As I watch the landscape of vision casting in the North America church, the most important tip is the 11/16 principle. What exactly is it?
For the last 10 years I have played over and over again Martin Luther King's famous, "I Have a Dream" speech for church leaders. It is the best vision casting moment I know of, as an American shared experience for the 20th century.
So here's the principle: In MLK's famous speech, which lasts 16 minutes, he doesn't get to "I Have a Dream" until the 11th minute. What that means is that he spends 11 minutes on 'burning platform" before he talks about "golden tomorrow." He spends more time telling us what's wrong with "here," before he tells us about going "there."
This highlights the single most important principle of vision casting:
People could care less about your vision until they are emotionally connected to the prior problem.
Vision at the end of the day, is only a solution to a prior problem. And if I don't feel the problem, I don't get the vision. Your problem as a pastor is that you think I feel the problem. Well I don't. So pleeeaassseeee remind me. The world, my flesh and Satan have worked very hard to shield me from the real spiritual problems around me and inside of me.
Give me 11 minutes of problem and see how much 5 minutes of solution really goes. That's the 11/16 principle.
- What about your vision night to come?
- What about the vision night you just had?
Try 11/16 and let me know how it worked for you.