How to Breathe Vision in Parish Leadership 

Having vision vs. breathing vision.

There's a difference between having a vision and truly bringing it to life for your people and organization.

It's more than just a catchy statement; it's about embodying the vision and making it a consistent part of the organization's culture and actions.

How do you breathe vision so that it’s lived out across your entire organization? Breathing is natural! It’s not something you have to think about–You just do it. It's consistent.

How do we embody vision in that same way so it becomes natural and consistent? Because if we have a vision but don't act on it, it likely won’t come to fruition.

That's often the case, not just in the church but also in businesses, sports teams, or other areas of ministry.

How do we embody and live out the vision we feel called to pursue?

A vision felt at every level.

My passion is leadership; my first love is Jesus and His church.

When I can apply leadership within the Catholic Church so that more people can come to know Jesus, that’s where I find true purpose!

I remember the first place I experienced leadership in the context of church.

It wasn’t in a Catholic Church. I'm not saying that doesn't happen or can't happen in the Catholic Church; that simply wasn't where I first experienced it!

I was living in Moncton, New Brunswick, at the time, and a neighbour invited me multiple times to attend their church. I basically told them, "I'm Catholic... I don't want to go to your church. I'm sure you have a lovely church, but I don't want to do church more than once on the weekend!"

Yet, the more I cared about them and got to know them, the harder it was to say no to their invitations.

They knew I liked music, and one day, they mentioned that a guest band would be playing at their service and once again asked if I’d be willing to attend.

Reluctantly, I agreed.

At this point, I was thinking, "okay, I'll come this one time. But please stop asking me after this." So I went! After attending Mass first, I headed over to this service.

As soon as we arrived, I was struck by the energy and enthusiasm of the people at the door. They seemed confident and happy, and the welcoming atmosphere was unlike anything I’d seen anywhere else.

The service was different from what I was used to in the Catholic Church, but it was a fantastic experience! The music was great; the preaching was engaging. But the thing that most struck me was that, from the moment I arrived, I could tangibly see the leadership and vision of the church lived out at every level.

Their people were engaged and empowered as they created an environment that fostered ownership and participation.

I didn’t hear anyone talk about the vision; I experienced it! I could see it. They were breathing vision on every possible front, and I received it right through the organization.

Their pastor, Pastor Laurel Buckingham, exemplified what it means to empower people. Even though I didn't understand their organizational structure, I could see and hear the same culture, desire, and hope through everything.

And I just thought, "what is happening here?"

It was clear to me that there were many things this church was doing that could also be applied to the Catholic Church!

Nothing I saw detracted from our liturgy or sacramental experiences. Instead, it sparked a realization in me that there were ways to make our faith more engaging and empowering!

And that was the first time I'd experienced something that changed my entire paradigm of what's possible.

Embodying vision rooted in conviction.

So what stops us all from achieving that level of breathed vision?

I believe one thing that holds many of us back is that it's often much more challenging than we expect.

Think about Moses leading God's people out of Egypt.

If he had known how difficult the journey would be, I suspect he might have reconsidered his decision. Knowing he would be up against numerous challenges, such as complaints from the people, resistance to his leadership, and the worship of false gods, it might have crossed his mind to reconsider.

But just like Moses, we all have a promised land that God calls us to. We all have God's calling on us to positively impact the world in whatever our area of influence.

When faced with pushback, many leaders second-guess their vision or commitment.

If we're not rooted and embodying God's conviction in our hearts, we'll fall apart like a house of cards.

To avoid this, we must consistently tap into that vision and conviction through regular prayer, mentorship, and a supportive team that can remind us of the greater purpose, even when things get tough.

Leadership can become isolating and ineffective if we don't surround ourselves with support and guidance!

The inside and outside of the cup have to be the same.

You can't fake vision.

It’s incredibly frustrating when people see your values printed beautifully on a wall but then experience something radically different in how those in positions of influence treat them in real life.

Our actions have to align with our words!

If we say our purpose is to live like Jesus and show his love to those in our sphere of influence, but then we turn around and treat our people poorly for the sake of a "noble mission,” that's not good enough.

The inside of the cup and the outside of the cup must be the same.

When we bring integrity to our leadership across every ministry, breathe vision through all of it, and embody that vision in how we treat people, we start seeing real engagement and buy-in from our teams.

Not because of a catchy vision statement printed across somebody's t-shirt or that fancy sign on the wall; People will get behind the vision when they see it breathed through the entire organization!

But how do we enculturate people so that they, too, embrace the vision?

Prayer is always the foundation.

The foundation of any successful vision is a deep connection with God. Through prayer, we can discover our heart's genuine desire and the calling that God has placed on our lives.

I love how Father James Mallon speaks of "holy discontent’; a restlessness that tells us that something is not right and that we need to change.

This is the starting point for uncovering your vision!

Go to God in prayer and let the Holy Spirit guide you as you listen and walk in obedience.

We need to create environments where we’re held accountable for the gap between our vision and actions. We do this by surrounding ourselves with mentors who help us tap into our full potential and also by leading from a team that has permission to hold us accountable to the vision.

As you reflect on this topic, ask yourself some crucial questions:

● Who does God say you are?

● What have you been called to do?

● What type of person do you feel called to be?

When you unpack those questions, it becomes easier to evaluate whether your actions align with your vision!

What's percolating in you that says, "This isn't good enough"? Go there in your prayer. Let the Holy Spirit transform you.

It's not something that happens overnight; it’s not even something you can do in a week or a month.

I genuinely believe it requires a lifetime of listening and walking in obedience as you uncover God's call on your life!

God’s calling won’t always make sense.

God is calling us to do things that don’t make sense; He's asking us to live supernatural lives and bring alignment to everything we do.

He’s calling us to be the leaders the church needs in this generation!

Our mandate is to have a disproportionate impact on the world around us.

This will require something of us that isn’t normal; it may even feel impossible at times!

But there are steps we can take to set ourselves up for success.

It all starts with committing to walking in obedience every day.

The results in your church will not improve unless you, as a leader, are willing first to improve yourself.

It's not just about having great ideas; it's about being a great leader with a clear commitment to follow God's call on your life!

Leadership requires humility and a willingness to step out of our comfort zone.

We must create a leadership culture that enables our team to live out the vision across every area of the organization.

Once everyone is aligned on what we’re aiming at, we need to have courage to chase after those convictions with everything we are–and the humility to let everything else go.

It starts with saying to God, “I want what you want. I can't be stuck in my ways anymore. I need help, and I need the Spirit to come and move in me.”

Pray for conviction on what the right things are.

Ask God to reveal how you can get everyone aligned on the vision, and then ask Him for the courage to follow those convictions through to the end.

And when you do? Just watch what God will do through you!

--

This blog post was adapted from a written transcript of Ep. 95 of the Ron Huntley Leadership Podcast with Ron Huntley & Christian Huntley.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube: ‘How To: Breathing Vision into Catholic Ministry’