In Mancini’s book “God Dreams,” he says that in his work with churches there are 12 basic templates that guide their vision in unique ways. Please read the following descriptions of each template from his book and answer the questions by opening each form, entering a number for each question, then adding the numbers up. Try and do it all in one sitting. This is crucial anonymous feedback that will lead to a dinner/discussion to chart the course for the next 10 years at Cornerstone with the goal of a compelling vision for our church that is uniquely “us” but also much more focused than at present. This has been on my heart for a while, and I appreciate hearing what’s on your hearts for our church. They are not listed in order of importance.
Advancing through Geographic Saturation
“Your church’s vision is to bring the gospel to as many people as possible in your surrounding geography. You might state it as, “We will define a geographic area around us and take responsibility to personally communicate and demonstrate the gospel to everyone in that area.”
2. Advancing through Targeted Transformation
Your church’s vision is to identify a specific people, place, or thing you want to see changed dramatically by the gospel. You might state it as “We will direct our energy toward a specific people, place, or thing in order to see a specific kind of dramatic transformation.”
3. Advancing Through People Group Penetration
Your church’s vision is taking the gospel to a group of people who don’t have it yet. You might state it as, “We will engage a specific group of people, usually different from our own congregational makeup, through service and gospel proclamation.”
4. Rescuing through Institutional Renovation
Your church’s vision is to rejuvenate an institution that matters to God, most often a ministry that historically has been significant but has lost a degree of relevance, focus, or momentum. You might state is as, “We will renew a God-ordained institution like marriage, family, [Christian education] or church that has suffered decline, collapse, or neglect.”
5. Rescuing Through Need Adoption
Your church’s vision is to adopt a specific need you identify, often through compassion or mercy, typically triggered by studying the needs and then responding to them. You might state it as “We will choose to response to a specific need in our society, locally, regionally, and/or globally.”
6. Rescuing Through Crisis Mobilization
Your church’s vision is to mobilize for crises, or be prepared to mobilize for a future crisis. You might state it as, “We will respond to crisis by rallying our people and resources for immediate relief and/or long-term deployment and development.”
7. Becoming Through Spiritual Formation
Your church’s vision is for a spiritual formation that changes people and takes them along a significant pathway toward spiritual maturity. You might state it as, “We will grow as God’s people to reflect individually and corporately the spiritual maturity of Christ in specifically defined ways.”
8. Becoming through Presence Manifestation
Your church’s vision is to welcome and experience God’s presence anticipating ripple effects far beyond the life of your congregation. You might state it as, “We will seek God’s presence to be manifested to do whatever He wants and however He wants through our response, renewal, and revival.”
9. Becoming Through Obedient Anticipation
Your church’s vision is to live in strategic of obedient anticipation of more clear revelation from God and with the intent to respond as He leads. For now, however, you are waiting only, posturing to hear because God has not yet given direction. You might state it as, “We will posture our lives individually and corporately to hear from God and receive his direction for our congregation.”
10. Overflowing Through Leadership Multiplication
Your church’s vision is to develop more leaders so as to take the church to where God wants you to go. You might state is as “We will raise up and release leaders to accomplish whatever God calls them to do.”
11. Overflowing Through Cultural Replication
Your church’s vision is to replicate it’s model, whether vie multisite or other forms, spilling over to many place, new franchises, and new brands of “our” kind of ministry. You might state it as, “We will expand our influence by starting more campuses or church expressions that carry our ministry philosophy, unified vision, and brand.”
12. Overflowing Through Anointing Amplification
Your church’s vision is to do all you can to leverage and amplify the impact of a particular leader, often someone who is a stellar teacher. You might state it as, “We will promote the special gifting and anointing of a person whom God chose to make a unique contribution to our society or world.”