As many of you do, my wife and I take parenting very seriously. Our number one goal is to create an environment of love for God, love for people, respect, honesty, and obedience. We believe these elements, along with nurturing, training and accountability, will lead to our vision of children growing up into godly adults. Lived out values lead to an accomplished vision.

• You say, “Well this works fine with family, but in business and ministry we have to reach the vision no matter what.” Truett Cathy (Chick-fil-A) says it well, “My attitude regarding the distant future is to do the best we can every day and take advantage of unexpected opportunities. That combination will lead us to success. I don’t want to set some arbitrary target out there that might lead us to make inappropriate decisions just to achieve it.”
• Let me say it another way, visions normally evolve over time, while values stay consistent. Values are what define your environment, whether home, work, or church. If your commitment to the vision causes you to compromise your values, you are conflicted. Eventually something must give: your relationships, your health, or your character. So, how can we keep the balance between consistent values and compelling vision? What systems can we put in place that serve as guardrails in honoring our values?
• We see the preeminence of values in everyday life. When we focus on the quality of a product or service, the quantity soon follows. Respect, honesty, excellence, involvement, and patience all feed the greater good of the vision. We cannibalize the vision when we compromise or take a short cut with our values. It is easier to follow our values when things are going well, but it is during the difficult times that we really live out what we believe. When we relentlessly adhere to our values, the vision faithfully follows.
• The vision of Jesus is to reach the world with His message of life transformation. However, His method of accomplishing the vision is by valuing the individual. When the priority is on the one, then the world will be won. We at Ministry Ventures hold with deep conviction the values of Christ-Centered, Relational, Accountable, Servant Leader, Entrepreneurial, and Systematic. If we are consistent in living out these behaviors, we believe the vision will be achieved. We need the vision to point us in the right direction, and we need the values to help us get there in a Christ honoring way!