Covey writes , “ Most people don ’ t listen with the intent to understand ; they listen with the intent to reply .” The gift offered to us in the dozens of consultation sessions was that there was no pressure to defend , justify or solve . Instead , we asked questions to seek to understand . Of course , there was time spent consolidating ideas , crafting words and creating tables , but the real work of this process has been the listening .
The result of our listening has been the creation of our 2021 - 2025 Strategic Roadmap – our vision , mission , values , priorities , desired outcomes and timelines . Vision readers will become familiar with this over time as we unpack the elements , tell stories about implementation , reflect on mistakes made and lessons learned and celebrate the realisation of some of our ideas . Below you can see a defining part of the Strategic Roadmap in our key vision statements .
Paul Tillich wrote , ‘ The first duty of love is to listen ’. As an expression of my love for our journey together in God ’ s mission , I hope I have listened well .
HOW WE LISTENED :
• 12 + months
• 30 + meetings
• 50 + hours on Zoom
• 100 + pages of notes
• 20 + drafts
With input from : intercultural workers , candidates , board members , pastors , theological college missiologists , young adults , partners and staff .
Insider
What we see : Vibrant faith communities following Jesus in their own distinctive ways Why : Because nothing matters more than sharing God ’ s love for the world How : Through Spirit-led people , humbly contextualising the Good News in every place
Vision Spring / Summer 2020 · Page 6