BUILDING A SHARED VISION

1. Ask everyone to write on post-it notes my vision for my life, my congregation, the presbytery, the Church of Scotland. Stick them all on the wall in relevant groups, to show the network of visions which make up the Kingdom of God. Give people time to read the results. Play some music while it’s all going on. 

2. Look at the ‘Theology of the Report’ on page 1. Break into groups and give each group one or two of the points. Consider: 
* What might this theology mean for our presbytery? 
* How does our presbytery already express this theology? 
* How could we build on what we already do? 
Use the answers to construct a theological picture of ‘who we are’ and ‘where we’re going’ as a Presbytery. 

3. The three parts of a vision are:
* the dream (what?) 
* the purpose (why?) 
* the core values (how?). 
Discuss in groups, and then in plenary, how what has been said so far might translate into these headings. 

4. Get Presbytery Elders inspired, and send them back to inspire their congregations too. Don’t give them an ‘official vision’ to promulgate: when they have taken part in the vision building exercises above, give them a resource pack to enable them to do the same thing with their own congregation. 

5. When congregations have considered their Church without Walls vision, discuss in groups and then in plenary what they said, and how the presbytery vision might need to be modified accordingly. 

6. Consider what a Presbytery with this vision might look like, and what things it might do. 

7. Find ways to communicate the vision through art, music, prayer, writing. 

8. Don’t produce a tidy vision statement, and stop. Building a church without walls is a long-term process. Keep finding ways to continue it, and ensure the evolving vision underpins everything that’s done.