Habakkuk 2:1-3 reads, “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the Lord answered me, ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end — it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’”
Sight is what we see with our eyes open; vision is what we see with our eyes closed. Habakkuk had a problem and needed clear vision, so he climbed the tower to see what God would say. He wasn’t after natural sight; he was seeking supernatural vision.
If we want vision, we need perspective like Habakkuk. We must climb the tower and situate ourselves in God’s presence so we can begin to see how he sees. As we wrestle in prayer, God shifts our earthly perspective to things above, speaking to us through visions and dreams about what lies ahead.
It was once stated that if you want to find a needle in a haystack, it’s nearly impossible with just your senses. But when you place a magnet on the edge of the haystack, the needle jumps out. Vision is the magnet — it draws out the right people and resources to accomplish what God has spoken from heaven. While vision rarely requires immediate action, it always requires patience. As we wait on God, we can trust that he is preparing what he promised; just like the Lord told Habakkuk, “the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end — it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
Having vision and sharing it with the people we lead is vital to the longevity of our churches, organizations, workplaces, homes, families, and individual lives. Proverbs 29:18 warns that where there is no vision, people perish. Worse than being blind is having sight with no vision. So how do we gain vision?
Vision is created when frustration with what is creates passion for what could be. It brings unity to teams as we work together to accomplish a shared purpose. We make wiser decisions, know where to put our yes and our no, and operate more efficiently and effectively when we have vision. It brings clarity and alignment, establishes and strengthens culture, and gives meaning to our goals. It’s a bridge between our present circumstances and future reality. There are few things more dangerous than speed in the wrong direction — vision provides a destination, ensuring we stay on the path and move in the right direction.
As every year draws to a close, we designate the last month and a half to what we call: Vision Season, a time for our church to gather around the vision for the coming year. Vision Season adds weight to every area of our church and is anchored by two key gatherings:
VISION SUNDAY
A special Sunday as we gather to celebrate everything God did through the year and look ahead to what God is speaking about next year. Every Vision Sunday brings an opportunity to present next year’s vision.
BRICKLAYERS OFFERING SUNDAY
A once a year above and beyond offering to accelerate the vision. All offerings given on this day are designated towards the upcoming year's Vision Initiatives. But long before these gatherings, our team works to craft a creative campaign that communicates the vision to our in-person and online audience.
_____________
THE COMPONENTS OF A CREATIVE CAMPAIGN
See the Vision Season Concept Deck
1 — Theme + Guiding Language
This year's Vision Theme, W8, comes out of Isaiah 40:31 NKJV:
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
We wanted to communicate that waiting on God brings strength, and that in His presence we experience the weight of His glory.
2 — Creative Direction
Color: Green to communicate a fresh start.
Icon: Kite to communicate the juxtaposition of weight, weightlessness.
Numerology: 8, the number of new beginnings.
3 — Social Campaign
On social, a cohesive grid is shared leading up to Vision Sunday and throughout Vision Season.
4 — Location Environments
A large component of making this season feel special is attributed to our on-site environments installations.
5 — Web
As guests interact with all of the above elements, they are directed back to the central hub for all things Vision Season — vouschurch.com/vision.
