community we are in for exactly the time we are in, then we must believe that He put us here for a purpose. And if we are here with a purpose, then he wouldn’t want to keep that purpose hidden from us.
And yet, discernment is not a practice that most of our congregations are used to doing. We tend to be better at holding meetings, considering facts and opinions, and then voting on outcomes. The idea of listening for God’s still, small voice, and then refining our mind and our understanding until they align with His voice is somewhat foreign to us. And yet that’s exactly what we pray every time we say the words of the Lord’s prayer: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Discernment is the practice of learning God’s will for us.
A big part of discerning God’s will for our church is being aware of what the church actually is (and isn’t). When we have been in a church context for long enough, we begin to think of the church as the programs we run, or the worship style we enjoy, or the missions we support, or the specific people that we have been together with for so long.
As church members, we can forget that the church is called to be the body of Jesus, incarnate in our context and in our neighbourhood. We are “the body of Christ, and each one of [us] is part of it.” (1 Cor 12:27) We are “those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people” (1 Cor 1:2). We are the proclaimers of “the good news of the kingdom of God” (Acts 8:12). What a tremendous honour and responsibility!
Thus, part of discerning God’s vision for us is the process of re-learning what it means to be the church. We need to let go of what we think we know about “doing church”, and allow the Holy Spirit to shape us in new ways that will allow us to be the body of Christ for a new generation.
Once we have realigned our priorities, then we will be open to start listening for the new expressions of ministry and mission that God is bringing our way. This, too, requires new skills. Many of us are not used to imagining possibilities we have never experienced before. We tend to fall back into things that we already know. Thus, part of the visioning process is “unlocking” our creative and expressive minds to the Spirit’s guidance.
This is the fun part of replanting. It’s when we get to imagine new possibilities and catch a glimpse of a new way of living our Christ-mission in our community. That’s what a vision is: It’s a picture of what it might look like to be a deeply connected, Christ-centred community within our neighbourhood, in both ministry and mission.
Once we have put the vision into words in a way that resonates with the heart of the whole congregation, the next challenge becomes putting that vision into action. It means coming up with a strategic plan to bring those words and ideas to life. A plan with goals, objectives, timelines and a budget. Otherwise it isn’t a vision – it’s just a dream.
Finally, with our vision and strategic plan in hand, we begin working the plan. Not just some of the church. The whole church. Together.
And when new people arrive to join in the labour, they will find our fields ready, our earth tilled, and our soil rich and ready to receive them. And that’s when we get to watch our replanted church take root and grow.