Alban Institute addresses the need to acquire vision in order to move into necessary change. Vision involves seeing both the past and the future:
Vision is a key factor in how congregations embrace change, move beyond the intense pain of loss, and rediscover their capacity to hope. Congregations that remain in the grip of loss and grief and anxiety are unable to see the present clearly—or to envision the future.
Clearly, vision points to what the future may hold. The process of casting a vision may be creative and hopeful and provide a source of considerable energy and enthusiasm as a congregation considers future ministry opportunities. The most effective “visioning processes” typically look forward and backward, learning from the past without being restricted by it.
Some leaders ignore the congregation’s rich past in casting a vision. Hoping to move boldly into the future, they may overlook the voices and traditions of the past and proceed too quickly with new initiatives. In doing so, they place the congregation at risk—and their capacity for effective leadership in peril.
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