In his book, The Purpose Driven Church, Rick Warren proposes the “Nehemiah Principle” for church leaders, which is a perfect way for congregations to become “churches after God’s own heart.”
The Israelites had just spent 70 years in exile, and their nation and the city of Jerusalem were utterly destroyed. Now some of the Jewish people were allowed to return. One of the leaders was heartbroken when he saw the destruction of the city walls, and he decided he would rebuild.
Nehemiah recruited a group of workers and during the first 26 days, they made much progress. However, attentions wandered and soon very few were coming to work. Building the walls just did not seem to be a critical task.
Nehemiah decided then to recast the vision. He went throughout the city telling people that what they were doing was not just building walls, but building a nation, God’s chosen nation. Suddenly people were motivated, and they showed up in droves to finish the walls in the next 26 days.
Warren says that leaders need to restate the vision of a church or a ministry once every 26 days, or at least once a month. Without a vision people perish, but with a clear vision nothing is impossible.
Do you remember the vision of Lutheran Church of Hope? I am sure you do, you hear it at least once a month, if not more often. Here it is again:
To reach out to the world around us and share the everlasting love of Jesus Christ. Powered by the Spirit, to bring Christ to all cultures, revive the world with God’s love, and make heaven more crowded.
Questions for reflection:
- What part of the vision of Lutheran Church of Hope is most powerful to you?
- How does the Nehemiah Principle apply to you and your ministry?
- What does a church after God’s own heart look like for you?