I can’t remember where I originally “acquired” the above diagram except that I am sure it’s not original to me. Well, wherever it came from, I have found it an incredibly helpful tool for helping me conceptualise what I am trying to do as a leader and explaining to leadership groups what the task of leadership is. So I thought I would share it:

VISION
Our vision is what we want to become, this is the future goal towards which everything we do is supposed to move us. It’s criteria we judge everything on, if something moves us towards fulfilling our vision it can be embraced if it doesn’t it should be resisted

VALUES
Values are what we want to be know for as we fulfil our vision. These are set in concrete and don’t change. People who come into extended contact with a church should be able to articulate it’s values from those experiences.

VEHICLES
Vehicles are the structures and strategies which a church uses to increasingly fulfil it’s vision in a way which embodies and expresses it’s values. Obviously Sunday services would be one vehicle but discipleship programmes or social action projects etc could equally be vehicles for delivering a church’s vision

VALUATIONS
There is no use in having a great vision, values or vehicles if we cannot judge if we are in fact fulfilling our vision through our vehicles in a way which is in line with our values. Valuations are criteria and methods of measuring and assessing effectiveness and success.

Any leadership group is functioning well if it is clear about it’s Vision, Values, Vehicles and Valuations. Hope you find it helpful