Rubbing Shoulders with Visionaries

You’ve heard the saying, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” In other words, if you’re going to get smarter, get around people who are smarter than you. Of course, for some of us, pretty much anyone will suffice!

Similarly, I’ve been sensing lately a need to be around people who have more vision than me. Surely, I’m not the only one whose vision for the nations is prone to flag from time to time. Am I?

Last night I was on the phone with a ministry partner who shared about a trip to North Africa. It had profoundly changed him, he said: “What I saw convinced me a whole Muslim people group, not just ones and twos, could be won to Christ.” That was straight dopamine for me. After a few minutes buddy-breathing on his vision, I hung up the phone happy!

I’m wondering how to get around big-vision people more consistently. As mission mobilizers, we’re often scattered about and maybe even prone to isolation. Without regular reinforcement, given the blows our faith will doubtless take, we may falter or plateau.

So how can I—I mean we—get in proximity to people of great vision? Here are some ideas. But I’m hoping you have some that are even better. Let me know!

1. Go to mission conferences.

We list many of these on the Missions Catalyst events calendar and will soon be adding a host of 2020 events.

  • Upside: You can hang out and ask great people great questions while they eat breakfast.
  • Downside: Pretty pricey.

2. Text visionary people.

I guess you could call, too, but that just scares me! Ask them how you can pray for them. Ask them to tell you about their vision or tell you about something they’ve found encouraging lately.

3. Crash a Perspectives class.

Offer to host the instructor or drive them to the airport.

4. Read visionary books.

Start with the Bible. Read fiction and non-fiction as well as magazines and blogs. Missions Catalyst Resource Reviews can give you some leads. Reading James Bryan Smith’s The Magnificent Story recently did wonders for my vision. It increased my hope and desire for God’s kingdom.

5. Borrow vision from related disciplines.

Get coffee with local pastors who are killing it. Take entrepreneurs and successful farmers to lunch.

What do you do when your vision dips low? Let us know.

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