History of Vision 2 Serve
In 1965, John Gillespie and his wife Jan founded the 500-acre Rawhide Boys Ranch in Wisconsin that provides a very successful Christian residential program for delinquent teenage boys. Under their leadership Rawhide raised over 100 million dollars in contributions and redirected the lives of thousands of teenage boys referred by juvenile courts.

Vision2Serve originally operated under the name Bayside Growth Team as a traditional stewardship company that helped churches with capital campaigns. In 2001, John was asked to manage BGT. In 2003 he acquired the ministry and adjusted the focus to ministry expansion. The name was then changed to reflect that expanded approach.

Vision 2 Serve Program Summary
V2S uses a simple process that helps churches define their VISION and communicate it effectively to their congregation. A team approach gathers input from the congregation and a leadership team guided by the Senior Pastor formulates the Vision. Long-term and 12-month goals are set and published in a Vision Brochure. Goals include service to the Congregation, the Community and the World.

Rather than using the Senior Pastor and other church staff to carry the workload of this program, V2S uses a process that involves 40% or more of the congregation serving on various teams, all doing a small part. This adds little additional demands on staff. Through the process, the congregation grows in enthusiasm, new leaders are developed, and uninvolved members become active in the church.

The program has eight Preparation Weeks where church team leaders are trained by a V2S Coach and they begin their tasks. This is followed by eight Activity Weeks where the congregation gets involved. Through Personal Visits, a Dessert Feast, a Prayer Vigil and other events the congregation becomes motivated to volunteer time and finances to support the clearly defined Church Vision Goals. Financial giving increases as a natural by-product of increased congregational involvement and excitement.

Members are never individually asked to increase giving. They are given a very comfortable and confidential invitation, during a church service, to complete an annual pledge card that allows them to: Pledge to invest their time in a church ministry; Pledge an additional amount in their regular weekly offering; and Pledge a special monthly gift for ministry expansion. Members are more comfortable pledging because they know they can revise pledges annually rather than committing an increased amount over several years.

On-Going Leadership & Stewardship Training
After implementing the Program the first year with close V2S support, the church repeats the process annually. It provides an effective and on-going way to develop leaders and encourage stewardship. This is used in place of your current annual stewardship effort, or can be in addition to it. A significant benefit is that your own leaders annually train new leaders to repeat the program without ever having to rehire consultants.