George Barna is the founder of The Barna Group, a market research company. Barna has written other books on leadership and church growth, such as The Power of Team Leadership and Grow Your Church from the Outside In, however, Barna stated in the introduction to The Power of Vision that she had never had a book before. it seemed to be written through me and not through me. “In this book, Barna emphasizes the importance of pastors and church leadership discovering God’s vision for their ministry and the church. Although the” vision “is a A popular theme in both business and church administration, Barna claims that few major churches, believers, or even pastors understand God’s vision for ministry.This book contains simple and direct principles for discovering God’s vision, for projecting the vision and help others grasp it and implement the vision for the glory of God.
Barna’s main purpose in writing The Power of Vision is to challenge pastors and leaders to discover God’s vision for their ministry and then develop and implement the vision. In this writer’s opinion, Barna does a good job of accomplishing the book’s intended purposes. Barna defines “vision” as “a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God to his chosen servants and based on a precise understanding of God, of himself, and of circumstances.” Then divide the definition into four more detailed components: a clear mental image; a preferable future; a future focus; an impartation from God. Throughout the book, Barna refers to the different components of this definition, but he continually emphasizes the most important component; The vision is imparted by God.
Barna also paints a clear picture of a visionary leader by listing the requirements for grasping the vision of God and describing the characteristics of a visionary. Vision requires knowing God, knowing yourself, and understanding circumstances, such as needs, opportunities, and barriers. Visionary pastors have “an urgent need to seek the glory of God by doing their work, in their own way, according to his vision.” It’s common for leaders to confuse mission with vision, so Barna emphasizes the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement. A mission statement defines the ministry and describes the objectives. It is a general statement about what the church hopes to accomplish. A vision statement is “specific, detailed, personalized, distinctive, and unique to a given church.” The vision statement puts the ministry’s goals into action. There are many myths related to vision development, so Barna lists twenty of the most common myths and dispels them with the reality of true vision.
The book also goes into great detail to discuss the benefits of having vision and also covers the barriers and cost to implement vision. Most importantly, Barna reminds leaders that the vision must be centered on God and not on personal abilities because “man’s vision is flawed.” The leader’s values and desires must align with the heart of God. A vision produced by God will be perfect, blessed and inspired and has only one goal, which is to glorify him.
The things about this book that I consider strengths are easy to read first. The book is short and written in simple language instead of being full of confusing jargon. Second, the book provides detailed and accurate information in a very direct and direct way. Third and most important, Barna gives God the glory for the inspiration for this book.
Anyone with a serious desire to be an effective leader will look for ways to improve their skills, but few people have time to read big books full of technical and confusing jargon. Barna offers relevant information in a simple format. Although the book is reasonably short, it is not without substance. Barna begins with a definition of vision that helps you better understand what “vision” really means. The vision is to have a clear idea or an image in the mind of the future that they prefer. However, the key to the vision is that it must be the vision of God given to a leader and not just the preferred future that an individual may have for the church. All pastors want the best for their church and may have great ideas and plans for the future, but only God’s plans for the future will be successful. Barna not only explains the process of capturing, launching, and implementing vision, but also provides information on common misconceptions regarding vision. In chapter three, Barna explains the difference between vision and mission because the two are often confused. Then correct twenty of the most common myths about vision. It is often easier to understand how to do something correctly if you first understand what you were doing incorrectly.
Although I am not a pastor, nor am I in a leadership position in a church, I enjoyed reading The Power of Vision. Anyone seeking direction regarding God’s call to them in ministry should read this book. As part of the body of Christ, all Christians have a purpose and a job to do within the ministry. Discovering God’s vision for life and ministry is important to all of God’s people. It is especially important for shepherds because they are called to lead the flock. Having a clear vision given by God will give pastors the direction to lead effectively. This book is inspiring and challenging and would be a valuable addition to any pastor’s library.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barna, George. The power of vision. 3rd ed. Ventura, CA: Regal / Gospel Light, 2009.
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