1. Concise. It takes work to get a vision statement that can be stated in a sentence or two. But this also forces a group to choose very specific words to define the vision. Long, drawn-out vision statements are hard to remember and difficult to communicate.

2. Clear. Make sure your vision has clarity and is easily understood. For example, in the vision statement above, it is clear that the group wants to grow personally and in numbers as a group.

3. Consistent. Is the vision consistent with the overall mission of the church? Your vision statement for your group should somehow relate directly to the purpose of the church.

4. Compelling. Is your vision statement something you can sink your teeth into? Is it something worth rallying around? Does it reflect the passion of the group?

5. Easily communicated. Can the members of your group communicate the vision? The vision should be worded in such a way that the phrases or words are easily spoken and remembered. The vision statement above is organized around the concepts of spiritual growth, interpersonal growth, emotional growth and maturity, and numerical growth.

6. Collaborative. Was the vision statement developed in collaboration with the group? It is key that you work with your group members (or at least the regular attenders in some ministries) to develop a vision statement that reflects the values of the group as a whole. The more that people own the vision, the more they will make a commitment to it. Remember, the Scripture says, “Without vision, the people will perish.” Without a vision, the people in your group will wander aimlessly and sense a lack of purpose.

Bill Donahue, Leading Life-Changing Small Groups, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1996), pp. 79-80