Purpose · Vision · Tenets · Values

Getting Ready for PVTV

A short guide to prepare for our time together, plus a short survey.

Want to know more about me? Visit jeffhilimire.com

Welcome. I'm excited to meet with you all.

Over the years I've had the chance to work with a lot of organizations: startups, large companies, nonprofits, and churches. The healthiest ones almost always have one thing in common. They can answer a simple question: why do we exist?

That's what our time together is about. We're going to work through four things, together: our Purpose (why this church exists), our Vision (where we feel called to be in a few years), our Tenets (how we'll get there), and our Values (who we'll be along the way). I call it PVTV, and I've seen it change the way groups think, decide, and serve together.

Here's the good news: you don't need to prepare much. There's no test, no wrong answers, and nobody expects you to show up with the finished product. Spend 20 minutes on this page, think about the questions below, fill out the short survey, and come ready to talk. The best ideas will come from the people in the room, not from me.

See you soon,

Jeff

The 5-Day Turnaround
The Great Team Turnaround
The Culture Turnaround
The Purpose Playbook
PVTV comes from the Turnaround Leadership Series and The Purpose Playbook.

What Is PVTV?

PVTV stands for Purpose, Vision, Tenets, & Values. Together they give a church a shared answer to why it exists, where it's going, how it will get there, and how it will live along the way.

Purpose

Why we exist

Purpose is the core reason this church exists, beyond Sunday mornings and the day-to-day work. It guides how we act and touches everyone we serve. A good Purpose should still be true ten years from now.

Vision

Where we're going

Vision paints a picture of where we dream to be in the next three to five years. It's specific enough that we'll know when we've reached it.

Tenets

How we'll get there

Tenets are the few well-thought-out moves we commit to in order to reach our Vision. They're written as “We will do this by...”

Values

Who we'll be along the way

Values are the soul-deep beliefs that guide how we behave, especially when no one is watching. They're written as “We believe in...”

One way to remember it: Purpose is the gravitational pull, Vision is the North Star, Tenets are the recipe, and Values are the DNA.

Questions to Think About

You don't need to write anything down (though you can). Just let these rattle around before we get together:

  1. 1

    Why does this church matter?

    If we disappeared tomorrow, who would miss us, and why?

  2. 2

    What does great look like?

    Picture three to five years from now, and everything has gone right. What's different? What are people in our community saying about us?

  3. 3

    What do we never want to lose?

    Think of a moment when this church was at its very best. What were we doing, and how were we treating each other?

What to Expect

  • It's a working session, not a lecture. We'll spend most of our time in conversation, in small groups and all together, with lots of sticky notes on the walls.
  • Everyone's voice counts. Whether you've been part of this church for fifty years or five months, your perspective matters. We'll use exercises that make sure the quieter voices get heard.
  • We'll leave with a draft, not a final answer. Nothing gets carved in stone. The draft gets shared, refined, and lived with before it's final.
  • What to bring: an open mind and comfortable clothes. We'll take care of the supplies.

Pre-Session Survey

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