Big Vision, Small Sprints: How to Move Forward 90 Days at a Time

Vision Clarity in Action – Post 5
(Step 4 of the Best Vision Clarity Process for Churches)

You Don’t Need More Vision. You Need a 90-Day Plan.

Let’s be honest, casting a big vision is exciting.
Planning a new direction? Energizing.
Imagining the future? Inspiring.

But you know what wears leaders down?

👉 The gap between inspiration and execution.

You’ve named your Horizon.
You’ve clarified your One-Year Milestone.
Now what?

If you don’t break the vision into actionable steps, it will stay on the wall, in the binder, or in the pastor’s head.

The most overlooked truth in the best vision clarity process for churches is this:
Vision becomes real through small, focused action taken consistently.

Vision Follows a Holy Rhythm

Here’s something you may have never noticed before:
God designed the world—and our lives—to operate in rhythms.

• Yearly (orbital) – Seasons and festivals
• Quarterly (seasonal) – Change and growth cycles
• Monthly (lunar) – Markers for reflection and reset
• Weekly (sabbath) – Rest, renewal, rhythm
• Daily (rotational) – Faithfulness in the small things

When we cast vision, we start with the year and move down:
👉 Where is God leading us? What must be true in the next 12 months?

But when we execute vision, we must flip that rhythm on its head.
We start small:
👉 What can we do today? This week? In the next 90 days?

God doesn’t just call us to see the vision—He invites us to walk it out rhythm by rhythm, day by day.

This is why 90-day sprints are more than a leadership trick.
They’re a pattern built into the fabric of creation. Read more here! (pg. 170-174)

Why 90 Days Changes Everything

Three-year strategic plans don’t come to life just because they’re written on a board.
That beyond-the-horizon vision won’t materialize through sermons or staff meetings alone.

The preferred future is built one focused step at a time.

And those steps reveal themselves when you narrow the focus to what matters now.

Go back to your One-Year Milestone and ask:

“If we want to reach this by year’s end… what’s most important right now?”

Identify no more than four key initiatives for the next 90 days.
Assign clear ownership.
Break each initiative down into manageable steps.
And just like that—you’re not stuck.
You’re on your way.

A 90-day sprint:

• ✅ Is short enough to stay focused
• ✅ Is long enough to build traction
• ✅ Allows for quick wins that build momentum
• ✅ Makes it easy to adjust before you’re too far off track

It’s long enough to accomplish something meaningful and short enough to keep your team engaged without burnout.

The Power of the 90-Day Sprint

This is not about rushing.

It’s about learning to think and lead in manageable cycles that:

• Prioritize progress over perfection
• Create a sense of shared urgency
• Make vision tangible and measurable
• Build a rhythm of celebration and course correction

Want to see a stuck church get unstuck?
Give them 3 wins in 90 days. That’s fuel. That’s hope. That’s motion.

How It Works

I’ve already mentioned this above. But it bears repeating, and illustrating.

Once you’ve named your One-Year Milestone, ask:

What 3–4 initiatives could we complete in the next 90 days that would move us measurably closer to that milestone?

These might include:

• Forming and launching a pilot team
• Equipping volunteers for a new ministry focus
• Hosting a listening event with your neighborhood
• Simplifying a key ministry structure
• Releasing a new discipleship tool or practice

And then—here’s the critical part:
Own the outcomes. Celebrate the wins. Learn from the misses. Repeat.

Here’s a snapshot from our recent Leadership Board & Staff Retreat—a raw look at the 1-Year Emphasis Brainstorm we created together just two days ago.

This list represents the themes our team is most passionate about pursuing in the next year. But a list alone isn’t enough. Now it’s time to bring focus and build momentum.

➡️ We could not decide between two high-priority areas. They both captured our team’s attention.
➡️ In this case, we need to combine them into one clear, compelling objective—and make it measurable. (We haven’t even done this yet!)
➡️ Then ask:

“If we want to accomplish this by year’s end… what’s most important right now?”

Brainstorm freely. Make a long list.
Then consolidate and choose your top 4 action initiatives to tackle in the next 90 days.

Small Bursts. Long-Term Fruit.

It might not feel flashy.
But make no mistake, 90-day focus is what transforms a vivid dream into a movement that actually changes lives.

Jesus didn’t rush His mission. But He was relentlessly focused.

You can be too.

Vision isn’t accomplished all at once.
It grows 90 days at a time, in harmony with the rhythms God built into creation.

Reflect & Respond

• What’s one thing we could do in the next 90 days to move toward our milestone?
• How will we define “done” for that task?
• Who will lead it?
• How will we celebrate when it’s accomplished?

If your team can answer those four questions, you’re further along than most churches.

Ready to Plan Your Next 90 Days?

This is the final step in the best vision clarity process for churches, but it’s also the beginning of a new way to lead.

I help churches implement 90-day action rhythms that lead to sustainable clarity, health, and impact.

📅 Schedule a free Vision Discovery Call here
Let’s create movement that matters—together.