Cast Your Vision In 2 Minutes
TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read) is a recent critique in our communication economy. With technology in general and social media specifically, we have changed how our attention spans work.
What this may mean is, while you are giving someone your pitch for a ministry endeavor, you may lose them, even if they are looking at you.
Working within our short attention span reality may be frustrating. After all, in a ministry, you are working in four different contexts — physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual — all at the same time. Add a response or application, and you have a lot to cover.
In other areas of work (technology, business, artistic), they practice distilling big ideas into short, compelling messages.
These ideas don’t fully communicate everything the presenter has in mind, but they do present enough to make the intended audience want to hear more.
You can use the same tools when casting a vision for your ministry. Again, you won’t share every detail, but you will share enough that if someone feels led, they will take the next step with you.
Exercise: Elevator Pitch
Who Thought Of It?
No one has credit for this activity. However, it is a time-honored business practice.
Why Do I Need It?
Elevator Pitch helps you frame your vision in a way that is short enough to cast quickly, but compelling enough for the listener to want to hear more.
What Do I Need For It?
- A challenge
- A group of people
- An idea you want to act upon
- Paper
- Markers/pens
- Post-Its
How Much Time For It?
90 minutes
How Many People Involved?
No particular number.
How Does It Work?
Imagine that you are trying to secure permission or funding for something. You, or a group of people, will come up with an elevator pitch for the solution to your problem.
How Do I Do It?
- Using the materials mentioned, determine the following:
- Who is the user/customer?
- What does this person need?
- What is our product or service name?
- What is our product’s market category?
- What is the key benefit?
- Who or what is the competition?
- What makes your solution different?
- Your answers will fill in the following statement:
For (the person you serve), who has (need), (idea) is a (category) that (benefits). Unlike (the way it is), the idea (what makes it unique or useful).
Example: Church Welcome Environment
For people new to our church who want to connect with others, Meet-Up is a place for them to learn more about this faith community. Unlike print, online, or social media, Meet-Up is an intimate face-to-face conversation that helps visitors connect with a person instead of an organization.
Notice how the pitch casts vision for the outcome (connect with people) without defining how it works. From this pitch, “Meet-Up” could be a dinner conversation, a home visit, or a location in the church.
Some Additional Things To Consider
You might need to spend time brainstorming the elements of your pitch. Use the Post-Its to capture ideas and then Dot Vote your favorite answers.
An elevator pitch is a great tool when meeting someone in the corridors of your church, and you only have a couple of minutes to share your vision.
It helps you streamline your vision into a quick and compelling message for your audience.
Ministry Accelerator equips churches and non-profits to use their creativity to love God and love others.
