Forward Looking
Many people live in the past. Including leaders. They dwell on past failures, what happened to them, or what could have happened. Their outlook in life is based on what they see in their rear view mirror.
One of my favourite authors, Donald Miller, in his recent book, Hero on a Mission, shares the plan that led him to turn his life around. A key component of his plan is viewing what you are doing today from the perspective of the end of your life. He encourages people to write their own eulogy. This eulogy will include things such as the one thing you want others to remember you for. The legacy you hope to leave behind. The major projects you worked on and accomplished. The causes you were passionate about. Once you know the end point of your life you can develop the incremental steps that will help you get there. This plan is not focused on the past, but thinking and planning for the future. It is forward looking.
What Miller suggests in his book reminds me of the apostle Paul. As Paul reflects on the direction of his life, he writes: "Not that I have ... already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12–14.) Paul was forward looking.
We have been looking at eight often-overlooked characteristics that effective church leaders share.1 Today we consider this: effective church leaders are forward looking. Every church has traditions, and for the most part, these traditions are life-giving. These traditions live out the story of what God has been doing in and through the local church. But church traditionalism is life-threatening. Traditionalism holds on to the past for the sake of the past, without a view to what God is doing and can do into the future. What about you? Do you believe your church's best days are behind you? Or do you believe that your best days are yet ahead? Effective leaders focus on, as did the apostle Paul, "what is ahead." They are forward looking.
What does it mean to be forward looking? First, it means that you do not dwell on the past. Yes, you and your church have a history. There were successes and failures, high points and low points. There are lessons to learn from whatever happened or could have happened. But don't allow the past to stop you or stiffle you moving forward. Carrying the baggage of the past into the present will only slow you down. With the apostle Paul, forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.
Second, to be forward looking means you focus on the opportunities around you. Every church has a ministry context. You have a community of believers that are part of the local church. And there are thousands of people who make up the neighbourhoods around the church. Matthew tells us that Jesus noticed the people around him: "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers out into his harvest field.'" (Matthew 9:36-38) Jesus saw the needs around him as opportunities to engage in ministry. This is what effective church leaders do. They take stock of both those who are part of their church and those in the community around them. What are needs in the church? What are the needs in the community? And what can you as a church do to meet those needs? Two of the pressing needs today among our churches are exactly what moved Jesus to action in his day: the crowds of people who are lost and the lack of enough gospel workers. These are the opportunities that forward looking church leaders focus on.
Third, to be forward looking means you develop a compelling vision that keeps you looking forward into the future and ahead of your current church situation. Effective church leaders are always a step ahead of their congregation. Not a block ahead -- that might make you a blockhead. You do not want to be so far ahead of your church members that they have no time to catch up. But you need to be a step ahead. You need to have a solid vision of what you believe God would have you and your church achieve for his glory and the good of others. As John Maxwell states emphatically: "Vision is everything for a leader. Show me a leader without vision, and I'll show you someone who isn't going anywhere. At best, he is travelling in circles." (Leadership 101) Effective church leaders are constantly thinking and planning for the future.
So think about the future. Five years from now. Ten years from now. What do you as a church leader or church want to be remembered for? What legacy are you leaving for the next generation in your church and the community around you? What major projects have you worked on and accomplished? What causes were you as a leader and you as a church passionate about? Answer those questions and you will be well on your way to being forward looking.
1 The first characteristic we looked at was: effective church leaders listen to and obey the voice of God
About the author
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
