The Power of a Shared Vision

Creating the

IrresisTiblE List

In leadership, having a clear, consistent vision that everyone can articulate is essential for long-term sustainability. This principle is especially true in church communities where maintaining an outward focus requires intentional effort against the natural gravitational pull toward insider culture.

Andy Stanley recognized this challenge when he realized that although his staff understood the importance of creating an "irresistible" environment for newcomers, they lacked a unified language to describe how they achieved this goal. As he explains, "If I were to survey our staff and ask the question, 'How do we make sure that our church continues to be irresistible?' everybody on our staff would probably give a right answer, but they wouldn't give the same answer."

This inconsistency posed a succession risk. Without clear, memorable language that could be passed down, future leadership generations might inadvertently drift away from the church's core mission of creating spaces where unchurched people feel welcome.

The solution was a deliberate process of crafting a shared vocabulary. Andy assembled a diverse team of staff members and challenged them to brainstorm ways to ensure they maintained their focus on reaching newcomers. Over several months, they refined their ideas and "shortened the list, worked on the words, shortened the list, and worked on the words.”

This painstaking effort resulted in what they now call "the irresistible list"—a concise set of questions that guides their decision-making and evaluation processes. By creating this common framework, they've ensured that their commitment to being a church that unchurched people love to attend remains "memorable, portable, and something that we can pass along."

Visit irresistible.church/irresist-list to learn more about creating a church environment that effectively reaches those who don't typically attend church.